When you need real help — not another script.

A professional interventionist is a trained guide who helps a family create the conditions where a loved one accepts help — usually treatment, but sometimes coaching, therapy, or a different starting point. The work happens in three parts:

1. Pre-intervention strategy. Confidential calls with the family to understand the person, the family dynamics, what's already been tried, and what's blocking forward movement. We map the actual situation — not a generic addiction script.

2. Family preparation. Coaching the family on what to say, what not to say, who should be in the room, how to handle pushback, and how to hold a unified, loving line. Most family attempts fail here because no one prepared them.

3. The intervention itself. A calm, structured, family-led conversation — not the dramatic version on TV. The interventionist guides the room, manages emotion, and makes sure a vetted next step is ready to admit your loved one within hours of "yes."

Epic Journey has performed over 500 successful interventions. Preston Durnford has been on every side of this work, including 12+ years owning and operating the kinds of treatment programs people get placed into.

Step 1 — Free 15-minute consultation. We listen, ask questions, and tell you honestly whether intervention is the right next step or whether something else fits better. No pressure, no sales pitch.

Step 2 — Engagement. If intervention is the path, we agree on scope. Interventions are a one-time, project-based engagement — not an ongoing retainer. The quote includes pre-intervention strategy, family prep sessions, the intervention itself, and the immediate hand-off to the next level of care.

Step 3 — Travel & setup. For in-person interventions we travel to the family. Local Orange County interventions need 2–5 days of preparation. Out-of-state interventions require additional time for travel and on-site setup. We can run virtual or hybrid interventions when in-person isn't possible — but in-person is almost always more effective.

Step 4 — The intervention day. We arrive early, run final family prep, lead the intervention, and have a vetted treatment program lined up and ready to admit your loved one within hours. Momentum is everything — we don't let a "yes" cool off.

Step 5 — Continuity. We don't disappear when treatment starts. Most families continue with Epic Journey on monthly retainer through treatment and into the rebuild phase that follows.

These terms get used interchangeably in casual conversation, but they're meaningfully different:

Recovery coach (or recovery mentor). A paid professional with deep operational experience in addiction and recovery. Provides ongoing 1-on-1 work — strategy, accountability, structure, life-direction, crisis support. At Epic Journey, recovery coaching is delivered by Preston directly. Engagement is hourly or monthly retainer; most clients stay 6 months to a year.

Sober mentor / sober coach / sober companion. Same role, different vocabulary. We use these interchangeably with "recovery coach" depending on what resonates with the client and what kind of structure they need. A "sober companion" usually implies more intensive, higher-touch work (sometimes including travel with the client).

Sponsor (12-step). Peer support inside a 12-step program (AA, NA). Free. Volunteer. Scope is limited to step-work and program guidance — not strategy, not life-direction, not family coordination. Different role, different scope.

Recovery coaching and sponsorship complement each other — they don't replace each other. Many of our clients work with both: Epic Journey is the strategist and life-direction guide; the sponsor walks them through the steps.

Most clients stay on monthly retainer with Epic Journey for 6 months to a year. That's not arbitrary — recovery research is consistent on this point. Dennis & Scott published in JAMA that 12+ months of continuing care correlates with roughly 3x better long-term outcomes vs. shorter engagements. Sobriety isn't built in 30 days at a treatment center — it's built in the year that follows, when life is rebuilding around it.

That said, engagement length is built around what you actually need. Some clients run 3 months of intensive work and then taper off. Some stay on retainer for years because that consistent relationship is part of how they protect their recovery. We don't force a contract length — we structure what fits.

Virtual coaching is delivered by secure video and phone — same Preston, same access, same continuity, just remote. Most clients outside Orange County work with us entirely virtually. Many local clients also choose virtual for everyday sessions and reserve in-person for high-stakes moments — post-treatment transition, family meetings, crisis points.

Pricing structure for virtual:

Hourly — for clients who need flexible, as-needed support. Less common, because most who reach out need more.

Monthly retainer — for clients who need consistent, ongoing access: multiple touchpoints per week, real-time crisis support, family coordination, full life-direction work. This is where most of our deepest work happens.

(Interventions are different — those are project-based, one-time engagements that include travel and setup. Not virtual.)

Family therapy (with a licensed therapist) is clinical work focused on relational dynamics — communication patterns, boundaries, processing trauma. It's important, valuable, and we refer to family therapists frequently.

Family support / family coaching at Epic Journey is strategic and practical. We work 1-on-1 with parents, spouses, or siblings the same way someone might work with a coach or mentor in business or sports — not from a clinical-pathology lens, but from a "how do you actually navigate this situation, day by day, week by week" lens.

What that looks like in practice:

• How to stop reacting in ways that make things worse
• How to build leverage when your loved one is refusing help
• How to make sense of treatment-program updates and aftercare options
• How to protect your own life, marriage, and career while staying engaged
• How to re-establish trust after treatment without slipping into enabling

Families have always needed this. Athletes have coaches. Founders have mentors. The hardest crisis a family will ever go through deserves the same — a person who has done this hundreds of times and can guide you through it with a clear head.

