April Wilson Smith, MPH, is a PhD student in Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her research focuses on harm reduction approaches to people who use substances when they enter the healthcare system.

April's other interest in healthcare is interprofessional education and teamwork. Her work with the Jefferson Center for InterProfessional Education won the 2016 James B. Erdmann PhD award for Excellence in Interprofessional Education. She is currently building a large, multidisciplinary coalition to create an interprofessional education module for healthcare professionals in best practices for the care of people who use drugs when they present in the acute care setting.

April is a Certified SMART Recovery facilitator and founded the first SMART Recovery meeting in the Philadelphia city limits. She is also co-founder of the only Harm Reduction, Abstinence and Moderation Support meeting in Philadelphia.

April recently accepted a position as Harm Reduction Epidemiologist with Families for Sensible Drug Policy, which is a non-profit dedicated to helping families advocate for drug policies that save drug users' lives and keep families together and healthy.  Co-founder and President, Barry Lessin, is also a Pro Talk columnist . 

April graduated from Yale University in 1996. She was a union organizer for healthcare workers for 18 years before going back to school for her Master of Public Health, and spent ten years as Director of Organizing for Pennsylvania's largest nurses' union. She lives in West Philadelphia with her beautiful black cat, Loviefluffy.

Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Ed.D., Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been treating clients for more than 35 years. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Massachusetts Psychological Association. Currently in private practice, Dr. Ciaramicoli has been on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for several years, lecturer for the American Cancer Society, Chief Psychologist at Metrowest Medical Center, and Director of the Metrowest Counseling Center and of the Alternative Medicine division of Metrowest Wellness Center in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Dr. Ciaramicoli is currently in full time private practice and is the Chief Medical Officer for Soundmindz.org. He has produced an Anti-Anxiety App with Soundmindz that has been downloaded by over 25,000 users and rated by Frontline as one of the most effective and usable anxiety apps available. He has also recently released an Anti-Depression and Mental Health app for Soundmindz.

Dr. Ciaramicoli is the author of The Curse of the Capable: The Hidden Challenges to a Balanced, Healthy, High Achieving Life, Performance Addiction: The Dangerous New Syndrome and How to Stop It from Ruining Your Life and The Power of Empathy: A Practical Guide to Creating Intimacy, Self-Understanding, and Lasting Love, which is now published in 7 languages, and just released in China. His first book, Treatment of Abuse and Addiction, A Holistic Approach was selected as Book of the Month by The Psychotherapy Book News. He is also the coauthor of Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism.

Dr. Ciaramicoli most recent publications are three workbooks: Transforming Anxiety into Joy: A Practical Workbook to Gain Emotional Freedom (2012), Changing Your Inner Voice: A Journey through Depression to Truth and Love (2012) and Managing the Stress of Success (2013).

Arnold M. Washton, Ph.D., is co-founder and executive director of Compass Health Group in New York City, a collaborative team of physicians and psychologists providing integrated treatment for addiction, psychiatric disorders, and general medical conditions. A well-known addiction psychologist and book author specializing in the treatment of addiction for over 30 years, Dr. Washton has dedicated his career to advancing the understanding of addictive disorders, developing more individualized treatment approaches, and expanding available treatment options. He has served as substance abuse consultant to special committees of the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Washton has been the recipient of research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and served on the teaching faculty of New York University School of Medicine as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. He was the founding President of the Division on Addictions of the New York State Psychological Association. His publications include a popular self-help book "Willpower's Not Enough" and a widely referenced professional textbook "Treating Alcohol and Drug Problems in Psychotherapy Practice: Doing What Works."

Liz Karter is a therapist in addiction, specializing in gambling addiction and women, practicing since 2001. Liz is the author of the book Women and Problem Gambling and her second book Working with Women’s Groups for Problem Gambling: Treating Gambling Addiction Through Relationships will be published August 2014.

In January 2010 having worked with all leading U.K. problem gambling treatment agencies, and having successfully established the first U.K. groups for women with gambling addiction, Liz launched Level Ground, a private treatment service located in both London and Sussex. Level Ground provides addiction therapy to both men and women and specializes in meeting the individual needs of women with gambling addiction and offering low-cost women’s groups. Level Ground also provides a greater understanding of the psychology of addiction and its prevention via talks, training and workshops.

Liz is frequently consulted by the media regarding her specialization in women and gambling and has made numerous national and international TV and radio appearances, including Al Jazeera America, BBC Breakfast News, Sky News, ITV This Morning and Radio 4. She has also worked as a consultant to BBC and ITN on gambling addiction documentaries. Liz has given numerous national and international newspaper and magazine interviews, including The Daily Mail, The Observer, and The Independent on Sunday.

An experienced conference speaker, Liz has delivered papers for the National Lottery Commission, GamCare, The Society for the Studies of Gambling (SSG), European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG), The Bowlby Memorial Conference, The Taylor & Francis Group and Gender Issues in Gambling Conference, Hohenheim University, Stuttgart.

Liz Karter is also a member of Community Action for Responsible Gambling (CARG) and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction.

Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S is Senior Vice President of Clinical Development with Elements Behavioral Health. A licensed UCLA MSW graduate and personal trainee of Dr. Patrick Carnes, he founded The Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles in 1995. He is author of Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction in Gay Men and Sex Addiction 101: A Basic Guide to Healing from Sex, Porn, and Love Addiction, and co-author with Dr. Jennifer Schneider of both Untangling the Web: Sex, Porn, and Fantasy Obsession in the Internet Age and Closer Together, Further Apart: The Effect of Technology and the Internet on Parenting, Work, and Relationships. For more information you can visit his website, www.robertweissmsw.com.

Dan Wagener is a Senior Web Content Editor for American Addiction Centers. Prior to taking on this role, he worked for a government contractor in the Washington, D.C. area, where he edited websites for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). He was also Senior Manager of Web Content and Communications Manager at the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and Senior Managing Editor at the Center for American Progress, a political think tank in D.C. Dan holds a bachelor's degree in English from La Salle University and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Lewis & Clark College. He has worked at substance abuse and mental health treatment programs for teens and adults.

Marni Greenberg is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California (License # PSY23970) with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. She opened her private practice in the summer of 2011 after 10 years of experience working for non-profit agencies in San Diego, California and Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Greenberg also works with H.E.L.P. (Home-Based Effective Living Professionals), providing in-home therapy services, and she performs assessments for U.S. veterans to clarify their mental health diagnosis.

Jenifer Talley, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of trauma and substance misuse from an integrative harm reduction framework. Dr. Talley has expertise in providing mindfulness-based interventions and has conducted several trainings on the integration of mind-body practices in treating substance use and trauma. She is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling at the New School for Social Research where she participates in the training and supervision of graduate students in psychology. Dr. Talley is also the Assistant Director of The Center for Optimal Living where she coordinates mindfulness and trauma-based services in addition to providing individual and group therapy. Dr. Talley received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Virginia Tech and previously worked as a Supervising Psychologist at the Women's Health Project of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital.

Like you, Dr. Pantalon, addiction and motivation expert, is frustrated with how difficult it is to find good addiction treatment. In fact, only 1 out of every 10 people is in any formal addiction treatment and fewer still are in treatments scientifically shown to be effective (i.e., evidence-based). Worse yet, addicted individuals and their loved ones are confused about who can educate them about the various treatment options available and motivate them to make a change. Given this, Dr. Pantalon's mission is addiction HELP FOR ALL through professional recovery coaching and recovery coach training, both of which are offered at his Center for Progressive Recovery, LLC, where he is co-founder and CEO. Additionally, Dr. Pantalon is a clinical psychologist and Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Medicine, where he has been developing and studying cutting-edge treatments for alcohol, cocaine, opiate, and tobacco use disorders, as well as training hundreds of clinicians and coaches in evidence-based addiction treatment, since 1997. Please feel free to contact him for recovery coaching, recovery coach training or addiction treatment at info@centerforprogressiverecovery.com or 203-506-3134.

Dr. Walter Ling is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and the founding director of the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP) at UCLA, one of the foremost substance abuse research groups in the US. He is board certified in neurology and psychiatry, is active in research and clinical work, and has been listed in ‘Best Doctors in America’, ‘Best Doctors in the West’ and ‘Best Doctors in Los Angeles’.

Doctor Ling’s research in opiate pharmacotherapy provided pivotal information for the approval of buprenorphine and naltrexone. His current focus of research includes abuse and dependence on methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and prescription opiates; opiate induced hyperalgesia, treatment of pain in opiate-maintained patients, including those treated with buprenorphine and the role of buprenorphine in the management of pain in these patients.

Dr Ling is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology; he has served as Commissioner for the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission, Los Angeles County, California; and a consultant on narcotics for the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the U.S. Department of State. He has extended ISAP’s research and training activities beyond the US to China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

He has authored and coauthored abstracts, numerous book chapters, and more than 200 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Addiction, Journal of Addiction Medicine, and Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Cathy Taughinbaugh is a Certified Parent Coach who specializes in working with parents of children struggling with substance use.
She is also a parent coach with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and creator of www.cathytaughinbaugh.com, a website providing information for families on prevention, addiction, and recovery.
Cathy lives in California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pacific. She was an educator for 15 years.

Barry Lessin is an addiction psychologist and public health advocate with a career spanning almost 40 years as a clinician, administrator, educator, and researcher.

He has a private practice with offices in Philadelphia and the suburbs, working with teenagers, young adults and their families struggling with substance use disorders and related mental health issues.

In addition to his clinical work, Barry’s passion is advocating for drug policy reform, reality-based education programs and effective and accessible treatment for substance use disorders.

Lance Dodes, M.D. is a Training and Supervising Analyst Emeritus at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and has retired from his position as assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the author or co-author of many journal articles and book chapters about addiction, and is the author of three books: The Heart of Addiction (HarperCollins, 2002), Breaking Addiction: A 7-Step Handbook for Ending Any Addiction (HarperCollins, 2011), and The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry (Beacon Press, 2014). He has been the Director of the substance abuse treatment unit of Harvard’s McLean Hospital, Director of the Alcoholism Treatment Unit at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Director of the Boston Center for Problem Gambling. He is Chair of the American Psychoanalytic Association's discussion group, The Psychology of Addiction.

l Dr. Dodes has been honored by the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School for "Distinguished Contribution" to the study and treatment of addictive behavior, and has been elected a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. Breaking Addiction was honored in its category as a Library Journal Best Book for 2011. In 2012 he was awarded the Author Prize as one of the most cited authors by Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing.

