Our Mission

The Mindful Psychology Behind Sober Buddha

Our Mission

Our mission is to help people cultivate clarity, resilience, and meaning by understanding how their minds truly work.

Anxiety, depression, and addiction do not define who we are—they grow from habitual thoughts, emotions, and actions repeated unconsciously over time. Through spiritual psychology, mindfulness, and modern neuroscience, we help individuals gently uproot these toxic patterns and restore balance to mind and body.

By combining ancient wisdom with contemporary psychological science, we guide our clients toward direct insight into the impermanent nature of thoughts, emotions, and sensations—empowering them to live with greater freedom, compassion, and purpose, and to become a positive influence in an increasingly troubled world.

Our Promise

We promise to meet you with respect, curiosity, and compassion—never with judgment or labels.

At Sober Buddha Counseling, we will:

  • Help you recognize how craving, stress, and fear quietly shape your inner landscape
  • Offer mindfully created, evidence-informed therapies that go beyond short-term fixes
  • Teach practical skills for observing thoughts and emotions without interference or overwhelm
  • Integrate insight meditation, depth psychology, existential inquiry, and one-to-one counseling in a way that is personalized and humane

In moments of clarity, we help you see that what you’ve been seeking outside yourself cannot provide lasting fulfillment—and we guide you toward a deeper, steadier source of well-being within.

Our promise is not to “fix” you, but to help you become the master gardener of your own mind, cultivating awareness, wisdom, and lasting change.

“Suffering isn’t pathology. It’s misunderstood experience” … “Awakening isn’t mystical—it’s practical” … “You don’t need control. You need clarity” …“Suffering isn’t pathology. It’s misunderstood experience” … “Awakening isn’t mystical—it’s practical” … “You don’t need control. You need clarity” …

About Michael Hoffman | The Mindful Psychology Behind Sober Buddha

MICHAEL HOFFMAN, Dr.AD, M.A., CHt

The Mindful Psychology Behind Sober Buddha

Michael Hoffman is an octogenarian, Doctor of Addictive Disorders, mindfulness meditation teacher and evolutionary psychology counselor in Dana Point, California. His compassionate persona and good humor teach that anxiety, depression and addiction are learning opportunities, not personal failures or mental disorders.

Created and curated Buddhist and Taoist wisdom teachings synchronize with neuroscience, Carl Jung’s depth psychology mind mapping and Viktor Frankl’s meaningful personal choice training to inspire actions for personal change.

Hoffman has practiced Hindu, Buddhist and Christian contemplative prayer meditations since 1972. He graduated from the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program in 2025 and the Unified Mindfulness Pathways coaching program in 2020. He holds a Doctorate in Addictive Disorders, a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology and Bachelor Degrees in English and Journalism. He is a licensed Adult Education Instructor.

His popular self-help and spiritual psychology books include LIFE AFTER REHAB: How to Stay Sober in the Outside World and THE THIRSTY ADDICT PAPERS: Spiritual Psychology for Counselors. The Tricycle Magazine Buddhist review published his informative and practical feature article, ” Mind on the Run” in 1992. He has also received the prestigious Public Relations Society Protos Award for Excellence in Trade Journalism. He served on the board of directors of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Hoffman uses the written word to protest against the anxiety, depression and existential depression caused by materialism and the decay of spiritual and environmental values.

Moments of Clarity

Real experiences. Real insight. Real change.

The work of Sober Buddha Counseling is best understood through lived experience. These reflections share moments when clients recognized old patterns, gained insight into their minds, and discovered new ways of relating to thoughts, emotions, and life itself.

I went looking for a Buddhist teacher when I felt stuck in my meditation practice. Michael was so kind and I have learned so much from him. He brought a wealth of knowledge about different mindfulness traditions. His compassion and caring shine through brightly and consistently. I highly recommend him for anyone seeking to advance in their meditation practice.

Linda H. (yelp)

… It has been 2 weeks since his visit with Michael, and the self-defeat he was temporarily suffering from before hitting the wrestling mat has definitely subsided. His practice has returned back to normal and he is not beating himself up before sparring with his opponent (whose goal IS beating him up so to speak, so why get beat up twice!). He is also no longer nervous before speaking in his Spanish 4 class and has far less anxiety before taking his tests. All of this after only 1 session!

Cori L. (yelp)

Michael is amazing. His kind, humorous, and compassionate counseling has helped my son find his way. Learning how to meditate has been crucial to his well-being. He’s also been working with us as a family and has helped us navigate some difficult times. He goes above and beyond other therapists. I would highly recommend working with Sober Buddah! He’s the best!

Jana H. (yelp)

In my early stages of recovery, I met Michael and he posed a question: During all those times I was so uncomfortable in my own skin, what if, instead of escaping, I just sat and felt it?

That introduction launched me into the discovery of Vipassana meditation, and with it a heightened awareness and an acceptance of the people, things, places and situations around me. Michael was instrumental in accelerating the development of a framework with which I have built a sober life…

Chuck F. (yelp)

My life has profoundly improved thanks to Dr. Hoffman’s services, in particular his teachings of meditation. Dr. Hoffman is an exceptional teacher, kind, compassionate yet objective and honest. He gave me the tools to see more clearly for myself and I cannot thank him enough. The investment to try this out continues to pay dividends in my daily life. I highly encourage seeing what he has to offer! It is one of the best decisions I have made.

Ghazi A. (google)