"Dr. Martorano saved my life - I had been depressed, over-medicated and sick for two years. I was convinced I had cancer. I couldn't even get out of bed. I was $200,000 dollars in debt, had three school-age children, and no credit. Without his help I don't know how my family would have survived my illness...
Today I have my own business. I am debt free, and free from depression. Whenever I meet someone who is depressed or suffering, I always recommend Dr. Martorano."
B.L. (former patient
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"It wasn't so much what Dr. Martorano told our brother.-we'd been telling him for years.. it was how he said it that made the difference. My brother would call us and tell us things as if it was his first time hearing them."
-- T.M.
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"I know pain. And sadness and grief. I know the sense of helplessness a parent suffers when his child is addicted to drugs or alcohol. I know, first hand, what it feels like to wake up every morning and go to sleep every night with the thought that this might be the last time I see my child.
For six long years, from the time my son was 15, I tried everything in my power and spent more money than I'd ever earned trying to save my son and get him sober: therapist after therapist, rehab after rehab (a total of five), interventions, and finally a rapid detoxification program that was supposed to eradicate the craving for drugs. Nothing worked- or it would work for three or four weeks-just enough time for a brief moment of elation, a feeling of hope, to creep back into my consciousness-and then it was gone. Back on drugs.
Each time this happened it only got worse. From marijuana to cocaine, from cocaine to oxycontin, from oxycontin to shooting up heroin. He stole. He lied. He was abusive. He crashed cars. He was arrested more than once. Who was this person-this monster? Certainly not the little baby I held in my hands and loved more than life itself. My son was a drug addict. The very term was hard to say.
How did this happen? What did I do wrong?
I can only hope most parents who discover their child is addicted will read this letter.
Because there is hope. It took me a long time to find the help that finally resulted in getting my son to turn the corner and become the child that was always there.
He has now been sober for over two years. He is now the person I always hoped he would be: a funny, bright, caring, and productive human being.
I had all but given up hope. Despair had gotten the better of me. Until I met David Martorano… Not until my son was put in his care ( kicking and screaming all the way) did things begin to change. Dr Martorano was not like any therapist or psychiatrist I had ever met. First of all, he genuinely cares about his patients. He is a humanist-a term that, in my experience with countless doctors and rehabs, cannot be applied to 99% of those working in the field of addiction.
Sadly, it’s become big business! David Martorano is far less interested in the cause of addiction (in classic Freudian psychoanalysis) than the fact that it happens ... and he works on both medical and highly practical approaches to behavior modification. He works on the now. Best of all he has an unusually strict moral and ethical code.
Any other psychiatrist would still insist on seeing my son once or twice a week (after all it’s a nice, steady, predictable income) but not David.
When he thinks he’s done all he can do-when his patient has reached a level where he or she has turned that illusive corner (and David will know when that happens) he lets them go. Of course, he is always available to them.
David Martorano helped give my son a second chance at life, and in so doing, gave me something I thought I’d never see again: peace of mind and a better understanding of how to relate to my son-how to be a better dad.
If the reader of this letter has a child or loved on in the throes of addiction, give David a call. It might be the best call you’ve ever made."
--MP, Father of a patient
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"What makes Dr. Martorano's approach so special is his practical application of therapy to real-life...You have homework outside of his office, and you are expected to do the work. Only by doing the work can you achieve results. You never have to wonder where you are headed-
Dr. Martorano sets out attainable goals for your life, and helps you make them a reality. He listens with empathy and compassion, and he is someone with whom you can relate. His life experiences are so vast and varied that he is helpful and insightful in a very hands-on way. He is a real problem solver."
--M.M.
Your relationship with your doctor matters
Ivy League training, combined with a three-generation tradition of medicine, sets Dr. Martorano apart from other psychiatrists. Many physicians lack the real world experience to relate to your problems on a personal level. Wouldn’t you rather work with a doctor who understands the struggles you are facing?
Why I work with Couples
"There is no single aspect of my practice that I find more rewarding than helping couples with communication skills. In a few hours I get to affect many lives- the couple and their children.
Family is so important, and when we have problems at home, they affect every aspect of our lives. It takes all the joy out of what we do and why we work so hard. Most of these problems are easy to solve, it just requires a different approach."
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid (heroin, prescription pain medications like Vicodin, Oxycontin, Morphine, and Demerol) dependency. Buprenorphine is an effective and convenient alternative to methadone. Physicians can only prescribe buprenorphine (Subutex or Suboxone) with a DATA 2000 waiver from SAMHSA.
Two Locations
Whether you live in the South Bay, Santa Monica, Westwood, Culver City, Pacific Palisades or Malibu, it's only a short drive to see Dr. Martorano.
West Los Angeles / Santa Monica Office