Emily Guarnotta holds a doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. She has a passion for working with clients struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues and her treatment approach includes providing evidence-based practices in a supportive and non-confrontational manner. She also has experience working with college students, clients with severe mental illness, and delivering crisis intervention services. In addition to her clinical work, Emily enjoys conducting research looking at characteristics associated with addiction recovery and presenting her findings at conferences around the country.

Dr. Mark Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Professor of Gambling Studies at the Nottingham Trent University, and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit. He has spent over 25 years in the field and is internationally known for his work in gaming and gambling. He has published over 450 refereed research papers, three books, 120+ book chapters and over 1000 other articles. He has won 14 national and international awards for his work including the John Rosecrance Prize (1994), CELEJ Prize (1998), Joseph Lister Prize (2004) and the US National Council on Problem Gambling Lifetime Research Award (2013). He also does a lot of freelance journalism and has appeared on over 2500 radio and television programs.

Frederick Rotgers is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor in New Jersey. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, where he is currently an adjunct faculty member. He has been on the faculty of the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and has worked in both outpatient and inpatient substance use treatment settings.

Dr. Rotgers has more than 30 years experience in addictions research and treatment. He is the author of several books and many articles, the American Editor-in Chief of the journal Addiction Research and Theory, and has presented worldwide on moderation approaches, harm reduction, motivational interviewing and co-occurring disorder treatment. Dr. Rotgers is co-developer of the Differential Substance Abuse Treatment (DSAT) Program for the State of Maine, and co-author of two MI treatment manuals and training curricula specifically aimed at personnel working with offenders. He has trained addictions treatment providers in the States of Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, and the Philippines in evidence-based approaches to substance use disorders.

Dr. Rotgers is also a consultant to the Veterans Administration’s (VA) Empirically Supported Treatment Project, training VA clinicians in the implementation of a manualized cognitive-behavioral treatment for substance use disorders.

Dr. Allen Frances is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and former Chair at Duke University. He was previously chair of the DSM IV Task Force and played an instrumental role in the preparation of DSM III.

He was described by the New York Times as “the most powerful psychiatrist in America” and is the author of the internationally best-selling book Saving Normal, winner of three book awards.

His other recent book, Essentials Of Psychiatric Diagnosis, provides the clearest guide to the use and misuse of psychiatric diagnosis.

Dr. Frances blogs regularly on Huffington Post, Psychiatric Times, Psychology Today, and Education Update. He also Tweets @AllenFrancesMD.

Dr. Gayle Dakof is a scientist, clinician and family advocate. She is the Director of MDFT International, a 501(c)(3) public charity devoted to the training, dissemination and implementation of Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), an evidence-based treatment for adolescent substance abuse and behavior problems. She is also a Research Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences.

Dr. Dakof received her doctorate in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Dakof is a scientist-practitioner specializing in the development and testing of psychotherapeutic and systemic interventions directed toward preventing and treating substance abuse, child maltreatment, delinquency and criminality among adolescents and adult women. She is a Master Trainer of Multidimensional Family Therapy, and has trained clinicians throughout the United States and Europe. She is also the developer of a promising intervention for drug dependent mothers-the Engaging Moms Program. Dr. Dakof is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board to the Parents Translational Research Center and the Treatment Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and a board member of the MDFT Academe located in the Netherlands. She has been a principle investigator or co-investigator on numerous NIH-funded research projects, and has authored over fifty publications.

Dr. Dakof can be contacted at gdakof@mdft.org or at www.mdft.org.

A professional counselor, Eric Patterson has been helping children, adolescents, and adults reach their goals and improve their well-being for over 10 years.

Eric has also worked as a collaborating investigator for the field trials of the DSM-5 and he also completed an agreement to provide mental health treatment to underserved communities with the National Health Service Corp.

Lauren Villa is a Web Content Writer at Recovery Brands. Before joining the company, she served as the Program Director for a community-based HIV/AIDS and cancer non-profit in San Francisco.

Eric Dresdale is the founder and CEO of Next Step Network, LLC, which is the company behind the Next Step MasterCard. Next Step was founded in 2011 after Eric completed treatment for addiction. Eric is responsible for all of the day-to-day operations, and marketing of the first Next Step Prepaid MasterCard Program.

Prior to launching Next Step Network, LLC, Eric worked for seven years as a commercial real estate broker for the Vice Chairmen of Newmark Knight Frank and Cushman & Wakefield.

Eric Dresdale is an active volunteer with the Florida Association of Recovery Residences, and sits on the board for the National Youth Recovery Foundation. Mr. Dresdale was a founding member of the Silver Lining Society, which raises money for children suffering from cancer. Mr. Dresdale has also helped raise money to scholarship people into treatment by running a half marathon, and through the Caron Foundation’s ‘To Save A Life’ charity.

Eric graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in management.

Mark Schenker, Ph.D. has been a licensed psychologist for over 30 years, and has spent the majority of his career in the addiction treatment field. He began in the mental health arena in 1972, as an aide at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. He became intrigued by the complexities of the patients he encountered, and ultimately pursued a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia. Over the years he has provided direct clinical service, created and managed innovative programs, supervised psychologists and psychiatric residents, and trained mental health clinicians on a national level.

In addition to his clinical and teaching positions, he has been a strong advocate for the inclusion of addiction treatment into the mainstream of mental health practice and training. He is passionate about enhancing the ability of psychologists and other mental health professionals to recognize, assess and treat the addictive disorders which are ubiquitous in our society. In this context, he has served as the Member-At-Large for Practice, on the Board of the Society of Addiction Psychology, working toward the integration of psychology and addiction treatment.

Dr. Schenker is the author of A Clinician’s Guide To Twelve-Step Recovery(W.W. Norton, 2009) as well as various papers and chapters on related subjects. He currently oversees psychological services at Caron Treatment Centers, a noted addiction rehabilitation center, and maintains a private practice in psychology in Philadelphia, PA.

Jaclyn Schuon earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology and she has been a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia since 2009.

She has extensive experience providing psychological services to college students and has extensive professional experience at the college and university level. She is also a registered yoga teacher at the 200 hour level and is passionate about utilizing mind-body interventions in her work.

Roger A. Roffman, DSW, is a Professor Emeritus of Social Work at the University of Washington and the founding director (1985) of the School’s Innovative Programs Research Group. With funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment over a twenty-five year period, he and his colleagues conducted a series of outcome trials of behavioral interventions tailored for marijuana dependent adults. This team also designed and studied motivational enhancement therapy interventions for adult and adolescent marijuana smokers who have concerns about their use but are ambivalent about making a commitment to change.

Roger’s book, Marijuana Nation: One Man’s Chronicle of America Getting High: From Vietnam to Legalization is on Amazon.com.

Roger grew up in Massachusetts, completed undergraduate studies at Boston University and then went on to complete graduate work at the University of Michigan and the University of California at Berkeley. He joined the University of Washington faculty in 1972.

Roger first became a marijuana policy activist in the 1970s, initially focusing on decriminalizing marijuana possession by adults. Also in the 1970s, he helped write a bill that established a state-wide medical marijuana research program in Washington State. In 2012, he was a co-sponsor of Initiative 502, a voter-approved measure in Washington to regulate and tax marijuana.

With his wife, Cheryl Richey, Roger lives in Seattle. He retired from the University of Washington faculty in October of 2009.

Dr. John F. Kelly is the Elizabeth R. Spallin Associate Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also the Program Director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service (ARMS), Director of the Recovery Research Institute (RRI) and associate director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He has served as a consultant to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to foreign governments. He is president of American Psychological Association Society of Addiction Psychology and is a fellow of APA.

Dr. Kelly’s research focus has been to improve the quality and effectiveness of addiction care. This has included work on the translation and implementation of evidence-based practice; addiction and criminal justice; treatment theories and mechanisms; and reducing stigma associated with addiction. He has recently published the first comprehensive text on addiction recovery management (Addiction Recovery Management: Theory, Research, and Practice; Springer-Verlag, 2011).

His research focuses on recovery-oriented systems of care including enhancing patient linkage with effective community resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He studies mechanisms of recovery and reducing stigma associated with addiction. He has published more than 100 papers and chapters in journals, such as Addiction, Addictive Behaviors, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Archives of General Psychiatry, International Journal of Drug Policy, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, Journal of Drug Issues. His work is regularly featured nationally and internationally. His work is supported by funding through the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute of Mental Health.

Robert Schwebel is a clinical psychologist who wrote and developed The Seven Challenges^®. It is an evidence-based comprehensive counseling program that incorporates work on drug problems, first designed for adolescents and young adults, and now adapted for adults of all ages. Widely used across the United States, and in Canada and Germany, the program has been implemented in community agencies, residential treatment centers, public and private schools, treatment schools, juvenile justice facilities, and drug courts. Robert works closely with organizations to provide clinical support and oversight.

Over the years, Robert wrote several books including Saying No Is Not Enough; Keep Your Kids Tobacco-Free; and Who’s on Top, Who’s on Bottom: How Couples Can Learn to Share Power. He is regularly called for comments and interviews, and has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, CNN and other national media.

In his career, Robert directed publicly funded agencies that provide prevention and counseling services, and maintained a private practice for many years. Currently he works on program development; provides lectures and workshops; and has a special interest in promoting progressive public policy and social justice in his professional work. He and his wife live in Tucson, AZ, and seek out as much time as possible with their two young adult children.

Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., CEDS is a psychologist who provides evidence-based psychotherapy for adults and adolescents. In graduate school she trained at the Rutgers Eating Disorder Clinic under G. Terence Wilson, Ph.D. who (along with Christopher Fairburn) was instrumental in developing the leading cognitive behavioral protocol for eating disorders. Dr. Muhlheim’s primary focus remains eating disorders and she has treated patients in outpatient settings worldwide, most recently in Shanghai and Los Angeles. She is recognized as a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CDES) by the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) and is certified in Maudsley (FBT) for adolescent eating disorders by the Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders. She has held various leadership positions within the Academy for Eating Disorders, including co-chair of the AED Social Media Committee. She is currently serving on the AED Board of Directors as Director for Outreach.