Because handoffs are where recovery breaks. The default pattern in most placement-style services:

Family pays an interventionist → loved one goes to treatment → interventionist disappears. Treatment team works with the client for 30–90 days → discharge → treatment team is gone. Aftercare is hopefully arranged → family is back to figuring it out alone.

Each handoff loses context, loses momentum, and increases relapse risk. The McLellan / JAMA research on continuing care has shown for decades that the single best predictor of long-term recovery is sustained, individualized post-treatment support.

Epic Journey collapses all three phases — before, during, after — into one continuous relationship. Same person who ran the intervention coordinates with the treatment team, checks in with the family week to week, and is still there a year later when life is being rebuilt. The family doesn't have to re-explain the situation to a new provider every 60 days. The momentum stays.

Three structures at Epic Journey, all cash-pay:

1. Intervention = one-time project. Quoted per case based on family complexity, travel, and post-intervention support. Not ongoing. Includes pre-intervention strategy, family prep, the intervention itself, and immediate hand-off to treatment.

2. Recovery coaching, family support, mentorship = hourly OR monthly retainer. Hourly fits clients with specific, occasional needs. Monthly retainer fits the majority of our deeper work — multiple touchpoints per week, real-time crisis support, full case management. Most clients run monthly retainer for 6 months to a year.

3. Treatment placement = no fee from Epic Journey for the placement itself. Partner facility bills your PPO or HMO insurance for the actual treatment. (Insurance constraint: commercial PPO and HMO only. No Medicare, Medi-Cal, Tricare, or state-funded plans.)

Exact pricing is discussed transparently on the free 15-minute consultation. We don't post prices because the engagement is built around what your family actually needs — not a packaged bundle.

Honest answer: most families default to "we need an intervention" because that's the term they know. Sometimes that's right. Often, it's not the best first move.

Intervention fits when the loved one is in active addiction, refuses to acknowledge the problem, the family has tried direct conversations multiple times without movement, immediate safety or stability is at risk, and a treatment placement is the obvious next step.

Coaching or virtual care fits when the person is willing to engage but doesn't think they need treatment, has been to treatment before and needs sustained support outside of it, or is a family member who needs help navigating their own role.

Both, in sequence, is the most common Epic Journey path — run the intervention to get into treatment, then continue with coaching during and after. This is what gives families the highest probability of long-term recovery.

We tell families on the consultation which one fits — even if the honest answer is "no intervention right now."

Yes — discretion is one of the main reasons high-performing clients choose Epic Journey. A significant portion of our work is with founders, executives, attorneys, physicians, and action-sports athletes (including the Red Bull and Monster Energy worlds) who need premium, confidential help while life keeps moving.

What that looks like in practice:

• Calls and engagements are fully confidential — no names, situations, or details shared outside the team.
• Engagement structured around discretion: virtual when possible, off-hours sessions when needed, travel to private locations for in-person work.
• Coordination with EAPs, executive assistants, and family offices when appropriate — without any disclosure beyond what the client authorizes.
• Treatment placement (when it's part of the path) goes to programs known for high-profile clientele and operational privacy.

Many of our clients have public-facing roles, board responsibilities, or competitive careers on the line. We protect the work and the person.

For private services — interventions, mentorship, recovery coaching, therapy, and family support — we are cash-pay only. We do not bill insurance for these services. This keeps the engagement private, fast, and built around your family instead of a billing department.

For treatment placement — when we help you find the right rehab or program — we work with PPO and HMO insurance only. We do not accept Medicare, Medi-Cal, Tricare, or any state-funded insurance. We verify benefits before you commit to anything, so there are no surprises.

We stay with you the entire way. That's the whole point of Epic Journey, and it's the biggest reason families choose us over a typical placement service.

Before treatment — we run the intervention, prepare the family, and walk you through every option (treatment, virtual care, mentorship, or all three). We don't push a one-size-fits-all path.

During treatment — we don't disappear once your loved one is admitted. We coordinate directly with the treatment program, check in with the family week to week, give you real-time updates, and start preparing for what comes after — while it actually matters.

After treatment — this is where most programs leave you, and it's where most people relapse. We continue with recovery mentorship, family integration, life-direction work (career, education, relationships), and long-term structure. Coming home is the hardest part, and we don't let you do it alone.

One trusted person, one continuous relationship, every phase of the journey. That's how recovery actually sticks.

Yes. Treatment isn't always the right entry point — and forcing it when it's not needed often backfires. Many clients work with us in virtual mentorship and recovery coaching directly, without ever entering an inpatient program.

On your free consultation, we'll honestly assess whether your situation calls for treatment first, virtual care first, or some combination. If we think you need treatment, we'll tell you. If we think you don't, we'll tell you that too.

They're part of the same brand, with two clear lanes.

Our private hands-on work — interventions, mentorship, recovery coaching, therapy, and family support — is delivered through our main site, EpicJourneyWellness.com.

