Symposium Speakers

Beyond Talk Therapy:
New Frontiers in Addiction Treatment

Sacramento, California
September 27 - 29, 2007

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Lianne Audette, N.D., L.Ac.

Lianne Audette, a licensed acupuncturist in California, has been integrating acupuncture into drug and alcohol treatment settings for the past 11 years. These settings have included homeless shelters, halfway houses, drop-in clinics, day treatment, residential and out-patient treatment facilities and drug courts.

In 1990, she founded a community clinic known as Turnabout A.S.A.P., a non-profit agency which provided treatment to low and no income addicts on a walk-in basis. Turnabout was privately funded and did not suffer from the bureaucratic restraints of publicly funded agencies. After 10 years of service in the community, Turnabout is currently and temporarily inactive.
Audette is a registered trainer for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) (www.acudetox.com). As such, she offers seminars for drug and alcohol treatment professionals about Acupuncture and Chinese medicine and educates acupuncturists about chemical dependency. She consults with treatment programs interested in adding acupuncture detox to the services they provide. Additionally, Audette conducts acupuncture detoxification orientations in community health agencies and for members of the judicial system. These orientations demonstrate the importance of creating acupuncture-based "alternative to incarceration" programs and include videos, lectures, role playing, hands-on acupuncture treatment for participants and questions and answers.

Currently Audette practices complementary medicine, integrating her knowledge of Western medical differential diagnosis and treatment with the principles and practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine using acupuncture; herbal medicine; clinical nutrition; individualized wellness programs; and lifestyle/behavior modification programs.

  She holds a Bachelor's degree in Clinical Nutrition, is a Naturopathic physician, is licensed in California to practice Oriental Medicine, and is nationally certified to practice acupuncture.

Kenneth Blum, PhD

Dr. Kenneth Blum is an internationally recognized authority in Neuropsychopharmacology and Genetics, and is a distinguished academician. His professional achievements span over a quarter of a century. He currently holds appointment as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine after serving as Full Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio for over twenty-three years. He has also served as Adjunct Research Professor in The Department of Biological Sciences, University North Texas, Denton, Texas and as Visiting Professor in The Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, Canada.

Dr. Blum serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of PharmacoGenomics International, Inc., Chairman of both NutriGenomics, Inc. and of Synaptamine, Inc. and is Vice Chairman of The Board & Chief Scientific Officer of Salugen, Inc., a DNA-directed customized nutrition company. Dr. Blum also serves as a Scientific Consultant to Electronic Waveform, Inc. and as scientific advisor to the PATH Medical Foundation in New York. He has been named to the Medical Advisory Board and is Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of MIND. He has published in leading scientific periodicals over 300 articles relating to toxicology, electrophysiology, nutrition, and neuropsychopharmacogenetics of addictive /impulsive/compulsive behaviors and neurocognition. He has chaired three Gordon research conferences in Alcohol and Pyschogenetics and was editor–chief of Substance Use Actions and Misuse for Pergomon Press over a five-year period.

Among many awards and honors, Blum is the recipient of The National Institutes of Drug Abuse Career Teacher Award, The Gordon Research Conference Award, The San Antonio Council on Alcoholism President’s Award, American Society Speakers Award, Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Research Award, IMAGINEER AWARD (nominee) from Mind Science Foundation, and the National Retail Druggist Award. He is listed in “Who’s Who” and other notable directories.
Dr. Blum is the lead discoverer of the first gene associated with alcoholism. He is credited with the “REWARD CASCADE”, and coined the term “REWARD DEFICIENCY SYNDROME” and NEUROMETABOLIC DEFICIENCY SYNDROME. (with Bill Downs). He has also been considered by some as the “Father of Psychiatric Genetics”. Dr. Blum holds numerous worldwide patents, is credited with the concept of “ NUTRITION “GENE THERAPY”, and is responsible for the “REWARD NUTRACEUTICAL PRODUCT LINE” under the DOCBLUM label.

His work has been featured in every major newspaper in the United States as well as major magazines and electronic media. These include many international newspapers such as: The London Sun Times, Israel Post, International Tribune, etc. Dr. Blum’s genetic work has been featured in “Smart Money”, (A Wall Street Journal magazine) and the Washington Post. Dr. Blum has testified in several courts as an expert witness for both the prosecution and the defense in cases related to drug and alcohol intoxication matters nationwide. He has completed an interview for PAX TV for their series entitled “Encounters of the Unexplained”, and is featured in the “New Line Cinema BLOW DVD.” He has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Sonia Live, and has also been mentioned on Larry King and other prominent TV and radio shows throughout the nation.

Dr. Blum is the co-inventor of the first homeopathic–nutraceutical for the adjunctive treatment of “Reward Deficiency Syndrome”, (a novel anti-inflammatory in conjunction with e-Brain, Inc.) and is the scientific liaison with ALCAT Diagnostic System. Blum is also the inventor of an amino-acid based intravenous therapy to treat addictive, compulsive and impulsive behaviors and his US patents include but are not limited to US patent number 6,132,724, 6,955,873 B1 and European Patent number EP0979092. He is completing two new books on obesity.