Dr. Jaffe received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2010. Even before he graduated Dr. Jaffe’s name had become known through his online and academic writing. His views on addiction and his research on the topic have been published in dozens of journals and online publications and he has appeared on several television shows and documentaries discussing current topics in addiction and the problem of addiction as a whole. Dr. Jaffe also teaches courses at UCLA and the California State University in Long Beach that address addiction specifically or biological psychology and behavioral neuroscience more generally.

Dr. Jaffe’s view is a holistic one, drawing from the best and most recent research to bring as complete a solution to addiction clients. At Alternatives, Dr. Jaffe serves as the Director of Research, education, and innovation and is in charge of client monitoring, technology solutions, and data collections and outcomes research. His goal is to make Alternatives the best treatment program there is.

Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, RDDP is a clinical social worker practicing in Chicago, IL and Southwest Michigan. In 20 years of practice, her clinical specialties include substance abuse, perinatal mood disorders and anxiety. Her approach is holistic and dynamic and includes behavioral as well as mindfulness methodology. Joslyn received her MSW from the University of Michigan and practiced at Cook County Health and Hospital Systems for 15 years. She is a recognized speaker in the areas of postpartum depression, substance abuse, Internet addiction, and parenting children in the digital age. She founded Chicago Human Potential in 2006. Her other interests include cooking, swimming, and spending time with her family and pets.

Lauren Brande, MA, has dedicated her life to psychological research. She started off her career with a scholarship from the Western Psychological Association for her undergraduate work in perceptual processing. In 2014, she achieved her master of arts in psychology from Boston University, harnessing a particular interest in the effects that drugs and trauma have on the functioning brain.

She believes that all research should be accessible and digestible, and her passion fuels her desire to share important scientific findings to improve rehabilitation.

Nadia is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley with a passion for youth mental health advocacy. In 2016, she founded the 501c3 nonprofit TeenzTalk after her own experience with aiding in the prevention of her close friend's suicide.

TeenzTalk empowers youth voice, focusing on education and open conversation to fight the stigma around mental health. In 2017, Nadia spearheaded TeenzTalk's first-annual Teen Wellness Conference in Santa Clara County, bringing together 220 youth from 88 schools and 15 counties in California.

Nadia also plays an active role in various mental health advisory boards and committees in the community, including Children’s Health Council, Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing, and One Love Foundation.

Nadia most enjoys meeting people and hearing their stories.

Anne M. Fletcher is frequently sought out by the media, as well as professional and consumer groups, for her knowledge about behavior change, addiction, recovery, and weight management. For her latest book, Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment – And How to Get Help That Works, she visited 15 programs across the U.S. – from celebrity rehabs to facilities that treat indigent people – and also interviewed hundreds of former rehab clients, staffers, and leading experts in the field. Inside Rehab received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist as well as widespread professional and media acclaim with coverage in the New York Times, on National Public Radio’s “The Diane Rehm Show”. Her New York Times bestseller, Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems—Advice From Those Who Have Succeeded received acclaim in an unprecedented two New York Times columns by Jane Brody. She has appeared on the "Today" Show, on the "CBS Early Show”, “The View”, “Good Morning America”, CNN, and on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation”.

Fletcher is the recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism Journalism Award, several National Health Information Awards, the Outstanding Contributions to Advancing the Understanding of Addictions Award from the American Psychological Association, and the American Dietetic Association Media Excellence Award. As a registered dietitian, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Master of Science degree from Drexel University.

Fletcher is the author of six other books, including the award-winning national bestseller, Thin For Life: 10 Keys to Success From People Who Have Lost Weight & Kept It Off, as well Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off – And What They Wish Parents Knew.

Fletcher’s articles on subjects ranging from osteoporosis to heart disease have appeared in Prevention, Redbook, Better Homes and Gardens, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Readers’ Digest, Parenting, American Psychologist, The Humanist, and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Previously, Fletcher was executive editor and chief writer of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter and a contributing editor for Prevention Magazine.

Lara Okoloko, LICSW is a clinical social worker in private practice in Seattle, Washington, specializing in treating the family members of people with substance use disorders. Working mostly with parents of young adults with addictions and mental health struggles, she recognizes the need for more than psycho-education and advice about detaching. Using evidenced based practices, Lara has created an empowering family counseling program for people living with a loved one with an addiction, helping people to lead change and healing in their families.

Outside of her private practice, she is active in the Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work as a legislative committee member and a mentor for new social workers, and serves as a practicum instructor at the University of Washington's School of Social Work. In addition, Lara is a passionate advocate for the improvement and modernization of the field of addiction treatment, including the integration of mental health and substance use disorder treatment and the use of evidence based practices. Lara created an Addiction Training Initiative which provides training workshops for mental health clinicians to expand their ability to identify and treat substance use disorders in their own practice.

Dr. Scot Thomas received his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. During his medical studies, Dr. Thomas saw firsthand the multitude of lives impacted by struggles with substance abuse and addiction, motivating him to seek a clinical psychiatry preceptorship at the San Diego VA Hospital’s Inpatient Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program. In his post-graduate clinical work, Dr. Thomas later applied the tenets he learned to help guide his therapeutic approach with many patients in need of substance treatment. In his current capacity as Senior Medical Editor for American Addiction Centers, Dr. Thomas works to provide accurate, authoritative information to those seeking help for substance abuse and behavioral health issues.

Peg O’Connor, Ph.D. is Professor of Philosophy and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Her new book, Life on the Rocks: Finding Meaning in Addiction and Recovery (Central Recovery Press, 2016) is the only book that puts western philosophy into conversation with addiction and treatment concerns. Written for the general public, it assumes no familiarity with philosophy.

Additionally, Peg O’Connor's monographs - Oppression and Responsibility (Penn State Press, 2002) and Morality and Our Complicated Form of Life (Penn State, 2008) - are two of approximately ten published books using Wittgenstein to explore moral matters.

Peg O’Connor also has two edited books. Feminist Interpretations of Ludwig Wittgenstein is part of the prestigious Re-Reading the Canon series with Penn State Press (2002). The other, Oppression, Privilege, and Resistance (McGraw Hill, 2004), explores the connections between racism, sexism, and heterosexism. She has published four essays on philosophy and addiction in The New York Times along with one in The Huffington Post.

Peg O’Connor has taught a seminar “Philosophy and Addiction” at Gustavus. She also wrote an educational curriculum about character, moral development, and actions and consequences for students who had the most serious alcohol or drug infractions on campus. In 2012, Peg O’Connor was an A.A. Heckman Fellow at the Hazelden Foundation in Center City, MN working on a manuscript that explores the influence of philosopher/psychologist William James on Alcoholics Anonymous.

She has presented her work at conferences for treatment professionals and professional philosophers. She has also appeared on The Agenda with Steve Paikin, the flagship current affairs program for Canadian public television, on topics related to addiction.

Peg O’Connor is also the Chair of the Program for the 2015 Nobel Conference at Gustavus titled, “Addiction: The Science and Experience of an Equal Opportunity Condition.”

Dr. Kevin Murphy, a licensed psychologist, is the Clinical Director at The Men's Residence. His professional history includes expertise in individual and group therapy to treat those with dual diagnosis conditions (addiction and mental health problems); therapy with forensic populations (registered sex offenders & domestic violence offenders); and work with clients who have problems of daily living that may not merit a mental health diagnosis but when resolved, greatly improve life. During his eight years of hospital experience, Dr. Murphy completed approximately 3,000 psychological assessments on people from a multitude of backgrounds, including those possibly needing detox or addiction rehab, veterans, suicidal and/or homicidal patients, geriatric patients, prisoners, and refugees. Dr. Murphy often facilitates in-services for professionals on a range of topics, from depression and crisis intervention to risk assessment. PSY23323

Lisa M. Najavits, PhD, is professor of psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine; and lecturer, Harvard Medical School. She is a research psychologist at Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System and the Bedford VA; clinical associate, McLean Hospital; and director of Treatment Innovations. Her major clinical and research interests are substance abuse, trauma, co-morbidity, behavioral addictions, veterans' mental health, community-based care, development of new psychotherapies, and outcome research.

She is author of over 175 professional publications, as well as the books Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse; A Woman's Addiction Workbook; and the upcoming book Creating Change: A Past-Focused Treatment Manual for Trauma and Addiction. She has served as president of the Society of Addiction Psychology of the American Psychological Association; and is on various advisory boards including the Journal of Traumatic Stress; the Journal of Gambling Studies; and Addiction Research and Theory. She has received various awards, including the 1997 Young Professional Award of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; the 1998 Early Career Contribution Award of the Society for Psychotherapy Research; the 2004 Emerging Leadership Award of the American Psychological Association Committee on Women; and the 2009 Betty Ford Award of the Addiction Medical Education and Research Association. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association; board certified in behavioral therapy; a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts; and conducts a psychotherapy practice. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University and her bachelor's degree with honors from Barnard College of Columbia University.

Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross is a nationally known author, speaker and expert in the field of Eating Disorders and Integrative Medicine. She has written Healing Body, Mind and Spirit: An Integrative Medicine Approach to the Treatment of Eating Disorders and The Overcoming Binge Eating Disorder and Compulsive Overeating Workbook.

Dr. Ross is in private practice in Denver, Colorado where she specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, obesity, mood disorders and addictions using integrative medicine. As well, she speaks nationally on these subjects. She is also affiliated with The Ranch, a treatment center near Nashville, Tennessee where she is the consultant for the eating disorders extended care program which treats patients with eating disorders and drug and alcohol dependence.

Robin Livingston-Richter is an MSW, L.I.C.S.W with more than 25 years’ experience as a practicing family therapist. Robin worked intensely with adolescents and families struggling with suicidal ideation, ADHD, mood disregulation, parent/child conflicts, and school-related issues. She provided therapeutic services in a variety of settings including shelters, group homes, impatient community programs along with hospital settings and day treatment programs, working extensively with children, teenagers, and families. She also provided supervision to counselors and therapists working with young people facing dual diagnoses. Robin also spent a number of years in marketing and research at the National Institute on Media and the Family, studying and communicating the impact of media on children and specifically, girls.

Robin is in the process of becoming a certified ADHD coach, specializing on helping young people and their families. You can learn more about Robin’s work and follow her on social media at www.stigma2stength.com.

