Body
We will help you exist in your body again, and teach you how to befriend it.
Laguna Beach · Now offering VirtualLaguna Beach · PHP / IOP · Now offering Virtual IOP
We Help Humans existWithout FeelingOut of Control
Therapist-founded PHP, IOP, and virtual IOP in Laguna Beach for depression, trauma, anxiety, substance use, and borderline personality disorder.
Dr. Courtney Tracy · Founder and chief clinical officer
The clinic
We're Experts in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
Exist Centers was built to give people the kind of real, effective care they deserve but rarely find. Dr. Courtney Tracy, a licensed therapist who specializes in BPD and substance use, founded it and still leads our clinical team.
Our team is trained in trauma-informed care and personality disorder treatment, and our PHP and IOP are accredited by The Joint Commission. You'll get a plan built around you, and you won't get lost in the shuffle here.
We now offer a virtual IOP for adults in California who can't come to Laguna Beach. You join half days of group and 1:1 sessions on a secure video call.
Accreditation
Our Specialized Mental Health Programs
We offer a full-day program, a half-day program, and a virtual IOP, plus transitional housing in Laguna Canyon if you're coming from out of town.
A full-day program, Monday through Friday.
Expert-led treatment for stabilization, assessment, and medication support, five days a week. You go home, or to the Truth House, each evening.
See how PHP worksGroup size
Eight people at most
1:1 sessions
Three or more a week
Founded
By a therapist
Our Three-Part Clinical Model
Dr. Courtney Tracy built this model from more than a decade of work with people facing mental health and substance use at the same time.
How we use DBT, EMDR, and somatic therapy
Somatic care
Body
Learn to exist in your body again.
We look at how your body and mind affect each other, with yoga, mindfulness, and other therapies for physical pain and emotional ups and downs. We also look at nutrition and pain, and work with your doctors.
Cognitive analysis
Mind
Notice the automatic thoughts that drive you.
We look at how you think, make decisions, solve problems, and see your life and other people. Then we help you turn automatic negative thoughts and reactions into healthier ones.
Psychoanalytical
Brain
Understand why you feel and act the way you do.
We give you a safe space to explore your unconscious mind and the hidden emotions and patterns underneath. It helps with deep emotional pain and with substance use.
What we treat
We See You as a Human First, Before Any Diagnosis
Mental health and substance use, treated together.
When mental health and substance use show up together, we treat both at the same time, with the same team.
Dual diagnosis treatment in Orange CountyTalk to admissions
Trauma
Trauma can stay in the body long after it happens.
Trauma can stay in the body long after it happens.
We start by helping you feel safe, then work through what happened with EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts work, without pushing faster than you can go.
- PTSD
- Complex trauma (C-PTSD)
- Self-harm
BPD is treatable, and you won't be stigmatized here.
We use DBT and IFS-informed therapy to help with intense emotions, relationships, and fear of abandonment. Full treatment usually takes four to five months.
- Borderline personality disorder
- Other personality disorders
Depression can make everything feel heavy.
Behavioral activation, DBT, CBT, and steady support in group and 1:1 help you move through the numbness, fatigue, and self-criticism.
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Grief
Anxiety isn't always panic. It can be constant worry and tension.
We combine exposure-based therapy, somatic practices, and cognitive work to calm your nervous system and help you face what you've been avoiding.
- Generalized anxiety
- Panic disorder
The rituals promise relief, but the relief never lasts.
We use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help you face the fear under the obsession and resist the urge to act on it.
- Intrusive thoughts
- Compulsions
- Checking
Using is often a way to survive pain.
We treat the substance use and the pain underneath it at the same time. Full abstinence is required while you're in the program.
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Prescription medications
- Co-occurring mental health
Housing
The Truth House
Not local to Orange County? Come stay with us. The Truth House is safe, accredited transitional housing in Laguna Canyon for clients in our PHP and IOP programs.
See the Truth House
The RoomSingle and double rooms.
Our founder
Dr. Courtney Tracy
Chief Clinical Officer
USC-trained licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma and personality-disorder expert.
Me and my team help you go from feeling out of control, deeply misunderstood, and isolated to feeling in control of a life worth living.
Education
University of Southern California Magna Cum Laude · Master of Social Work · 2014–2016
California Southern University Summa Cum Laude · Doctorate in Clinical Psychology · 2016–2019
Credentials
LCSW · PsyD · RPA · C-DBT · C-PD · CCTP
Featured in
The New York Times · Good Morning America · NBC · Business Insider · The Washington Post · Los Angeles Times
Meet the Exist Team
Dr. Courtney Tracy founded the clinic, and Mikaela Karpinski is our executive director.
Dr. Courtney Tracy
Founder and chief clinical officer
Dr. Courtney has spent more than a decade treating people who face mental health and substance use together.
Mikaela Karpinski
Executive Director
Mikaela helps our program and client experience thrive by balancing humanistic care with clinical expertise.
Maggie Scotto
Somatic practitioner
Maggie has spent more than five years bringing somatic work into mental health and substance use programs.
Dr. Randall Turner
Medical director
Dr. Turner is one of our two medical directors and is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine.
Dr. Nathan Ngo
Medical director
Dr. Ngo treats mood, anxiety, personality, and trauma-related conditions, and speaks both English and Vietnamese.
Our Nine Truths
Client testimonials
I never thought I'd actually find a treatment center that cares this much.
It's warm, inviting, and they get substance use and BPD.
We are so incredibly grateful for all of the compassionate care and support provided here.
As seen in
How to Start Treatment at Exist
Call us, or fill out the insurance form below. We'll check your benefits and get back to you within one business day, and if we're not the right fit, we'll help with referrals.
Tell Us About Yourself
Fill out the insurance form below, or call, text, or leave us a voicemail.
We'll Call or Text You
We'll complete a short assessment with you, go over costs and coverage, and set your intake date.
Start Your Program
You'll get your schedule ahead of time, and we'll give you a warm welcome when you arrive.
Call (949) 670-9345Coverage by insurance plan
Benefits vary by plan. Verification is free and is not a guarantee of coverage.
Verify Your Insurance
Insurance we accept