Dr. Blum received his Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy from Columbia University, New York City, his Master’s Degree of Medical Sciences from New Jersey College of Medicine, and his Doctorate in Neuropharmacology from New York Medical College, New York City. He also received a fellowship to study Pharmacogenetics at the Behavioral Genetic Institute at Colorado University, Boulder. See Salugen for more information.

James Braly, MD

James Braly, MD is a clinician, author, researcher, and trainer in naturopathic medicine. For the last four years he has devoted much of his time to researching the application of dietary and intravenous-oral nutrient therapies for chemical dependency, co-morbidities of addiction, chronic abstinence symptoms, and the prevention of relapse.

In 2004 Dr. Braly joined best-selling authors and educators David Miller, PhD and Merlene Miller, MA as medical consultant, intravenous-oral nutrient product researcher and formulator, educator, and trainer for LifeStream Solutions, Inc., a company specializing in addiction and addiction-related disorders.

As a full-time attending physician and medical director at an integrative addiction center, Dr. Braly has recently completed an eighteen-month project involving implementation and refinement of intravenous-oral nutrient therapy for clients in recovery.
Dr. Braly has authored or co-authored numerous books including The H Factor Solution and Hidden Food Allergies. See www.drbralyallergyrelief.com for more information.

Hyla Cass M.D.

Hyla Cass, M.D. has integrated metabolic medicine with psychiatry in her clinical practice of over 20 years, and is a noted public speaker, consultant, and educator on complementary medicine and psychiatry, women's health, and natural treatments for anxiety disorders, depression and addiction. She is also a frequent commentator in newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, and contributor to numerous books and journals. An Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Cass graduated from the University of Toronto School of Medicine, interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and completed a psychiatric residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/UCLA. Dr. Cass is the author of 10 books, including Natural Highs and 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health. See www.drcass.com for more information.

Pat Farrell

Pat Farrell is an extremely skilled and intuitive practitioner of Energy Medicine trained as a Clinical Hypnotherapist with advanced certification in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)(www.emofree.com). Farrell works with clients around the world and is the author of the internationally acclaimed book 101 Ways to GET A LIFE: How to Be Happy...No Matter What’s Happening. She is a popular guest on radio and TV. See www.pat-farrell.com for more information

Charles Gant, MD, NMD, PhD

Charles Gant, MD, PhD, NMD received his BS in chemistry from Hampden-Sydney College, his medical degree from the University of Virginia Medical School, and his Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia Pacific University. Dr. Gant is also a board certified Naturopath and practices in Washington, DC as an ND.

Dr. Gant is a leading orthomolecular physician who has practiced complementary medicine for over twenty years using natural nutritional methods to correct biochemical imbalances. He is the former medical director of Tully Hill Treatment Center in upstate New York, where he pioneered nutritional treatments for people in recovery. He returned to private practice and for the past eight years has further refined and extended nutritional and detoxification protocols to help restore health to those suffering from various dis-ease syndromes as well as to lower relapse rates for those in recovery. He has also worked extensively with non-drug treatments for ADD & ADHD and is currently taking his experience and knowledge out to the public in order to help a larger number of people.

Dr. Gant is nationally recognized for devising nutritional and detoxification interventions for nicotine, alcohol, and substance abuse, AD/HD, cardiovascular problems, chronic fatigue, immune disorders and other common, chronic medical and psychological problems. He has been affiliated with the Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine and is the author or coauthor of End Your Addiction Now, End Nicotine Addiction Now, and ADD and ADHD Complementary/Alternative Medicine (CAM) Solutions. See www.charlesgantmd.com for more information.

Frank Gaviola

Frank Gaviola is currently teaching Tai Chi and Nutrition Education classes at Sacramento County Drug Court. He is a Tai Chi and Martial Arts Instructor at Folsom Lake College and also works for the South Sacramento Kaiser Permanente Health Education Department.

After a 25 year career in engineering, Frank developed a consulting practice as a Tai Chi instructor for various public agency Employee Wellness and Stress Management Programs. Sensei Gaviola has a lifetime of martial arts knowledge and experience. As an athlete on U.S.A. teams he participated in international levels of competition in South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He was awarded sixth degree black belt in 2001 and has invaluable experience teaching individuals of various backgrounds.

Clark Inkanish, ICADC, NAADC (Wichita, Cadoo, Cheyenne)

Clark Inkanish, (Wichita-Caddo-Cheyenne), is Executive Director and Vice-President for Operations at T. K. Wolf, Inc and has more than 35 years of alcohol and drug assessment, counseling and intervention experience. He is literally the “grandfather” of addiction in-service education in Oklahoma beginning such education of counselors before formal continuing education became a requirement. He uses a number of counseling modalities, including guided visual imagery, role-playing, and art therapy.

Keenly aware of the terrible failures of addiction treatment, some eight years ago he and his colleague began looking for better solutions to the “disease” of addiction. He has been a courageous pioneer in introducing self administered Cranial Electrical Stimulation and addiction nutrition to the “older generation” of conventional 12-Step counselors. He and other staff members of T. K. Wolf continue to research new brain imaging information in order to understand and treat brain based diseases such as addiction, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. His writings of the interaction between nature and nurture in such conditions have been made known to many through the T. K. Wolf website (www.tkwolf.com).