On a personal note, Robin recovered from a 33-year battle with an eating disorder including bouts with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. She has ADHD, is married to a successful entrepreneur with ADHD, and is a parent to two amazing teenagers with ADHD.

Royce White is the founder and acting CEO of Anxious Minds, LLC, an organization dedicated to the global acceptance and progress of mental health. Royce gained considerable support in the health community as a public advocate for mental health acknowledgement and parity. He continues to use his public platform to candidly speak about his personal experience with generalized anxiety disorder. He has also used that same platform to dialogue about human welfare within corporate culture and politics.
In his brief time in the NBA, Royce was able to facilitate the first ever written agreement to include the term "anxiety disorder." He was an All-American athlete in high school and college; he later attended Iowa State University. In his one year of playing at the collegiate level, he proved his athletic abilities were of a professional caliber. Royce was drafted 16th overall in the 2012 NBA draft.
Royce has expressed interest in a variety of industries such as non-profit, entertainment and media, bottled water and private equity, among others, earning him the description of "eclectic" by various media outlets. Royce has pledged that his company, Alexander North L.P., will seek harmony between humanitarianism and entrepreneurship.

Kristina Ackermann is the Director of Content at American Addiction Centers and an expert in the field of substance abuse. She has over a decade of medical editing and leadership experience, with a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Chris Conrad is a court-qualified expert witness on cannabis (marijuana) who has testified more than 200 times in state, military and federal courts. He is also an expert on industrial hemp, religious and medical cannabis use. A curator of the Hash-Marijuana-Hemp Museum in Amsterdam, he grew and processed cannabis legally in Europe and worked at the famous Cannabis Castle.

He is author of Hemp: Lifeline to the Future, Shattered Lives: Portraits From America’s Drug War, and other books. His groundbreaking book on medical marijuana, Hemp for Health, has been translated into six languages and published in Argentina under the title Cannabis para la Salud. His latest booklet, Cannabis Yields and Dosage, explains basic principles of cultivation and consumption of medical marijuana as well as the legal issues. He presented this research at the Fifth International Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics in 2008. He and his wife Mikki Norris were volunteer coordinators for California’s Proposition 215 that legalized medical marijuana in 1996, and cofounders of Human Rights and the Drug War. He has worked with legal medical marijuana patients and support groups; consults regularly with doctors and legislators; and directs Safe Access Now. Conrad was cofounder and first president of the Hemp Industries Association, editor of Oaksterdam News from 2005 to 2007.

Conrad is currently publisher of the West Coast Leaf newspaper, political science instructor at Oaksterdam University, and a legal consultant. You can contact him via ChrisConrad.com and get links to his books and other sites from there.

Mark Kleiman is Professor of Public Policy in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, where he teaches methods of policy analysis, crime control, and drug policy. He is the editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis, the organizer of the group blog called The Reality-Based Community (samefacts.com) and a member of the Committee on Law and Justice of the National Research Council.

His books include When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (named by The Economist as one of the “Books of the Year” for 2009), Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (winner of the Wildavsky Prize of the Policy Studies Organization for 19xx, and Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control. With Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken, he co-wrote Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know, and (with those co-authors and Beau Kilmer) Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know.

He is also CEO of BOTEC Analysis Corporation, which advises governments, non-profits, and corporations on drug policy and crime control. BOTEC was the lead contractor in implementing a legal cannabis market in Washington State.

Mr. Kleiman grew up in Baltimore where he attended local public schools and graduated from Haverford College (B.A. in political science, philosophy, and economics, magna cum laude), before attending the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he received his Master of Public Policy degree in 1974 and a Ph.D. in Public Policy in 1983. He has served as Legislative Assistant to Congressman Les Aspin, special assistant to Polaroid CEO Edwin Land, Deputy Director for Management and Director of Program Analysis for the Office of Management and Budget of the City of Boston, and Associate Director, and then Director, of the Office of Policy and Management Analysis in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

His academic work focuses on designing deterrent regimes that take advantage of positive-feedback effects and the substitution of swiftness and predictability for severity in the criminal justice system, and on policies toward imperfectly rational personal behavior. He taught at Harvard and the University of Rochester before coming to UCLA in 1995.

Mr. Kleiman is also an adjunct scholar at the Center for American Progress and a member of the board of Drug Strategies. He has served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School and as the first Thomas C. Schelling Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Paul Hokemeyer is a Manhattan and Malibu, CA based Marriage and Family Therapist who serves on the panel of experts for "The Dr. Oz Show" and as a Fox News Analyst. In addition, he is the Senior Clinical Advisor for Caron Ocean Drive, an executive level residential treatment center located on the Gold Coast of Florida. He is an internationally recognized expert on treating individuals and families of wealth, power and celebrity for mental health and addiction issues. His academic and clinical research has been published by Lambert Academic Press, The Journal of Wealth Management, and Family Therapy. He is frequently quoted as an expert in a host of media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, WebMD, YahooShine, Men's Health and others. In addition to holding a doctorate in psychology, he holds a doctorate in law (J.D.) and worked as a corporate attorney prior to becoming a psychotherapist. Dr. Hokemeyer served on the board of directors for the New York Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, is a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and is a certified trauma therapist.

Beth Sanders, LCSW, LCAS, MAC, CCS is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years’ experience in the addictions and mental health fields. She has a passion for assisting individuals in the journey of recovery, and has additional experience treating dual diagnosis, family issues and codependency, eating disorders and process addictions with a holistic approach. Beth worked at several nationally known treatment centers as an individual and family therapist, and has been in private practice since 1994 working with individuals, couples, and families with an emphasis on addictions. In 1996 she founded and remains the CEO/Executive Director of Hope Homes, Inc., a premiere recovery residence for men and women with facilities in Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Nashville, TN and Birmingham, AL. She is a pace setter in the field of residential recovery services and continues to develop innovative, peer-to-peer focused recovery-oriented residential programming for young adults, older adults, primary addiction recovery, dual diagnosis, and eating disorder recovery aftercare. In addition, Beth is Past President of the Georgia Association of Recovery Residences and is the Charter Board Member and Past President of the National Alliance of Recovery Residences, where she currently serves as the Standards Committee Chair.

*Formerly Beth Fisher

Leah Miller is a mental health counselor and trained alcohol and substance abuse counselor. She has had clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient treatment and has also helped those with severe mental illness in residential and community settings.

Leah is currently part of a residential transitional support team and in her free time writes about substance abuse issues.

Joe Koelzer is a co-founder of The Clearing, a non 12 Step rehab focused on addressing the underlying core issues which fuel substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and other challenges to our mental health. He has years of counseling experience and a master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

After observing how depression and substance abuse impacted his wife’s life, Joe realized how broken our current system is for addiction and related mental health treatment. He witnessed firsthand how an evidence-based approach coupled with Spiritual Psychology saved Betsy and enabled her to gain control of her life.

In co-founding The Clearing, Joe realizes his dream of creating and sharing this innovative approach with others in a structured clinical setting.

Paul J. Gallant MC, LPC, BRI-II, CIP is an independent, Masters level, licensed professional counselor, board registered interventionist and certified intervention professional. He is the CEO and founder of Primary Recovery Services, a member of the Association of Intervention Specialists and has been in the addiction field for over 28 years. Paul's compassion, respect and clinical expertise provide each family with the training and confidence to help their loved ones recover. Paul is an international speaker on the subject of intervention and is well respected in the treatment industry. He is trained in the use of the Johnson model, Systemic Family Intervention and invitational models. His success rates are unsurpassed in the industry. Paul’s company also provides Intensive case management, transport services and sober companions.

Please consider giving Paul’s name and number to a concerned person or family member in crisis. If he cannot help he will find someone who can. All callers are treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Initial consultation is free of charge and all calls are kept confidential. You can contact him at 800-276-1975 or paul@paulgallant.com.

Andrew Tatarsky is an internationally recognized leader in the treatment of substance misuse and other potentially risky behaviors. He has specialized in the field of substance use treatment for 30 years working as a counselor, psychologist, program director, trainer, advocate and author. He has devoted his career to developing a comprehensive understanding of the broad spectrum of substance use problems and an integrative harm reduction psychotherapy approach to treating this spectrum. This treatment is described in his book, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems, and several professional papers that extend the approach. The book has been released in paperback, published in Poland by the Polish Office of Drug Prevention and is currently being translated into Spanish and Russian.

Dr. Tatarsky is Founder and Director of The Center for Optimal Living in NYC, a treatment and professional training center based on Integrative Harm Reduction Therapy (IHRP) for the spectrum of substance misuse and other high-risk behaviors. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the City University of New York.

He is a Clinical Advisor to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services of New York State, Founding board member and President-elect of the Division on Addiction of New York State Psychological Association, Chairman of the Board of Moderation Management Network, founding board member of Association for Harm Reduction Therapy and Chairman of Mental Health Professionals in Harm Reduction and Faculty, Advanced Specialization in Family and Couple Therapy, The Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, New York University.

A native of England, Howard Meitiner began his retail career in 1970 with the Debenham Department Store Group as a management trainee and rose through the organization to the position of General Manager of the Debenhams Oxford Street flagship store in London. He left England in 1979 at the age of 26 to join Duty Free Shoppers, (DFS), in Hong Kong as VP Operations. Meitiner remained in the Far East for 11 years, the last five of which he held the position as President of DFS Singapore and Malaysia. Following, Meitiner served as President of various DFS divisions and companies in Taiwan, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. He went on to spend nine years in San Francisco for DFS, where he was responsible for Operations, Marketing, Merchandising and Business Development. In 1995 DFS was acquired by the Louis Vuitton/Moet Hennessy Group. Two years later, Meitiner was tasked with launching Sephora in the USA and Japan. In 2001, he moved to New York to work with a private equity firm engaged in retail turnaround activities and spearheaded the reorganization of The Museum Company and Fortunoff, as CEO and COO respectively.

Since 1979, Meitiner has pursued his interest in supporting charities that provide help for children in need by serving on non-profit boards and directly funding such charities through organizations that were under his management. This dedication to youth in need eventually led to a position on the board of Phoenix House in 2004 to support of their mission of service to adolescents and adults suffering from substance abuse.

