At Barn Life Recovery, we believe the most powerful way to treat mental health is by returning to balance — a principle at the heart of ancient Chinese medicine. For thousands of years, practices like Medical Qigong, acupuncture, herbal therapy, Tai Chi, and meditation have helped people restore harmony in the body, calm the mind, and reconnect with the spirit.
Our outpatient mental health center in Costa Mesa, California, is one of the few places in the country where these traditions are seamlessly integrated into recovery care. We pair them with evidence-based psychotherapy and trauma-informed treatment, creating a whole-person approach that honors both ancient wisdom and modern science.
Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or bipolar disorder, Barn Life Recovery provides a path forward that goes deeper than symptom relief. Our goal is not just to manage conditions — but to help you rediscover balance, clarity, and the ability to love life again.
Mental Health Conditions We Treat
At Barn Life Recovery, we specialize in treating a focused range of mental health conditions where Chinese medicine and modern therapy together create profound change.
Depression
Depression often drains energy, motivation, and joy. In Chinese medicine, depression is seen as a disruption of energy (Qi) that creates stagnation and imbalance in the body. At Barn Life, we help restore this balance through:
- Acupuncture to lift mood and regulate energy.
- Medical Qigong to move stagnant emotions and rebuild vitality.
- Herbal remedies to support sleep, digestion, and mood regulation.
- Therapy (CBT and ACT) to reframe negative thinking and build coping strategies.
- Creative therapies like music and art to release emotions words can’t hold.
Clients often come to us feeling heavy and stuck. After treatment, they describe feeling lighter, clearer, and able to reconnect with joy again.
PTSD and Trauma Disorders
Trauma locks the body into survival mode — long after the danger has passed. Chinese medicine views trauma as energy blocked within the body, which must be gently released to restore harmony.
At Barn Life, we support trauma healing with:
- Qigong for emotional release, using the Five Elements system to target where trauma is stored.
- Acupuncture to calm hypervigilance and regulate the nervous system.
- Meditation and breathwork to create safety in the present moment.
- EMDR and narrative therapy to reprocess painful memories.
- Group work to reduce isolation and build trust.
One client shared they felt “frozen in time” before Barn Life. With EMDR and Qigong, they began to feel safe in their body again — and safe enough to step back into life.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is often described in Chinese medicine as energy that is “rising” — creating restlessness, overthinking, and physical tension.
Our anxiety treatment blends:
- Acupuncture and herbal remedies to calm racing thoughts and ease physical agitation.
- Tai Chi and Qigong to ground the body and slow the mind.
- Mindfulness and yoga to anchor awareness in the present.
- CBT and DBT to reduce avoidance, challenge fears, and build regulation skills.
Many clients tell us they came in feeling restless and exhausted. By the end of treatment, they found they could finally breathe deeply and approach daily life with calm and confidence.
INSURANCE ACCEPTED
We are in-network with all PPO plans and are proudly a certified Tricare provider. We are now able to work with many HMO plans including Magellan Health/Blue Shield of CA, Aetna, and Cigna.
ADHD and Neurodiversity
For many with ADHD, daily life feels chaotic or overwhelming. In Chinese medicine, this can be understood as energy that is scattered rather than centered.
At Barn Life, we take a strengths-based approach, offering:
- Qigong and martial arts to channel restless energy into focus and discipline.
- Mindfulness training to strengthen attention and reduce impulsivity.
- Therapy and coaching for structure, executive functioning, and routines.
- Optional psychiatric support for those who benefit from medication.
One adult client said they arrived feeling “scattered and ashamed.” Through Qigong and structured therapy, they left with new routines that worked for them — and pride in their unique way of thinking.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD creates cycles of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that feel impossible to escape. In Chinese medicine, this can be seen as overactive energy of the mind disrupting balance.
Our integrative approach includes:
- Acupuncture and Qigong to calm obsessive energy.
- CBT and ERP to reduce compulsions and increase tolerance for uncertainty.
- ACT and mindfulness to change how clients relate to intrusive thoughts.
- Sound healing and body-centered therapy to release tension stored in the body.
Clients often arrive saying their lives are consumed by rituals. After treatment, they describe finally having “room to live” again — time and energy for what matters most.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder creates cycles of highs and lows that can destabilize daily life. Chinese medicine views this as imbalances in yin and yang — excess energy during mania and depletion during depression.
Our treatment aims to restore rhythm and balance with:
- Acupuncture and herbal therapy to stabilize mood.
- Social rhythm therapy to regulate daily patterns and sleep.
- DBT and psychoeducation to build awareness and coping strategies.
- Family therapy to strengthen support systems.
- Yoga and meditation to ground during transitions.
One client described living on a “rollercoaster of moods.” Through DBT and energy-balancing practices, they found steadiness — and began to build a life of balance and purpose.
Co-Occurring Disorders (Dual Diagnosis)
Many clients arrive struggling with both mental health conditions and substance use. Chinese medicine sees addiction as an attempt to fill imbalance or emptiness in the body’s energy.
Our dual diagnosis care blends:
- Qigong, acupuncture, and breathwork to regulate stress and cravings.
- Therapy for underlying conditions driving substance use.
- Holistic practices like art, music, and mindfulness to replace destructive coping.
- Case management and aftercare for long-term support.
Clients often say Barn Life was the first place where both their addiction and mental health were fully understood — and where they finally felt whole again.
Is Barn Life Right For You?
