The CIFT Blog
Articles, tools and insights from the CIFT team.
A little guidance, information, or encouragement can make a big difference. Our resources are designed to support your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. From relationship tips to coping strategies for anxiety and depression and more, our resources are here to help you thrive.
Articles
AI vs. Therapy: Why Human Connection Still Matters
Artificial intelligence now aids mental health — offering coping tips, reflections, and empathic-sounding language. Its accessibility can feel supportive. At CIFT, we value these tools but stress clarity about their capabilities and limits.
Looking Deeper: Why Porn Calls to Us, and How Christ Leads Us to Freedom
In a world bursting with new temptations, Christ’s timeless teaching on lust shines even more piercingly today. He considered lust not just a matter of behavior, but of the heart—the inner being.
Cultivating Self-Compassion and Curiosity for Personal Growth
Curiosity is at the bedrock of all growth. From a psychological point of view, it allows us to examine our relationships to the world, those around us, and to ourselves. It provides us the vital information needed to mature.
Healing from Trauma and Shame: How Therapy Can Help You Reclaim Your Identity
The difficult and traumatic moments we endure become the lens we see ourselves through. We do not see who we were before it and begin to let it shape our identity. Slowly, we carry the shame and blame of those experiences, and it takes over.
Perseverence & Endurance
We learn how to deal with the difficulties in life in many ways: From the examples of our parents or role models, to our own interactions and experiences in life. So why does the idea of perseverance and endurance seem so difficult?
Local Resources & Contacts
The resources below are available to offer timely care, crisis support, and connection to services in Orange County. Whether you are seeking urgent assistance, navigating a difficult moment, or supporting someone you love, these organizations are here to provide confidential, responsive care. You are not alone. Help and hope are available.
Immediate Crisis Help (24/7)
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Call 911
If you are in immediate danger or at risk of harm.
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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
Available nationwide for immediate emotional support.
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Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 for 24/7 text support
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LA County Mental Health Access Center (ACCESS Line)
Call 1-800-854-7771 for crisis screening, immediate support, and referrals across Los Angeles County, including Torrance.
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Crisis Text Line
Text LA to 741741 to connect with a trained counselor via text message (free, 24/7).
Local Area Crisis Support
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OC Links: Behavioral Health Navigation & Crisis Response
A 24/7 confidential line connecting individuals to crisis support, mental health services, and referrals across Orange County. Call (855) 625-4657 or use live chat. Trained navigators can support emotional crises and dispatch mobile crisis teams if needed.
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OC WarmLine
Free, confidential emotional support for non-crisis stress, loneliness, anxiety, and more. Call or text (714) 991-6412 or toll-free 877-910-9276.
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Community Helpline (OC Resource)
For crisis and non-crisis support (e.g., counseling referrals) — 877-541-2525 (8 am–8 pm; Spanish support available).
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Didi Hirsch Crisis Line
1-877-CRISIS (1-877-724-4747) — 24/7 immediate suicide prevention support.
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Torrance MET (Mental Health Clinic)
County-operated mental health services offering crisis support and referrals for adults, youth, and families.
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1736 Family Crisis Center
Outpatient mental health support with services for children and transition-age youth.
County Behavioral Health Services
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Orange County Health Care Agency
Central public agency for mental health programs in Orange County. Offers referrals and access to care through OC Links and other county behavioral services.
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County of Orange Health Care Agency Behavioral Health Services
County mental health service offices providing assessments and linkage to treatment programs.
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2-1-1 Orange County
Dial 2-1-1 for connection to local health and human services, including mental health care resources.
Additional Supports & Referrals
Even outside an immediate crisis, these broader resources offer support, referrals, and emotional assistance:
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988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Always available for urgent needs.
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OC Navigator
A county directory of services for mental health, housing, and other supports (via OC Health Care Agency).
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211OC
Connects callers to a broad network of local health and social services.
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LA County 211
Connects callers to a wide range of social services including mental health.