In June 2006, Meitiner provided six months of consultancy support and advice to Phoenix House of New York. He was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer in January 2007 to help strategically redesign this leading non-profit organization. During Meitiner’s eight year tenure, Phoenix House was transformed through many initiatives, including the introduction of an electronic health record system. Other projects included the diversification of revenue streams, implementation of evidence-based and medication-assisted treatments, as well as innovations in technology, rebranding, website development and the establishment of a social media presence. Additionally, Meitiner broadened and diversified the service continuum and intensified business development, including mergers and acquisitions. These strategies fueled the need for Meitiner to create and fill high-level staffing positions with professionals and specialists to manage the resulting growth and complexity associated with running a national organization.

Today, Meitiner provides consultancy and assistance to not-for-profit organizations that require strategic support in evaluating and resolving operational and other performance challenges.

Lesley Wirth, MA in Spiritual Psychology, and certified Recovery Coach, is an independent contractor at Practical Recovery and Restoration Inn, a beautiful trauma informed recovery center for women, located in La Jolla, CA. With a passion for helping women who have been using as a means to cope with their emotions, trauma, and circumstances, Lesley has been in the recovery field for ten years. Working with a wide array of addictive tendencies, she believes that women undergo specific challenges when it comes to recovery, which has motivated her to work solely with the female population. Lesley has a nationwide after-care recovery program where she helps women integrate into their home environment after treatment. Many of her clients stay with her long-term as they move from a recovery-only focused lifestyle, to one where self-actualization becomes a larger focus. Clients work through healing mind, body, and spirit, to create a life that is becomes exciting to them again and often expand into fulfilling their dreams. In her book, Own Your Worth, A Spiritual Journey through Food Compulsion to Self-Love, Lesley outlines the process of healing the deeper aspects of shame, unworthiness, and working to overcome fear. These processes have developed into a 6 week program that has helped women to connect to their True Self and find an embodied sense of empowerment. The program has seen great success both in and out of treatment centers in California.

Dr. Eric Maisel is the author of more than 40 books in the areas of creativity, meaning and mental health. He is widely regarded as America’s foremost creativity coach and has recently developed natural psychology, the new psychology of meaning. He writes the Coaching the Artist Within column for Professional Artist Magazine, and blogs for sites like the Global Summit on Diagnostic Alternatives and Mad in America.

Dr. Maisel’s books for creative and performing artists include Secrets of a Creativity Coach, Making Your Creative Mark, Fearless Creating, Coaching the Artist Within, The Van Gogh Blues, The Creativity Book, Affirmations for Artists, Performance Anxiety, Write Mind, Deep Writing, A Writer’s Space, A Writer’s Paris, A Writer’s San Francisco, Creative Recovery and Creativity for Life. His books on mental health and meaning include Why Smart People Hurt, Rethinking Depression, Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions, Toxic Criticism, and the forthcoming Life Purpose Boot Camp.

Dr. Maisel leads workshops nationally and internationally. He presents at workshop centers like Omega, Kripalu, Esalen, Hollyhock, and Rowe, at events like the Paris Writers Workshop, at annual conferences of organizations like Romance Writers of America and the American Psychological Association, and in locations like San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Prague, Rome and Berlin.

Dr. Maisel lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he maintains an active creativity coaching practice.

After graduating from Allegheny College with a bachelor’s degree in English, Kristy Snyder dove into the world of freelance writing and editing to forge herself a career. Today, she’s an experienced and talented wordsmith who specializes in many healthcare niches, including substance abuse issues and treatment. Through the years, she’s crafted numerous pieces on the harm of substance abuse as well as the various ways to get help, such as detox and rehab. Her goal is to provide informative and useful content to those who may be battling an addiction, as well as their loved ones.

Alexis Stein is a psychotherapist with a private practice in New York City. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has years of experience in the field of addiction and specializes in individuals, couples, and group therapy. Previously, Ms. Stein worked in one of the largest outpatient treatment centers in New York City where she created programs for working professionals and individuals with trauma struggling with substance abuse. She also practiced at the Institute for Human Identity, which is the leading therapy center for LGBTQ therapy, founded by Dr. Charles Silverstein. Ms. Stein continues to consult and provide treatment for upscale sober livings and treatment centers in the Metro area. She is also a participant in the Complicated Grief Training Program at Columbia University School of Social Work.

David Wiss, MS, RDN, CPT, grew up in Los Angeles, graduating from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science. He earned a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at California State University, Northridge, and completed training to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

His Master’s Thesis “Nutrition and Substance Abuse” was a multisite and multidisciplinary investigation into the special needs of addicts and alcoholics within the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Mr. Wiss is also a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Additionally, he is a voting member on the executive committee of the Behavioral Health Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, and is the Research and Grants Committee Chair for the Los Angeles District of the California Dietetic Association.

Prompted by his extensive research and inspiring case studies, Mr. Wiss discovered that nutrition is a poorly understood and frequently ignored component of treatment during rehabilitation from substance abuse. In 2012, Mr. Wiss founded Nutrition in Recovery and developed a detailed curriculum that provides specialized nutrition services to treatment centers.

Nutrition in Recovery is a mobile private practice located in Los Angeles, California. Treatment services are available for both treatment centers and individuals from Malibu through Santa Monica to the South Bay, as well as east through Beverly Hills, and from West Hollywood to Downtown LA.

Polly E. Drew, M.Ed., LCSW, LMFT, is a psychotherapist who specializes in relationship, marital and family issues. She has been honored locally and nationally for her contributions to the field of mental health and marriage and family therapy. Drew was born and raised in Wisconsin and is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Education. She has a master’s degree from Kent State University in Ohio, two years of post-master’s training in marriage and family therapy and 23 years in private psychotherapy practice in Colorado and Wisconsin. She is licensed as an Independent Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist by the State of Wisconsin.

Rory C. Reid, Ph.D., LCSW is considered one of a few international experts on hypersexual behavior with over 15 years of clinical and research experience. He has published more peer-reviewed scientific articles on this topic than anyone else in the world. He has also worked extensively with patients seeking help for gambling disorders and has a particular interest in developing empirically supported treatments for hypersexuality and problem gambling using mindfulness based applications. His work has been featured in press outlets such as the New York Times, TIME magazine, WebMD, Men’s Health, as well as TV specials aired on ABC, CBS, and Fox News. Dr. Reid holds a master’s degree in social work and a doctorate degree in clinical psychology with a dual emphasis in neuropsychology and marriage and family therapy. Dr. Reid currently holds a position as an Assistant Professor and Research Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA and is part of the Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Reid has numerous affiliations or memberships including the American Psychological Association, the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, the International Neuropsychological Society, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the National Council on Problem Gambling, and the Society for Psychotherapy Research. In addition to these associations, he serves on several editorial boards for scientific journals such as Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, Journal of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, Current Addiction Reports, Journal of Addictions, and Journal of Behavioral Addictions. Dr. Reid is also interested in further understanding the windows that neuroimaging can provide into behavioral disorders and illuminating the physiological effects of specific intermediations. Using neuroimaging techniques has the potential to better guide and focus treatments for hypersexuality, gambling disorders, and drug/alcohol addiction.

Amanda Lautieri is a Senior Content Editor at American Addiction Centers. She has more than 10 years of professional editing experience that includes working as a web editor for several major online publishers and editing medical content ranging from academic texts to online training and recertification courses for emergency medical service responders.

Mark Willenbring, M.D., the founder and CEO of Alltyr is the former Director of the Division of Treatment and Recovery Research of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD.

He has spent over 30 years as a clinician, scientist, teacher and leader. Prior to NIH he was Director of the Addictive Disorders Section at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis and professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota. His research and leadership focused on new treatments for patients with chronic complex problems and implementing evidence based practices in clinical settings. While at NIAAA, Dr. Willenbring was featured in the HBO Addiction Special and developed the popular NIAAA Clinician's Guide: Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much and ReThinking Drinking, a guide for people who choose to drink alcoholic beverages.

In 2009, Dr. Willenbring left academia and government, determined to transform the addiction treatment system to one that is scientifically based, accessible, affordable and attractive. Alltyr was incorporated in 2012 with the goal of creating and spreading a new model: Addiction Treatment for the 21st Century.

Bradley F. Sorte holds a Masters of Social Work degree and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rice University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies from Kaplan University. Prior to joining Caron Ocean Drive, Bradley worked as a family therapist at Caron Renaissance since 2011, where he facilitated daily group sessions with current patients, family workshops and the Residential Family Restructuring Program. Prior to his work at Caron Renaissance, Bradley worked as a therapist at The Watershed of the Palm Beaches. Bradley has a passion for looking at the entire family system when helping a patient heal from addiction. Drawing from his years of practice working with families at Caron Renaissance, Bradley believes that for the best chance of success, each family member must be supported in the healing process. Bradley has been a featured speaker at conferences in the United States and abroad on topics from family recovery to young adult addiction.

Debra Rothschild is a licensed clinical psychologist, a credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor, and a certified psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City. She is a clinical associate professor of psychology (adjunct), and a graduate of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. In addition, she teaches in the Eating Disorders, Compulsions and Addictions program and the WA White Institute, and she serves as a clinical supervisor at City College, Yeshiva University and Long Island University clinical psychology programs. She is on the executive board and twice past president of the New York State Psychological Association Division on Addictions. She publishes and lectures widely on the integration of psychoanalytic thought with harm reduction psychotherapy and substance use treatment.

Helen M. Farrell, M.D., is a physician, expert witness, keynote speaker and writer. She is an award-winning Harvard Medical School Instructor in psychiatry. Dr. Farrell is a medical graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where she was moved by the sensitive prose of literary geniuses who gave mental illness an acceptable voice. Dr. Farrell gained notoriety for her original article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, A House Built Out of Madness, which breaks down stereotypes of mental illness. Her article Addicted to Hope, published in The Fix, shares a unique perspective on alcoholism and has inspired positive change in readers.

Dr. Farrell has been featured in The New York Times, Psychology Today, NPR, and The Huffington Post. She has been sought after by the mass media for expert and authoritative commentary on mental health and wellness. And since her TEDx Talk, Creating Hope for Mental Health, Dr. Farrell has been appearing as a keynote speaker at a wide range of events where she blends the art of storytelling with information and optimism.

Dr. Farrell enjoys traveling back to Ireland and agrees with George Bernard Shaw who said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself…Life is about creating yourself.” Dr. Farrell helps busy professionals achieve their goals via medication management and psychotherapy in her private practice located in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. She is optimistic about the progress of mental health and believes that everyone can create his or her own bright future, and many can also use a little help along the way.