This page is focused on getting you on a confidential call with Preston so we can figure out what you actually need — including vetted treatment placement if rehab is the right next step.

Most placement services are sales operations. They get paid to send you somewhere — and they'll send you anywhere that pays.

Preston has spent 12+ years owning and operating treatment centers himself — detox, residential, mental health, and outpatient. He's been on the inside. He knows which programs say they're great in the marketing and aren't. He knows which ones do the quiet, real work.

We only refer to programs we've personally vetted — the ones we'd send our own family to. If a program isn't right for your loved one, we'll tell you. If a program shouldn't exist, we won't send anyone there. That's the difference.

We're headquartered in Newport Beach, California, and we serve families two ways:

Virtual care — anywhere in the country. Most of our mentorship, coaching, family support, and ongoing recovery work happens by secure video and phone. Same continuity, same direct access to Preston, no matter where you live. For interventions and treatment placement, we coordinate remotely and fly in when an in-person presence is the right move.

In-person — Orange County. If you're local to Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Coast, or anywhere across Orange County, we meet with you face-to-face. Many of our local clients combine both — in-person when it counts, virtual for everything in between.

For treatment placement, we work nationwide — your loved one doesn't need to be local to access our vetted partner network.

Calm, professional, and family-centered — not the dramatic version you've seen on TV. We start with a confidential strategy call, build the right team and approach for your specific person, prepare the family, and then run the intervention itself. Once your loved one says yes, we have a vetted next step lined up and ready to go — so the moment doesn't get lost.

Yes — that's exactly when most families call us. Refusal is normal and almost always part of the process, not the end of it. Preston has walked thousands of families through this exact moment. We help you stop reacting, build leverage, and create the conditions where saying yes becomes the easier path. You're not stuck.

Yes. The consultation is free, completely confidential, and there's zero pressure. You'll talk directly with Preston or a senior member of our team. We'll ask honest questions about what's going on, share what we'd actually do in your shoes, and either offer a path forward with us or point you somewhere better suited if that's what's right. No script. No sales theatre.

For most cases, we can move within 24–48 hours of your first call. Crisis moments don't wait, and neither do we. If your situation is urgent, say so when you book — we'll prioritize and have a plan together fast.

Yes. Privacy is one of the main reasons families come to us. Calls, conversations, and engagements are confidential. We never share names, situations, or details with anyone outside the team — period.

We work across the full spectrum — and that's by design. The common thread isn't who you are, it's that you want real, experienced help, not theory.

High performers under pressure. Founders, executives, attorneys, and the families behind them — people who need this handled discreetly while life keeps moving.

High-level athletes. We've worked with action-sports athletes, competitors, and pros across the Red Bull and Monster Energy worlds — guys whose careers and identity are tied to performance, and who need recovery to fit that life instead of breaking it.

Failure-to-launch young adults. Twenty-somethings who never quite got traction, smart kids stuck at home, college dropouts, anyone who has been struggling for years and needs to get their life back on track.

Middle-aged adults who lost their way. People who used to be active, had passions, had momentum — until drugs, alcohol, or burnout took the wheel. Our work helps you remember who you were and become a stronger version of it.

Everyday families in crisis. Parents, spouses, and siblings navigating a loved one's addiction or mental health emergency — who need a guide, not a sales pitch.

No. A lot of our clients haven't moved their body in years. The active lifestyle piece is something we build into the recovery — not a prerequisite to start.

That said, getting people physically engaged again is core to how we work. Surfing, hiking, riding, paddling, lifting, breathwork, cold exposure — we use real-world movement as part of the healing because it works. Action quiets the mind and rebuilds identity faster than talk alone.

If you're already an athlete, we'll integrate recovery into your training. If you've been on the couch for ten years, we'll find one thing that gets you outside and start there. Either way, you don't have to figure it out alone.

For private services we offer two structures:

Hourly engagements — for a specific need: a strategy session, a one-off family meeting, an early intervention conversation, or short-term mentorship.

Monthly retainers — for clients who need consistent, ongoing access: multiple touchpoints per week, real-time crisis support, family coordination, and full-spectrum case management. Most of our deeper work happens here.

Exact rates are discussed on the consultation. We don't post prices because the engagement is built around what you actually need — not a packaged bundle.

Yes — we work with vetted, ethical practitioners across functional medicine, ketamine-assisted therapy, plant medicine, holistic care, somatic work, and more. We don't push any one modality. We help you understand what's appropriate, when, and who to trust to do it well.

All recommendations are made through our trusted network of licensed providers and experienced guides. Safety and clinical fit come first, always.

Yes. Recovery without a real life to step into rarely lasts. We help clients get back to school, into a trade, find meaningful work, or rebuild a stalled career. We connect you with mentors, coaches, programs, and people who can move that piece forward — because what you do with your time is half the recovery equation.

Yes. Our network includes LCSWs, LMFTs, PsyDs, certified addiction counselors, holistic practitioners, and spiritual mentors — people we've worked with for years and trust personally. Whether you need clinical, holistic, or spiritual support (or all three), we'll match you with the right person, not a directory listing.