Picture of the beach with a lifeguard tower in the foreground looking over the vast sea. Picture of the beach with a lifeguard tower in the foreground looking over the vast sea.

About Us

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Our Mission

South Coast Counseling increases access to impactful and quality substance abuse and mental health recovery treatment services for individuals and families facing life-threatening consequences.

Our drug and alcohol treatment center was founded in 1968 and our program has been operating continuously in Orange County California for over 50 years! Since our humble beginnings, we have expanded greatly into a modern and effective treatment center.  We invite individuals seeking to heal from addiction to stay at South Coast Counseling. Our clients develop life skills and experience personal growth and restoration through achieving wellness in their relationships, mind, body, and spirit.

Ready to get help? A member of our team is available to talk now.

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Our Staff

The dedicated team at South Coast Counseling consists of healthcare professionals who collaborate to facilitate the healing of your mind and body. Our staff members understand where you’ve been and what you’re going through because they have been through it themselves. Get to know the compassionate members of our staff that will be with you on every step of your journey.

Chris Cox Addiction Treatment Expert

Chris Cox

Executive Director

Chris Cox is the Executive Director of South Coast Counseling. He is a results-driven executive with a demonstrated history of building and sustaining healthy, stable businesses. Skilled in leadership coaching, business development, financial planning/analysis and operational excellence. Chris is passionate about teams, recovery and helping others become the best version of themselves. He is the proud father of three kids and enjoys spending time with them and his wife. Originally from Texas, he left for California in 1993 and never looked back. Self-proclaimed best dominoes player ever. He enjoys long hikes, all things history, sports and coaching football, where he volunteers after work at Newport Harbor High School.

Chris' bio
Allyson Pelletier Addiction Treatment Expert

Allyson Pelletier

Clinical Director, LMFT

Allyson, our Clinical Director, pursued her education at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, where she completed her Undergraduate and Masters degree. Allyson's academic journey led her to earn a degree in Sociology, followed by a Masters in Clinical Psychology. With a solid foundation in her field, she has dedicated herself to this profession for the past seven years.

Allyson's driving force lies in her deep passion for aiding individuals in overcoming personal traumas and guiding them toward healing and recovery, enabling them to discover their true selves. She finds inspiration in a quote by Carl Jung, which profoundly states, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate." This quote fuels her commitment to empower others in unraveling their unconscious patterns and taking control of their lives.

Allyson's bio
Camille Cox Addiction Treatment Expert

Camille Cox

Director of Admissions

Camille is originally from Whitehouse, Texas, but now resides in Irvine, California. She has been working in substance abuse for the past 7 years. Camille states, “I am extremely passionate about working in this field because I was a very low-bottom addict myself, and if I can get sober, anyone can. Seeing the light come on in someone’s eyes and families get put back together is priceless." Camille enjoys spending time with her family, which usually involves food and football. She also loves spending time with her precious boxers, Harley and Kobe.

Camille's bio
Dr Tucker Addiction treatment expert

Lawrence V. Tucker

Medical Director

Lawrence Tucker, M.D., is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a Diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine, practicing pharmacological management of psychiatric disorders and addiction medicine. Dr. Tucker attended UCLA for his undergraduate degree, where he obtained a B.S. in Physiological Sciences. He then attended UCLA School of Medicine for his Medical Degree and stayed at UCLA for his residency in Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Tucker feels most accomplished with his blended family of 5 children and his wife. Dr. Tucker has had extensive experience within the county of Los Angeles department of mental health and jail systems, State mental health systems and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as in the Federal Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he established the first suboxone clinic within the VA system nationwide. In addition, Dr. Tucker has a private practice in Newport Beach, CA.

His paradigm of treatment is that he, “Treats a person, Not a Diagnosis”. He uses a holistic model and incorporates sobriety, exercise, diet, therapy, supplements, and psychopharmacological therapies. He is a nationally recognized speaker regarding the treatment of dual diagnoses.

Lawrence's Bio