Linda Hatch has had a long career in clinical psychology including teaching, research, student counseling, child psychology and crisis intervention. In addition she worked for many years through the court system evaluating sex offenders, sexually violent predators and mentally ill offenders. In recent years her work has been in the field of trauma and addiction.

Linda is the author of the books Living with a Sex Addict: The Basics from Crisis to Recovery and Relationships in Recovery: A Guide for Sex Addicts who are Starting Over. She devotes considerable time to her writing which includes blogging on her regular column on PsychCentral.com as well as on her own website.

Linda lives in Santa Barbara, California with her husband David, their border collie Perry and their cat Clara.

Ian McLoone, MPS, LPCC, LADC provides integrated care for substance use disorders and mental health to patients at Alltyr Clinic in St Paul, Minnesota. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota’s Integrated Behavioral Health clinical counseling program and holds dual licensure as a professional counselor and an alcohol and drug counselor. He is also an adjunct instructor/community faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches Applied Psychopharmacology in the Addiction Studies graduate program; as well as St Mary’s University of Minnesota, where he teaches Substance use and Community Health in the Master of Arts in Instruction program.

Previously, Ian worked to develop a Spanish language intensive outpatient program, along with working on various advocacy projects for people with opioid use disorders. He is currently on the board of Minnesota Alternatives Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing non-12 Step peer support, harm reduction services and a community center where people are encouraged to define their own recovery. In addition, Ian provides training and consultation to agencies and staff on person-centered evidence-based treatment approaches, the use of anti-relapse medications, and how to work with families to effectively and compassionately support their loved ones in recovery.

Ian has worked alongside Mark Willenbring, MD since the founding of Alltyr Clinic, helping to develop its programs and to train clinical staff. He knows firsthand that many programs are still using treatment approaches that haven't been updated since the 1950s - in spite of the mountains of research that have been accumulated since - and is devoted to bringing paradigm change to the field of addiction treatment and making 21st Century care available to all.

Founder of Music 4 Life® Center, Judith Pinkerton’s hospital experience in the 1980’s activated her passion when her solo violin music replaced routine post-surgical medication.

Judith works weekly with over 100 clients at American Addiction Centers in Las Vegas, Nevada, receiving the first music therapy license in the USA.

As TEDx speaker, author, trainer, radio show host, and recording artist for accredited workshops, books and healing CDs, Judith’s Music Medicine Protocol is published in the Music and Medicine Journal (Wellman & Pinkerton, 2015).

Everything she does supports healthy lifestyles, practicing healing heart, mind, body and spirit. She believes in thinking differently to save lives and transform lifestyles. The way she practices healing is by using music from all genres in a simple formula that regulates moods. She makes music work through therapy like medicine.

Judith’s leadership has resulted in significant funding to support teams of music therapists, wellness and rhythm facilitators, including her previous role during 20 years as nonprofit music therapy clinic and internship director serving all ages.

As violinist, she has performed with symphonies from Switzerland to Alaska including dozens of stars on the Las Vegas strip, such as Andrea Bocelli and Metallica. Judith inspires clients and audiences to practice healthy life skills infusing music experiences differently.

Connect with Judith by visiting www.judithpinkerton.com.

Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D. has studied, researched, and written about drug policy, drug markets, drug prevention, drug treatment, criminal justice policy, addiction, and public policy analysis for almost 18 years. In 2000, he served in the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Clinton Administration and from 2003-2004 he was the senior speechwriter at the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the George W. Bush Administration. From 2009-2011, he was a political appointee and senior drug policy advisor to President Obama’s drug control director, R. Gil Kerlikowske. He was the youngest senior staffer in that office and the only one to have ever served as a political appointee in a Democrat and Republican administration.

In 2013, he co-founded, with former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), which advocates for an approach to marijuana policy that is focused neither on incarceration nor legalization – but on health, prevention, treatment, recovery, and public safety. SAM’s board comprises the most distinguished panel of public health physicians and addiction specialists in the country. He is also the Director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Addiction Medicine. He is the author of numerous monographs, peer-reviewed journal articles, and op-eds, and his first book, Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana, was published by Beaufort in 2013.

Dr. Rubenstein is a human health innovator. He has developed a safe and reliable system of health transformation called The Rubenstein Method that reverses a myriad of stress types within the body and brain.

Dr. Rubenstein provides engaging lectures and talks to clinicians, administrators and patients. He explains and demonstrates why his first treatment is always to the breathing system and the jaw due to their global impacts to the body and brain stress states. In 20 minutes a 50-70% reduction in stress and mental clarity improvement are typical. He also describes in clear terms why the treatment of specific body regions has a higher priority than others, due to their prominent effects on the brain/body and therefore toward recovery. If you can get ahead-of-the-curve in chronic stress, recovery is more attainable. Specifically, stress that is overwhelming, ongoing, and oppressive (S.O.O.O.) is reversible.

Dr. Rubenstein views negative stress as a causal element in addiction and has developed a ‘Stress Index’ which is both a means to measure stress indicators and a predictor of the likelihood of success in the recovery process. By directly treating the physiological markers of stress, a way forward is realized that brings new hope for the recovery world.

The completely natural, yet scientific restoration of a calm and clear mind permits the experience of ‘being present.’ That state improves the effects of other recovery methodologies such as cognitive therapy and decreases time and effort to recovery milestones.

Dr. Rubenstein places addiction and recovery into a framework of physiology and uses its laws and his more than 300 techniques to improve recovery. The same system has been independently tested to have an effect on chronic pain four times the national average as compared to other modalities. The relief of S.O.O.O. and body pain leads to improved sleep.

Marni Low is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and (Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) in the state of New York. Marni has over 13 years experience providing comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services to individuals and diverse family systems in a variety of social service agencies in California, New York City and Sydney, Australia.

Marni has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults in substance abuse treatment programs. She headed the Family Therapy Department at an Adolescent Residential Drug Treatment Program, and consulted to the New York City Administration of Children’s Services on high-risk ACS cases with presenting mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence issues.

While living in Australia, Marni provided individual and family therapy to the LGBT community at the AIDS Council of New South Wales. She also developed and implemented a Comorbidity Training Program, which provided statewide training around the co-occurrence of substance abuse, mental health and medical conditions. Through this program, Marni presented at several national and international conferences on a variety of topics related to substance abuse, gender identity issues and the GLBT community.

As Program Director of Supportive Housing Programs for families with mental health, substance abuse and chronic medical issues in the Bronx, NY, Marni ensured the day-to-day operations of all clinical and non-clinical programs and activities for 75 individuals and families. Marni oversaw a team of 7 clinical and non-clinical staff providing crisis intervention and ongoing individual and family therapy to tenant’s.

Marni is currently in private practice in New York City where she focus’ her practice on substance abuse disorders, Perinatal issues including postpartum depression and pregnancy loss, eating disorders and mood disorders.

Aimee Campbell, Ph.D., MSSW, is a Research Scientist in the Division on Substance Abuse at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatric Social Work in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is also a research scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City. Her research focuses on the development and testing of behavioral interventions for substance use disorders and HIV prevention and treatment, including technology-based innovations, with a specific interest in dissemination and implementation processes to increase the use and effectiveness of empirically supported treatments in community settings. Dr. Campbell completed her undergraduate training in sociology at the University of Washington and received her master’s degree and doctorate from Columbia University School of Social Work.

Katherine Schreiber, co-author of The Truth About Exercise Addiction, is a writer and editor based in New York City. Her work has been published by Psychology Today, Cosmopolitan, TIME, Greatist.com, and PsychCentral.com.

In 2015, she received her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from Sarah Lawrence College and is currently working on her second book about female sexuality and double lives.

In addition to writing, Katherine also teaches yoga and dabbles in standup comedy, improv, and acting.

Sophie Stein is a Clinical Editor at American Addiction Centers. She received her master’s of science in nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is credentialed by the ANCC as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (P.M.H.N.P.) and is licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse. Sophie previously worked as a P.M.H.N.P. at an outpatient psychiatric practice providing mental health care for children, adolescents, and adults. She performed patient evaluations and medication management, including using pharmacogenetic testing to guide her treatment plans. Sophie is passionate about helping those struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders, and she believes that providing those individuals and their loved ones with thorough, accurate educational resources is essential. This is what led her to her current position as clinical editor at American Addiction Centers, where Sophie works to ensure the information provided is reliable and up to date.

Stanton Peele, Ph.D., J.D., is the author (with Ilse Thompson) of Recover! An Empowering Program to Help You Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life. He was clinical director and designer of the Life Process Program for a residential rehab that is now an on-line program. His book, Addiction-Proof Your Child is a model for the emerging area of harm reduction in addiction prevention.

Stanton has been innovating in the addiction field since writing Love and Addiction with Archie Brodsky, including addiction to activities and experiences other than substances, harm reduction, skills and coping approaches to recovery, values and purpose as antidotes to addiction, and mindfulness/self-acceptance (loving kindness) precepts shared with Buddhism. He has published 250 articles and 12 books, and has won career awards from the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and Drug Policy Alliance.

David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP is the founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine; Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Childhood Obesity; and director of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital.

A clinician, researcher, author, inventor, journalist, and media personality, Dr. Katz is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including an honorary doctoral degree and widely supported nominations for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. He has authored nearly 200 scientific papers and chapters, and 15 books, including Disease-Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well.

A two-time diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and a board-certified specialist in Preventive Medicine/Public Health, he is recognized globally for expertise in nutrition, weight management and the prevention of chronic disease. He has been acclaimed by colleagues as the “poet laureate” of health promotion.

Judson Brewer M.D. Ph.D. is a thought leader in the “science of self-mastery,” having combined over 15 years of experience with mindfulness training with his scientific research therein. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, spoken at international conferences, and his work has been featured at TEDx, Time magazine (top 100 new health discoveries of 2013), Forbes, BBC, NPR, Businessweek and others. He graduated cum laude from Princeton University, Received his M.D. Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, and completed his psychiatry residency at Yale University School of Medicine, where he spent 5 years on faculty as an assistant professor and medical director of the Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic at Yale. He is currently the Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness and an associate professor in Medicine and Psychiatry at UMass Medical School. Based on his recent discoveries of brain regions involved in meditation, he is developing novel neurofeedback techniques to measure and train meditative “flow” states. In 2012 he founded Claritas mindsciences to move these into the marketplace.

