Cliffside Malibu Brings Families Into Addiction Treatment Through Its Monthly Family Program in Malibu

Malibu, Calif., detox and residential program uses the Stages of Change model to involve loved ones in care

MALIBU, CA, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Cliffside Malibu, a detox and residential addiction treatment center in Malibu, Calif., runs a monthly family program that brings relatives and significant others into the treatment process. The program teaches families about substance use disorder and the patterns that build up around it at home, so the people closest to a patient can take part in recovery alongside them.

Addiction affects the whole household. Over time, family members often adapt to a loved one's drinking or drug use in ways that shape roles, communication and boundaries. The Cliffside Malibu family program is designed to educate patients and families together about substance use disorder and the underlying issues that drive it.

Each monthly session is held in a group setting and supported by addictionologists, doctors, psychiatrists, therapists and certified addiction specialists. Families hear introductions from the therapists, case managers, aftercare specialists and alumni coordinators who work with their loved one, along with a presentation on the center's clinical philosophy. The day includes a process group with other visiting families, family and patient group therapy led by a Cliffside Malibu therapist, and a lunch prepared by the facility's chef.

Topics covered include the Stages of Change model, codependency, family roles, boundaries, psychopharmacology, brain neuroanatomy, depression, anxiety and communication skills. Family members also look at their own influence on the family dynamic. When it is clinically appropriate, Cliffside Malibu adds weekly family therapy.

The program reflects the approach behind all care at Cliffside Malibu. Treatment follows the Stages of Change model, a non-12-step framework developed by researchers Prochaska and DiClemente at the University of Rhode Island. The model meets each person at their current level of readiness for change, and the family program applies the same idea to relatives by considering where both the patient and the family are in that process. Cliffside Malibu staff were trained in the model by Prochaska, and each patient works with one consistent personal therapist throughout treatment.

Care begins with medically supervised detox when needed. A qualified addiction specialist oversees each detox plan, which is personalized to the patient's health and substance history, and patients move directly into residential treatment that includes individual, group and family therapy.

Support for patients continues after discharge. Through Discovery for Life, former patients receive Discovery365, an interactive assessment and check-in program for the first year after treatment, along with free lifetime alumni support that includes online and in-person support groups, alumni social events and educational content through an app.

For many families, the weeks around the holidays are when a loved one's substance use becomes hardest to ignore. Individuals and families looking for detox and residential addiction treatment in Malibu can learn more at cliffsidemalibu.com or call the 24/7 admissions line at 424-320-3061.

About Cliffside Malibu
Cliffside Malibu provides detox and residential treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions in a luxury private-residence setting in Malibu, Calif. Cliffside Malibu is part of Discovery Behavioral Health. The facility is accredited by The Joint Commission, and admissions are available 24/7. For more information, visit cliffsidemalibu.com or call 424-320-3061.

Wes Morgan
Discovery Addiction Services
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