Let our kind and helpful admissions coordinators assist in finding the best option – even if it’s not with us.
Personality Disorders (e.g., Borderline, Avoidant)
Personality disorders often involve deep struggles with self-image, emotions, and relationships. Clients may feel intense fear of abandonment, frequent mood swings, or difficulty maintaining stable connections. Traditional models often miss the nuance of these struggles, leaving people feeling misunderstood.
At Barn Life Recovery, we integrate:
- Chinese medicine practices like Qigong and acupuncture to regulate intense emotions and soothe nervous system reactivity.
- DBT and mindfulness to build tools for emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.
- Creative therapies to explore identity and self-expression in safe, supportive ways.
Our goal is to help individuals develop steadier emotions, stronger boundaries, and a renewed sense of identity that supports healthier relationships.
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociation can feel like being disconnected from your body, your thoughts, or even your sense of self. It may develop as a response to overwhelming trauma and can leave clients feeling “unreal,” detached, or fragmented.
Barn Life helps clients ground and reconnect through:
- Somatic practices like Qigong, meditation, and body-centered therapy to restore presence and safety in the body.
- Narrative and psychodynamic therapy to gently process the root causes of dissociation.
- Mindfulness and breathwork to strengthen awareness and reduce emotional numbing.
Treatment is focused on restoring wholeness, building stability, and reconnecting mind and body in everyday life.
Phobias and Panic Disorder
Phobias and panic attacks are more than fear — they are overwhelming physical and emotional experiences that can leave people avoiding everyday life. Symptoms may include racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, or a sense of impending doom.
Barn Life Recovery addresses these conditions with:
- Acupuncture and breathwork to regulate the body and ease panic symptoms.
- CBT and exposure-based strategies to safely confront fears in manageable steps.
- Holistic grounding practices like sound healing and yoga to rebuild calm and confidence.
By combining body regulation with gradual exposure and mindfulness, we help clients replace avoidance with calm confidence.
Psychotic Disorders (e.g., Schizophrenia)
Psychotic disorders can involve hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, or profound changes in perception. For families and individuals, these symptoms can feel frightening and isolating. While less common, searches for psychosis and schizophrenia treatment reflect a real need for compassionate, outpatient support.
Barn Life’s approach includes:
- Stabilization through psychiatric care when appropriate, including careful medication management.
- Chinese medicine practices like Qigong, herbal therapy, and meditation to ground and stabilize energy.
- Group and family support to reduce isolation and strengthen connections.
- Therapy focused on reality-testing and resilience to help clients navigate symptoms with greater clarity.
Our treatment aims to reduce distress, improve daily functioning, and help clients build a more stable, connected life.
How We Create Lasting Change
At Barn Life Recovery, healing isn’t just about easing symptoms — it’s about changing the way the body, mind, and spirit respond to life. By calming the body with Chinese medicine and retraining the mind with evidence-based therapies, clients gain the tools to replace old cycles with healthier patterns.
Here’s how the process works:
Regulating the body – Practices like Medical Qigong, acupuncture, and herbal therapy reduce nervous system overdrive. When the body feels safe, clients can release tension, sleep more deeply, and engage in therapy without being hijacked by fight-or-flight responses.
Rewiring the mind – Using CBT, ACT, and psychodynamic approaches, clients learn to identify distorted thought patterns (like catastrophizing or self-blame) and replace them with perspectives rooted in clarity, self-compassion, and resilience.
Training emotional responses – DBT skills, mindfulness practice, and guided breathwork give clients practical tools to manage big emotions. Instead of spiraling into panic, anger, or shutdown, they learn to pause, breathe, and respond with intention.
Building daily habits – Behavioral activation and structured routines transform insight into action. Clients practice showing up for enjoyable activities, creating predictable rhythms, and developing systems that reduce chaos and increase stability.
Releasing stored trauma – Somatic practices such as Qigong, meditation, and sound healing allow clients to safely process emotions trapped in the body, reducing flashbacks, muscle tension, and hypervigilance.
Restoring relationships – Through group therapy, family sessions, and interpersonal skills training, clients rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and practice vulnerability in safe, supportive settings.
Strengthening identity and purpose – Creative outlets like art, music, and writing therapy help clients reconnect with joy, express emotions beyond words, and rediscover meaning in their lives.
The result is not just symptom relief but a deep transformation of how clients think, feel, and live. By uniting Eastern healing traditions with modern psychology, Barn Life Recovery creates lasting change from the inside out.
Begin Your Journey with Barn Life Recovery
If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health condition, you don’t have to carry it alone. At Barn Life Recovery, we offer something truly different: a way to heal that starts with the body, calms the mind, and reconnects the spirit.
Getting started is simple:
- Reach out – Call our team anytime, day or night, or fill out our online form.
- Verify your insurance – We’ll quickly review your coverage and explain your options.
- Assessment and plan – Our admissions coordinators will schedule a personal assessment to understand your needs and recommend the right level of care.
- Begin your journey – With fast admissions, you can start treatment right away in our supportive Costa Mesa community.
Located in the heart of Orange County, we serve clients across Los Angeles, San Diego, and throughout Southern California. With flexible outpatient care, a compassionate environment, and therapies you won’t find anywhere else, Barn Life Recovery is here to guide you every step of the way.
Healing doesn’t have to wait. Call us today or verify your insurance to begin your journey. Together, we’ll take the first step toward balance, resilience, and a life you can love again.