Christine Brewer has over 20 years of experience in substance use disorders, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, disaster mental health, trauma, EMDR, and therapy with individuals, groups, couples, and families.

Her clinical experience includes gerontology, at-risk youth, homicide bereavement, dual diagnosis, domestic violence, crisis intervention, hostage negotiation, community debriefing services, and clinical supervision.

Christine is a psychotherapist, mental health consultant, educator, and freelance writer specializing in recovery and resilience as well as a variety of topics related to the field of psychology.

Leah Walker is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She earned a master’s degree in Family Studies and a PhD in Family Relations. She has over 20 years of clinical experience working with children adolescents and adults. She has a clinical focus in family relations, substance-abuse and trauma.

Leah has worked in several treatment settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and in-home therapy, both as a therapist and a clinical supervisor. She currently serves as a Director of adult outpatient services in a community mental health center.

Raychelle Lohmann has been a counselor since 1998. She has done extensive research in the domain of anger management and careers. She is a published author and enjoys speaking and presenting at conferences and facilitating workshops.

As a school counselor, Raychelle works with students regarding personal/social, academic, college and career issues. Additionally, she assists parents and teachers with adolescent and parenting concerns, as well as works collaboratively with parents and teachers to assist students with academic progress.

Raychelle is an active member of the American Counseling Association, American School Counseling Association, and National Career Development Association. She is a National Board Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of NC and SC. Additionally, Raychelle is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator.

Jeffrey Junig is a psychiatrist in private practice in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He lectures at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and provides psychiatric services for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Health Center. He writes about opioid dependence and medication-based treatment strategies. He speaks to groups of health professionals, judges, probation officers, and social workers about the epidemic of opioid dependence, and the role for buprenorphine in successful treatment strategies. He emphasizes the value of treating addiction as a disease that warrants the same clinical approach as other diseases.

Dr. Junig graduated from Carroll College and then entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Rochester Center for Brain Research (now the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy). His PhD focused on brain receptors for vasopressin, a neuropeptide that regulates water balance, thirst, and blood pressure. He completed a residency in Anesthesia and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania and is Board Certified in Anesthesiology.

After working as an anesthesiologist and pain physician for a number of years, Dr. Junig developed an addiction to opioids that began with codeine cough medication. After successful treatment he returned to the study of the mind and brain through residency in Psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

While working with opioid addicts as a psychiatrist with the Wisconsin prison system and as medical director of outpatient and residential treatment programs, Dr. Junig noted the chronic and relapsing nature of the disease. He became certified to treat opioid dependence with buprenorphine, and was impressed by the potential of that chemical for treating addiction. Because of concerns about the lack of knowledge about buprenorphine and the myths spread through the internet, he developed a blog, Suboxone Talk Zone, and Forum, SuboxForum. His goal has is to challenge attitudes toward addiction that interfere with successful treatment outcomes. He has been a contributor to a number of web and print publications, and he speaks regularly to a range of audiences.

Marc Lewis, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology, recently at the University of Toronto, where he taught and conducted research from 1989 to 2010, and presently at Radboud University in the Netherlands. He is the author or co-author of over 50 journal publications in psychology and neuroscience. Marc experimented with a large variety of drugs in his youth, eventually becoming addicted to opiates. His addiction cost him several close relationships and led him into crime. He finally got arrested and convicted for theft, and he was kicked out of graduate school as a result. At the age of 30 Marc quit drugs for good, then reentered grad school and received his Ph.D. five years later. Around 2006, Marc's research led him back to addiction, this time as a neuroscientist studying the brain changes that amplify craving and weaken self-control. His recent book, Memoirs of an Addicted Brain, blends his life story with a user-friendly account of how drugs affect the brain and how addiction seriously alters neural chemistry and structure.

Sean X. Luo, M.D., Ph.D. is a researcher and a psychiatrist. His is currently a NIH-NIDA T32 Clinical Research Fellow and a Leon Levy Neuroscience Fellow in the Division of Substance Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and The New York State Psychiatric Institute. His research focuses on the intersection of statistics, neuroscience, artificial intelligence and psychiatry. He has published in a number of leading journals, including Nature, Nature Neuroscience, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Most recently he was the recipient of Early Career Young Investigator Award from the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and was the lead author on a chapter, "Internet Addiction,” in the forthcoming The Behavioral Addiction Casebook. The views expressed in this column are his own and do not represent Columbia University and The New York State Psychiatric Institute or their affiliates.

Alexandre B. Laudet, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert in addiction recovery. Her federally funded research in the past 15 years focuses on elucidating what helps people with drugs and/or alcohol problems quit drinking or getting high, and what helps initiate and sustain recovery. Her primary goal is to build the science of recovery to inform services and policy that remove barriers to and create opportunities for improved lives and long-term recovery from addiction .

Among her major contributions to the field are her studies on the definition of recovery and on the role of quality of life satisfaction in the process of recovery; most recently, research interests also include the dynamic interplay among addiction recovery, chronic medical and mental health conditions, and emerging recovery support models such as the Collegiate Recovery Programs.

Dr. Laudet is the founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Addictions and Recovery at the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) and also served as Deputy Director of NDRI's Institute for Treatment and Services Research. She provides training and consultancy to U.S. federal agencies such as the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH); to state agencies such as New York State’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS); to private institutions such as the Betty Ford Institute and Mayo Clinic's Fountain Center, and to grassroots organizations such as Faces and Voices of Recovery. She currently serves as an Associate Editor for two scientific journals, Substance Use and Misuse, and the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment and is an elected member of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD).

Dr. Laudet is a social psychologist; she regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals, presents at national and international conferences, and has appeared in TV interviews and in the documentary the Anonymous People.

Marc J. Romano is a Licensed Psychologist, a Board Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner specializing in Mental Health for the entire life span, and a Certified Addiction Professional in Florida. He is also a Licensed Healthcare Risk Manager in Florida. Dr. Romano completed a Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manchester in Manchester, England before returning to the United States to complete his Masters of Arts and Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hartford, Hartford, CT. Dr. Romano went on to complete his RN Diploma at Huron School of Nursing in the Cleveland Clinic Health System in Cleveland, OH, his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Florida International University in Miami, FL, and his Masters of Science in Nursing at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL.

Dr. Romano’s initial training as a psychologist in England provided him with a strong foundation in Cognitive-Behavioral Theory which he has continued to use throughout his career. His training in the National Health Service and his subsequent work as a Basic Grade Psychologist at St. Charles Hospital in London was an invaluable experience. Dr. Romano began his work in the field of addiction while completing two years of practicum work at the Yale Substance Abuse Treatment Unit (SATU) during his doctoral program. He was part of a Risk Reduction Study that included cognitive-behavioral group therapy and clinical trials for the use of Buprenorphine to treat opiate addiction. Dr. Romano went on to complete his doctoral dissertation investigating the impact of HIV on a population of intravenous drug users to assess for the presence of internalized AIDS phobia a term he coined. Dr. Romano completed his APA Accredited Internship at Nova Southeastern University Community Mental Health Center and his Residency at the Miami Juvenile Court Assessment Center.

Over the course of his psychology and nursing career Dr. Romano has worked in numerous settings with individuals with addiction, including private practice, acute detox, inpatient dual diagnosis, and residential. He has worked with adolescents, adults, the elderly and the LGBT community. He has worked in the role of Director of Nursing, Director of Clinical Services, Director of Risk Management, and is currently employed as Assistant Medical Director at Ocean Breeze Recovery in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Kindra Sclar is a Senior Web Content Editor for American Addiction Centers and Rehabs.com. Before joining the company, she worked for more than 8 years as a print and web editor for several print and online publishers. Kindra has worked on content editing for first responders, including firefighters, public safety communications, and emergency medical services. She has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English.

Kristie Moore, RDN graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutritional Science from California State University, Los Angeles in 2013. She completed her Dietetic Internship to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at California State University, Long Beach where she is currently obtaining her Master’s Degree in Nutritional Science.

Kristie is working on her master’s thesis creating a hands-on nutrition and culinary intervention to promote healthy eating habits and positive life skills for people in substance abuse treatment. Kristie is also an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer and Indoor Cycling Instructor.

A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., is California licensed psychologist (PSY7732) and a board certified clinical psychologist by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is the founder and owner of Practical Recovery, a self-empowering addiction treatment system in San Diego. Practical Recovery consists of four facilities (two six bed rehabs in University City, a seven bed sober living home in Carmel Valley, and outpatient services in La Jolla).

He has been the long-standing volunteer president of SMART Recovery, an international non-profit providing free, science-based, self-empowering mutual help groups for abstaining from any addiction. He is a past president of the American Psychological Association’s Society on Addiction Psychology (Division 50), the world’s largest organization of addiction psychologists, and past president and fellow of the San Diego Psychological Association. He is adjunct faculty at Alliant International University, and previously adjunct faculty at the University of San Diego.

He is the author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions (listed by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies as a “Self-Help Book of Merit”). Dr. Horvath’s publications, media interviews, and presentations are helping to change how individuals, professionals, and societies understand addictive behavior.

Kenneth Anderson, M.A. is the author of the book How to Change Your Drinking: a Harm Reduction Guide to Alcohol – a self-help manual for safer drinking, reduced drinking, or quitting alcohol altogether. Mr. Anderson is also the founder and CEO of The HAMS Harm Reduction Network. The acronym HAMS stands for Harm Reduction, Abstinence, and Moderation Support. HAMS is the first world-wide, harm reduction-based support group specifically for people who drink alcohol. HAMS is lay-led and free-of-charge. Mr. Anderson has worked in the field of harm reduction since 2002. His wide range of experience includes serving as Director of Online Services at Moderation Management, working "in the trenches" of harm reduction doing needle exchange in Minneapolis, and serving as Director of Development at the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center in New York City. He has been a regular presenter at the National Harm Reduction Conference since 2008 and has been a guest speaker at the Harlem Hospital Harm Reduction Program, New York University, The New School for Social Research, and many other venues. Mr. Anderson is a member of The International Center for Clinical Excellence and the International Harm Reduction Association. He holds a masters degree in psychology and substance abuse counseling from the New School for Social Research as well as a masters degree in linguistics from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Omar Manejwala is passionate about helping people to understand addiction. As one of the nation’s leading experts on addiction, Dr. Omar offers insight and analysis on news developments related to addiction and mental health. He speaks to audiences about how they can leverage insights from brain and behavior science to change their habits and their lives.

