About Holding Hope Collective

Built by clinicians who saw the same gap, one too many times.

Holding Hope Collective started with a frustration our founders kept running into from opposite sides of the same problem.

Melissa had spent fifteen years inside high-acuity behavioral health systems — acute mental health, SUD treatment, justice-involved youth, homelessness services — watching clinical insight get lost the moment a client stepped down to outpatient.

Alisha had spent over a decade in SUD treatment operations — detox, residential, outpatient, sober living — watching the same clients cycle back through higher levels of care because the support between programs wasn't there.

We built this practice for the people in between. The ones trying to stay ahead of a crisis before it becomes one. The ones leaving treatment with nowhere clinically grounded to land. The ones whose mental health and substance use are tangled together and who keep getting told to pick one to treat first.

Our team is small on purpose. Every clinician here works across mental health, substance use, and dual diagnosis. We coordinate directly with prior treatment teams. We answer the phone. We build care that fits the life you're actually trying to live.

  • · HIPAA-compliant
  • · Secure Telehealth
  • · Licensed Clinicians
  • · In-person sessions available

Our Mission

Proactive care that strengthens, stabilizes, and sustains.

Closing the gap between prevention, treatment, and real life.

“Holding Hope was created to support people in the in-between moments — when life feels fragile, change is still new, and the right support can prevent someone from slipping back into crisis.”

People reach out to us at two different moments. Some are trying not to need a higher level of care. Some have just left one. Both groups fall through the same cracks: long waitlists, providers who only know mental health, providers who only know substance use, intake processes that assume you've already lost everything.

We built Holding Hope Collective because the people we kept meeting deserved somewhere to land before a crisis — and somewhere real to go after one. Every clinician on this team has spent their career working with mental health, substance use, and dual diagnosis. We know what these struggles actually look like, in every combination.

Our Team

The people behind the practice.

Melissa R. Snyder, LCSW

Melissa R. Snyder, LCSW

Founder · Executive Director & Clinical Director

Melissa is a licensed clinical social worker who's spent the last fifteen years working with people in some of the hardest moments of their lives — in psychiatric hospitals, detox units, shelters, courtrooms, and the kinds of places where the safety net is supposed to catch people but often doesn't. She built her career listening carefully to people who'd stopped expecting to be heard.

She believes the work is mostly about being honest, being present, and not flinching when someone tells you the truth. Recovery, in her view, isn't about getting back to who you were before — it's about figuring out who you actually want to be now, and having someone steady in your corner while you do it.

She started Holding Hope Collective to build a place that actually understands what the struggle looks like — and what it takes to succeed.

Alisha Bass, CADC I

Alisha Bass, CADC I

Co-Founder · Director of Operations

Alisha has spent over a decade in substance use treatment — detox, residential, outpatient, sober living — most of that time sitting with people on the worst day of their lives and helping them figure out what comes next. She's been the person clients call when they don't know who else to call, and she's never once made anyone feel like a number.

She's the rare combination of organized and kind. She'll remember the name of your dog and also notice if you've missed two appointments in a row. Real recovery, she believes, happens at the intersection of clinical work that undoes the patterns treatment couldn't fully reach, and the steady experience of being known by the people walking alongside you.

At Holding Hope Collective, Alisha is the heart of the day-to-day. If you call the office, there's a good chance she's the one picking up.

Why People Choose Us

Care that knows where you've been.

Whether you're trying to stay ahead of a crisis or rebuild after one, we're set up for it. Our clinicians work across mental health, substance use, and dual diagnosis — without making you choose which door to walk through.

  • 01

    Mental Health, Substance Use, or Both

    Most practices specialize in one. We're trained for all three, in any combination.

  • 02

    Warm Handoffs

    We talk directly to your prior treatment team — or your current providers, if you have them — so day one isn't day one.

  • 03

    Long-Term Steady Support

    Optional recovery support with a dedicated point person — structured through the first year and available for as long as it's useful.

  • 04

    Telehealth That Fits Your Life

    In-person in Woodland Hills, or from your kitchen table — whichever you'll actually do.

When you're ready, we're here.

This is a place where your progress is honored, your hard days are met without judgment, and your hope is treated like something worth protecting. If you need more, we offer more.

  • · Book in less than 3 minutes
  • · Fully confidential
  • · No commitment

FAQ

Your questions. Answered.

Starting therapy or psychiatry can feel uncertain. These answers are here to help you feel informed, prepared, and confident as you begin.

Do you only work with people in recovery from addiction?+

No. We work with people whose primary concern is mental health, people whose primary concern is substance use, and people dealing with both. You don't need a treatment history or a diagnosis to reach out.

How do I know if I need therapy or psychiatry?+

If you're transitioning out of residential, PHP, or IOP care, or finding it hard to maintain progress independently, ongoing support can make a meaningful difference. Therapy builds on the work you've started; psychiatry can stabilize symptoms when needed.

What's the difference between a therapist and a psychiatrist?+

Therapists work with you in ongoing sessions to process experiences and strengthen coping. Psychiatrists are medical providers who assess and, when needed, prescribe and manage medication. At Holding Hope, both are integrated.

Do you offer virtual sessions, in-person care, or both?+

Both. Whether you're returning home, relocating, or adjusting a routine, we make sure your care continues without interruption.

Will I be prescribed medication?+

Medication is never assumed. When you meet our psychiatric provider, recommendations are based on your history, prior treatments, and current needs — and integrated alongside therapy, not separate from it.

How much do sessions cost, and do you accept insurance?+

We offer insurance-based and self-pay options. Our team helps you understand your benefits clearly so you can decide without added stress.

What happens during the first session?+

Your first session isn't a reset — it's a continuation. We connect with your previous treatment team beforehand to review history, notes, and goals so sessions focus on moving forward.