About
About Practical Recovery Psychology Group
Practical Recovery Psychology Group is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization headquartered in La Jolla, San Diego County, at 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite A-220. Founded in 1985, the practice is one of the longest-running non-12-step addiction treatment programs in California and is led by founder and owner Dr. Tom Horvath, PhD. The clinical philosophy is explicitly self-empowering: clients are not framed as powerless over their addictive behavior, and treatment is built around personalized planning rather than placement into a pre-fabricated program.
Clinical services include outpatient addiction treatment, an Individualized Intensive Outpatient Program (IIOP) that the practice positions as an alternative to inpatient rehab, and substance use assessments, typically conducted for court cases, divorce and custody matters, or employers and licensing boards. An initial evaluation and planning session ($220) anchors the intake process and is recommended even for clients who may ultimately seek services elsewhere; alumni who complete the evaluation are eligible to attend a free weekly drop-in continuing care group run online by Dr. Horvath on Wednesdays at 9 a.m.
The clinical team is mostly doctoral-level, allowing the practice to address the underlying psychological issues that drive addictive behavior in many clients. Cognitive behavioral therapy, evidence-based individual psychotherapy, and motivational approaches anchor the modalities used. The program is structured around completely flexible scheduling and is described as an out-of-network provider that bills PPO insurance on the client’s behalf; the practice does not enroll Medicare and is not a Medicare provider.
Clients who need medical detox or residential stabilization before working with Practical Recovery are referred to partner residential facilities, since detox is not delivered on site. Telehealth is available, and veterans are explicitly included in the populations served. The practice publishes regular blog content under Dr. Horvath’s byline on topics including housing-first policy, eating as addictive behavior, and neuroscience of addiction, reflecting an unusually intellectual orientation for an addiction practice.
- Over 35 years of medical detox and addiction treatment experience since 1985
- Founded and operated by Dr. Horvath, PhD, providing clinical oversight for withdrawal management
- Completely flexible scheduling for detox programs and outpatient services Monday-Friday
- Free weekly continuing care group for ongoing support after medical detox completion
- Specialized services for veterans requiring alcohol detox, opioid detox, or drug detox