STAFF
Sober since she was just 16 years old, Becky Gatdula has dedicated her life to helping other women achieve sobriety. Her commitment to those suffering with substance abuse began with a volunteer position in 1996. She then went on to work full time in the substance abuse field beginning in 2003. In 2005, Becky earned her Chemical Dependency Counselor certification. With over two decades of experience in the field, Becky has opened, designed, supervised and operated numerous treatment programs. Her deep devotion and loyalty to this community inspired her to found Rising Roads Recovery Services for Women, LLC. Rising Roads Recovery has become a benchmark in the gender specific treatment world; a place where women can address their issues and take positive steps forward to build happy, meaningful lives. With a team of trustworthy and skilled professionals by her side, Becky is delighted to lead Rising Roads Recovery.
Kimiko Miller is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist who has specialized in substance use disorders and mental health issues for over 7 years. Kimiko received her Masters of Arts from Fresno Pacific University. She has extensive training in Expressive Arts Therapy, Psychodrama, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral therapy), and love and sex addiction recovery. In her spare time, Kimiko also leads workshops for R.A.D Team Building which aims to empower and activate individuals to their highest potential. Kimiko provides an authentic and safe space for clients to experience and explore emotions in greater depth and to begin their journey by fulfilling their deepest hopes and dreams.
Dr. Elizabeth J. Roberts, MD is the Medical Director of Pace Recovery and a board-certified psychiatrist, by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology. She believes that it is important to address a person’s mental health issues to deliver effective addiction recovery care. Dr. Roberts takes a measured approach to mental health treatment. She is not the type of doctor that prescribes an abundance of sedating or dangerous psychiatric medications. Her philosophy for treating patients is to use the smallest amount of medication as possible while delivering the maximum amount of psychotherapy, exercise, good nutrition, and recovery education. She has been practicing psychiatry for over 25 years. Her mission is to protect her patients from the addicting and damaging effects of over-prescribing psychiatric medications. She has published books and articles on the subject of misdiagnosing and over-medicating patients. She is the author of the book: “Should You Medicate Your Child’s Mind.” Her books brought her to the attention of a House Sub-committee that was investigating the harmful effects of psychiatric medications on children and invited her to testify in Washington DC on October 27, 2011. Dr. Roberts has also appeared on The Oprah Show, CNN, The Today Show, ABC News in Chicago, CBS News Los Angeles, and NBC News in San Francisco. She was featured as the addiction expert on the educational video; Think, Don’t Drink. Her radio appearances include Washington Post Radio, Washington D.C.; The Milt Rosenberg Show, Chicago; The Pete Wilson Show, San Francisco; Positive Parenting, San Francisco, and others. Dr. Roberts has been published in the Op-Ed pages of The Washington Post and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and quoted in publications such as the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times. Dr. Roberts completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, earned her medical degree at Rush Medical College in Chicago, completed her adult Psychiatric Residency at the University of Hawaii and her Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Laura is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who joined Rising Roads Recovery in May 2019. She discovered her passion for mental health and client advocacy during her time at Virginia Tech, where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Laura continued her education at Virginia Tech earning her Masters degree in Human Development, with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Laura has over six years of experience working in the mental health field with adolescents, adults, and families. Her training includes acute, residential, and intensive outpatient care for substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment. She incorporates an integrative approach consisting of Mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing, Experiential, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to assist clients in increasing awareness of the present moment, addressing unresolved trauma and dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, and empowering a more positive outlook on life. She is currently pursuing a Meditation Specialist I (MSI-BC) certification from the National Meditation Specialist Certification Board and has participated in Psychodrama and Sociometry training with Jean Campbell. She also intends on becoming certified in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to incorporate stress-reduction techniques in her therapeutic work. Laura strongly believes in the empowerment of human connection and the resiliency of the human spirit. She provides a compassionate, grounded stance for her clients.
Laura considers herself to be a cat enthusiast and enjoys being outside. She often goes camping and hiking in her free time and takes Taekwondo classes for the discipline of the mind and body. She enjoys traveling, reading, music, and watching the Food Network. Laura also utilizes yoga and meditation for self-care and spiritual rejuvenation.
Lisa Bahar is licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional clinical counselor and a certified drug and alcohol counselor. Lisa Bahar provides psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and families and specializes in treating addiction, mood and personality disorders.Lisa Bahar specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and works to provide clients the most comprehensive care based on their clinical needs and goals. Lisa Bahar serves as Adjunct Faculty for Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy; which is a program designed to serve those interested in counseling individuals, couples, and families as a marriage and family therapist as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) or a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) in California.