He is the author of Craving: Why We Can’t Seem to Get Enough (Hazelden 2013), which explains how to curb cravings in accessible terms, so that readers can understand the science of addiction without having to earn a medical degree or be a substance abuse counselor.

Alongside his speaking and writing, he is the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Catasys, where he designs innovative approaches that improve access to addiction care and treatment outcomes. When he’s not in the trenches of addiction, Dr. Omar lives a full life. He especially loves to travel and is always on the lookout for new experiences.

To connect, learn more about Dr. Omar, or view clips from his appearances on 20/20, CBS Early Show, ABC Primetime, Al-Jazeera America, and more, explore his website.

Dr. Robert Lefever is a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and The Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London. After winning a singing scholarship and hoping to become a professional musician, he found greater happiness as a family physician. After 16 years working in passionate support of the British National Health Service, he recognized that it doesn't work for those who most need it - the inarticulate poor - and that it was a top/down directed system that has no place for innovation. He therefore created his own independent medical practice and also built the first rehab to treat all addictive behavior and, non-medicinally, the anxiety and depression that underlie it. He has treated over 5,000 in-patients, using ideas gained from 30 visits to the USA. His hope now is to share that experience with others.

Jessica Brock-Pitts is a therapist with experience in treating substance use disorders and mental health issues. She has a Master of Social Work and is a License Clinical Social Worker. Jessica's clinical experience has included dual diagnosis outpatient, severe mental illness in psychiatric and community settings, residential substance use treatment, and psychiatric emergency services. She currently focuses on the treatment of trauma and substance use disorders and is particularly interested in mindfulness-based therapies.

Stacy Mosel is a licensed social worker, psychotherapist and substance abuse specialist. After receiving a Bachelor's degree in Music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she continued her studies at New York University, earning a Master of Social Work degree in 2002.

She has extensive training in child and family therapy and in the identification and treatment of substance abuse and mental health disorders. Currently, she is focusing on writing in the fields of mental health and addictions, drawing on her prior experience as an Employee Assistance Program counselor and as the assistant director of a child and family services agency.

Myles B Schlam is an Attorney at Law in the State of Florida specializing in criminal defense and the Florida Marchman Act. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University for undergrad in ’95 where he earned a degree in criminal justice/psychology. He then worked in the medical field as a business administrator for a few years before attending law school in Miami, graduating on the Dean’s List at St. Thomas University School of Law in May of 2002. He was senator of his class, concentrating his studies on criminal law. He worked at the Broward County Public Defender's office as a CLI (Certified Legal Intern), working cases in both misdemeanor and felony courts.

Through his experience with the criminal justice system, Mr. Schlam came to the realization that about 85% of the incarcerated population are there as a direct or indirect result of addiction. Mr. Schlam met with the drug court judges and became active in both the drug and mental health courts where he was able to make a difference in providing quality treatment to clients. Mr. Schlam started Advocare Solutions, Inc., which was one of the only agencies in south Florida licensed specifically for case management and general intervention. Mr. Schlam holds a dual certification through the state of Florida as a CAP (Certified Addictions Professional) and a CCJAP (Criminal Justice Addictions Professional).

Mr. Schlam is now the President of Schlam Law, P.A. In this capacity, Mr. Schlam provides representation to clients who are charged with alcohol- or drug-related crimes, as well as the families who are trying to get treatment for loved ones who have lost control of their use. Mr. Schlam has over 10 years’ experience working with substance abuse clients, both in private and state/county run facilities. Mr. Schlam spent five years at Legal Aid of Broward prior to founding a forensic treatment agency which he ran for the next several years.

Mr. Schlam is a former co-chair of the Broward Re-entry Coalition and a former Guardian Ad Litem. He presently sits on the 15th Circuit Sober Homes Task Force, as well as the Broward County Mental Health Task Force where he advocates for better and more ethical treatment for the substance abuse/mental health population. He is frequently called upon as an expert witness in addiction cases, as well as speaking and writing published articles on the subject. Mr. Schlam has and continues to perform court-ordered evaluations for substance abuse clients. Myles B. Schlam brings a very unique array of experience and expertise to Schlam Law, P.A., as both an attorney and an addiction professional.

Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany. He received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University and his doctorate from Indiana University. Mitch has over 100 publications in scientific journals on the addictions. He has received research grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as well as the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation.

After years as an alcohol researcher, Mitch began teaching an undergraduate course on drugs and human behavior. He was excited to share all the dangers of binge drinking with a large group of college students. The students, however, were far more interested in marijuana. Eager to avoid spreading any misinformation, Mitch reviewed the relevant research, which led to his book Understanding Marijuana. The class helped Mitch earn commendation for his teaching, including the University's coveted General Education Teaching Award.

After reviewing all of the science of marijuana, Mitch felt he could not stand idly by while people went to jail for possession. The research showed millions of people who used marijuana responsibly. Law enforcement officials could use their time more wisely by battling violent crime. Our crowded court systems could use a break. More and more states and countries were saving immense amounts of money by changing their marijuana policies. But more important than any estimate of costs and benefits, the idea of punishing people for possession just seemed morally wrong.

Trish Farley is an anti-oppressive social worker, consultant, trainer and community organizer based in New York City. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit programs, her working knowledge draws from building relationships in a variety of settings: schools, transitional housing programs, juvenile detention, etc. Currently, she is a consultant for the school-based prevention program at Freedom Institute, a nonprofit recovery center in Manhattan. She receives anti-racist training and ongoing mentoring from the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, which she credits for transforming her life and career.

Rita Milios, LCSW, "The Mind Mentor," combines the science of neuro-biology, traditional psychotherapy techniques, and spiritual growth techniques gleaned from ancient wisdom traditions to help people re-program old, entrenched, self-defeating habits and attitudes and successfully treat anxiety, depression, addictions (substances, people, things), eating issues, relationship issues, trauma, life transition issues and grief.

Using interactive guided imagery, dreamwork, intuitive problem-solving techniques, mindfulness meditation and other holistic techniques, along with cognitive-behavioral, humanistic and psycho-education therapies, Rita facilitates a dialogue between the client’s outer (conscious) mind and inner (subconscious) mind, helping them access their own inner wisdom to get “unstuck” and attain the clarity and wisdom they need to reach their goals and move forward on their personal journey. Rita also trains clients in self-help, empowerment and spiritual growth techniques so that they can continue to learn and grow long after therapy ends.

As “Mind Mentor" to individuals, groups, corporations and associations, Rita delivers workshops and trainings to clinical professionals, businesses and the public on topics including psycho-neurobiology, stress reduction, self-help modalities, spiritual growth and intuition/creativity. Her most recent presentation was on the topic of bereavement at the 2014 NASW FL Social Work Conference.

Rita’s 30+ published books include Tools for Transformation, Instant Inspiration and Discovering Positive Thinking. She has also published more than 100 articles for print and web and audio/video tapes on mind/body wellness, personal transformation and creative thinking. Rita has been featured on radio & TV as an expert on mind and positive thinking, and is featured as an expert at LinktoEXPERT.com and other online speaking/consulting directories.

Meredith Watkins is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in dual diagnoses and eating disorders. She has worked as a clinical editor for online addictions journals and websites, and ghostwritten for numerous medical and addictions professionals.

Keith McAdam is a behavioral health provider with an integrated, harm reduction based dual-diagnosis program with the Duke Infectious Diseases Clinic and the Wake County Human Services HIV Clinic, through funding from the Ryan White CARE Act and SAMHSA.

Mr. McAdam got his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of New Orleans in 2004 and his Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007 at age 40. Prior to his current position Mr. McAdam worked in the music, construction, security and service industries. In 1994 his life was transformed when he was invited to be a counselor at a summer camp program for children and families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. After 14 years, that one week in Maine (and his wonderful wife) prepared him to add formal education to complement his unmarketable life skills. Because of his interest in working with the HIV/AIDS population and addiction, he was given an internship with the Infectious Diseases Division at UNC Hospital, which led to an internship in the ID Clinic, which led to his current position at Duke. Which led to a belief that truly, anything can happen.

Mike Pond is a Vancouver, Canada-based psychotherapist, in-demand speaker, author and advocate for compassionate, evidence-based treatment for all who suffer from substance use disorders. Pond’s riveting account of his own trip to rock bottom and back gives him unique empathy as a therapist. He has experienced our flawed treatment system from the inside out.

After two decades of private practice, Pond thought he knew all there was to know about treating addiction. But through his own life-threatening battle with alcoholism, he learned he knew next to nothing. Worse, what he knew was just plain wrong. He lost his practice, home and family and ended up penniless in two unlicensed, rundown recovery homes rife with systemic abuse.

For two years, Mike floated through rehabs, recovery homes and homelessness, dumpster diving, emergency wards and finally intensive care and prison. Along the way Mike Pond "the drunk" found himself shamed and stigmatized by the very system in which Mike Pond the therapist thrived. Mike Pond’s memoir Wasted: An Alcoholic Therapist's Fight for Recovery in a Flawed Treatment System was released this spring in the U.S. and is available in Canada. The book was excerpted or featured in leading Canadian publications like The National Post, the Huffington Post, the Globe and Mail , Maclean's (Canada’s version of Time Magazine) and The Toronto Star.

His search for compassionate evidence-based treatment was captured in critically-acclaimed and ratings winning film Wasted, which aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s flagship prime-time science program, The Nature of Things. It will appear in select film festivals the fall of 2016 in the U.S. and is available for viewing at Addictionthenextstep.com

Pond sits on two national advisory committees working to ensure all Canadians receive swift access to a broad toolkit of treatment options. His advocacy has helped create Addictionthenextstep.com, which offers a free-online therapy tool called the Interactive Guide, built in collaboration with New York City’s Center for Motivation and Change. This site is exclusively for the families and loved ones of those battling a substance use and teaches an evidence-based, whole new way of communicating with the substance user, that shifts the conversation from shaming and blaming, to compassion and kindness. It’s free and can be accessed anywhere, anytime!

Pond has rebuilt a thriving practice in Vancouver, (MichaelPond.ca) where he specializes in addiction, Indian Residential School trauma, healing and recovery.