Michael is a board-certified psychodrama practitioner and Certified Experiential Therapist as well as a drug and alcohol counselor. He has worked in various addiction treatment settings for over five years and has been facilitating residential and outpatient psychodrama groups for over three years. Much of his experience has been in treatment programs for women with a history of trauma as well as addictions, including eating disorders and codependency. During his training as an addictions counselor, Michael was profoundly affected by his first exposure to psychodrama—an action method based on the principle “don’t tell me, show me.” He recognized its power to create a sense of safety in groups, build deep connections among group members, unblock frozen feelings, foster creativity and spontaneity, help people embody new roles, and accelerate personal growth and transformation. Michael is especially interested in the use of experiential and somatic approaches to healing shock and relational trauma. In addition to its therapeutic benefits, Michael appreciates how the spiritual foundations and fundamental principles of psychodrama align with his engagement in 12-step recovery.
Christina is a Certified Trauma Professional (CTP). She is also certified in Somatic Trauma Resolution, is a Reiki Master and has completed certification with Spirit2Spirit Healing. Christina uses Somatic modalities including Psychodrama and Psychodramatic Bodywork to help her clients heal from varying types of abuse, traumatic injury, abandonment, grief, loss or other events that results in the traumatic “overwhelming” of the nervous system. Her extensive work with trauma survivors has evolved to helping individuals with addiction and abuse issues, eating disorders, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Christina’s holistic approach to the recovery process is augmented by her passionate energy, creativity, intuition and natural healing talents. Her work in individual sessions and as a group facilitator brings her clients hope and dramatic, healthy changes.
Sue Gauthier-Pin is an Expressive Arts Clinician who specializes in working with women to nurture their recovering inner artist. Sue utilizes an arts-based integrative approach that blends traditional evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with the healing power of creativity. She guides the women at Rising Roads Recovery through their emotional and spiritual healing process with explorative techniques, including intermodal expressive arts, dreamwork, sandtray and psychodrama. By engaging in intentional creative activities, the women at Rising Roads Recovery are given an outlet to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences for which they “have no words.” Sue earned a Master’s of Counseling Psychology specializing in Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is delighted to further explore the intersection of spirituality, creativity, emotional wellness and addiction at Rising Roads Recovery.
Serita Fontanesi is a social worker, activist, and healer who disrupts old ways of thinking in order to support women and femmes. Serita is also a certified trauma-informed yoga teacher, birth worker, and reiki practitioner. By infusing traditional methods of change with elements of mystical practices, such as energy healing, Serita is able to support the people she works with in identifying their specific pain points. From here, she is able to support them in strategizing ways to make positive and meaningful changes in their world in order to help them achieve their goals and heal broken patterns.
Josie has been in the substance abuse industry since 2015. She has always been on the frontline starting as a case manager from day one. Her journey began in her recovery in 2010 and found she had a passion for inspiring others who were beginning their Josie had been in the mortgage industry since 2004, and as her disease progressed she began to lose everything worthwhile in life. Thankfully, she ended up in addiction treatment with a case manager who challenged her and changed her life. Josie became passionate about helping others and decided she wanted to inspire people just like her case manager had done with her.
With over five years of experience working in treatment compliance and insurance coordination, Nicole is a true asset to both Rising Roads Recovery staff and the family members of clients. Her tremendous knowledge and compassion arm her in her role as advocate for our clients and their families with the insurance companies. Nicole’s goal is to help families feel comfortable and secure in their decision to pursue treatment, and she strives to make the insurance and financial process as stress-free as possible. Nicole is also responsible for our licensure and compliance, ensuring Rising Road Recovery up to date with all city and state regulations.
Susannah Johnson is an experienced health educator and Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist. With a demonstrated history of working in the health, wellness, recovery, and fitness industries, Susannah specializes in health coaching, digestive health issues, and drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Her authentic and educational approach to nutrition brings a sustainable healthy lifestyle within everyone’s reach. Susannah has been sober since July 2003.
Read her story at: www.susannahjohnson.com/about
Kristen has always been passionate and enthusiastic about helping people. With the objective of blending her business and people skills, she earned a degree in Business Marketing from Texas Christian University. After working for an advertising agency in Houston for two years, her family and friends recognized her disease of alcoholism and she checked herself into treatment. As she created a new life rooted in recovery, Kristen realized her marketing background and personal experience could be valuable assets at a treatment center. Kristen is delighted to have a career in an industry that helps not only the individuals in treatment but also their friends and family. Kristen has brought her expertise in marketing and outreach to the recovery industry since 2003. She has also spoken at national conferences on best marketing practices and the importance of corporate culture in addiction treatment centers. Her vivacious personality reminds the community at Rising Roads that sobriety can be fun.
Jordan is a native of Seattle, Washington. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Marshall School of Business. After earning his degree, Jordan worked in business development and sales in industries including software and international product sourcing. While in college, Jordan began an 8-year battle with alcoholism and addiction that affected every aspect of his life. After getting sober in 2011, Jordan discovered a passion for helping people struggling with addiction find recovery. He began as an intern and rose to Chief Development Officer at a well-known men’s extended aftercare program. Jordan is delighted to further his work with women’s extended care. After experiencing the benefits of long term recovery first hand, he believes that if an addict learns to love her life in recovery, anything is possible.
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