As an enrolled member of the Wichita Tribe and also a respected Indian leader in the Oklahoma community, he teaches Native American culture and spirituality in a variety of settings including university classes. He has presented workshops and conferences on the topics of addiction and Indian culture both regionally and nationally—as keynote and plenary speaker. As a spiritual leader, he holds Sweat Lodges as well as Medicine Wheel classes and ceremonies. He is the most frequently requested Indian elder to lead prayer at Tulsa civic events, public ceremonies and Indian powwows and events in our area. Because people in the larger society often feel a lack of spiritual grounding, and often even feel damaged by teachings of certain religious understandings, he is often asked for guidance, prayer and ceremony. He conducts himself well with grace, humor and humility.

He is a member of the Committee on Religious Understanding of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, the Outreach Committee for Mental Health Association in Tulsa, Pastors for Peace and the Tulsa PowWow Club. He previously served as Chaplain, American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma, Tulsa. He has served on numerous other Boards as well.

All of Clark’s work is summarized by the interconnections shown in the most commonly used American Indian Medicine Wheel where the mental-emotional-physical-spiritual aspects must be treated together or there will be wholeness in no aspect. Too few therapies have understood this truth. Here, Clark is a true pioneer.

Charlotte Kasl has an MA in Music from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Ohio University.  Dr. Kasl was a Licensed Psychologist in Minnesota for fifteen years and is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Montana.  She is a Certified Addiction Specialist in the areas of chemical dependency and sexuality, has had a private psychotherapy practice for twenty-five years and has been a Reiki Master Healer for eighteen years.

Dr. Kasl was part of a task force funded by the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services to create a model treatment program for Chemically Dependent Women.  She has served on several advisory boards including the Women's Recovery Network, the Women's Action Alliance for Alcohol and Drug Education, and the Organization for Secular Sobriety, also known as Save Our Selves (SOS).  She was invited by the National Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to participate in a synthesis conference to make recommendations on the needs of women. Dr. Kasl has consulted with numberous treatment programs and is a founding member of ATTACH (The Association for the Teaching and Training in the Attachment of Children).

Dr. Kasl is the author of seven books and has begun work on her eighth book.  The thread running through all of her work is helping people find their own voice, accept themselves and develop a spiritual and social consciousness that increases understanding and compassion for all people.  Dr. Kasl writes with clarity, warmth and immediacy that allows her to connect with a wide range of people.   She has also written numerous articles and has appeared on over 200 radio and television programs, including New Dimensions Radio, Donahue, Joan Lunden, Sally Jessie Raphael, Geraldo, and People are Talking.  Dr. Kasl has taught a wide variety of workshops and talks on relationships, addiction, sexuality, spirituality, community, healing from incest and abuse, casting out internalized oppression, preventing burn out, quantum healing, empowerment, and finding joy.

Dr. Kasl's empowerment model for recovery from addiction, described in Many Roads, One Journey has had a major impact on the addicton field.  Dr. Kasl interviewed counselors and those in recovery in several different treatment programs across the country.  The 16-step empowerment model brings a flexible socially conscious approach to recovery and seeks to build self esteem and empower people to find their own voice.  Numberous programs throughout the United States and Canada for battered women, pregnant addicted women, Native Americans, African Americans, addicted teenagers, and women in prison have adopted the 16-step programs.

Dr. Kasl has been listed in Self Magazine as one of fifty Sage Psychologists in the United States.  In 1997, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity for her work with women and sexuality.  In 2000, If the Buddha Dated  was one of five finalists for the National Books for Better Living Awards.  Dr. Kasl, a member of the Quakers-The Society of Friends, is an accomplished pianist and avid hiker.

Joan Mathews-Larson, PhD, LADC

Joan Mathews-Larson, PhD, LADC holds a doctorate in nutrition and is the founder and executive director of the pioneering Health Recovery Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an orthomolecular (psycho-biological) model for treating addiction and emotional disorders. This unique focus combines therapy with physiological intervention to repair biochemical damage that often manifests as impaired mental functioning and behavior problems. Her work has received national recognition because of the high recovery rates this model produces.

The loss of her seventeen-year old son to suicide directly after he completed a treatment program fueled Dr. Larson's on-going search for more effective solutions. Her clinic has now successfully treated many thousands of people over a 26-year period. Her published research in the International Journal of Biosocial and Medical Research in 1987 and 1991 describes this work.
Dr. Larson’s national best-selling books Seven Weeks To Sobriety and Depression Free, Naturally have led to over 500 TV and radio appearances. Her books have been reprinted in Finnish, Japanese, Icelandic, and Russian. Articles about her work have appeared in Psychology Today, Let’s Live, Alternative Medicine, Harper Bazaar, Prevention Magazine, Natural Health, Mpls, St. Paul Magazine, Minnesota Physician, Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, Chicago Daily Herald, New Orleans Times, Norway Times, Mpls Star Tribune, and The Townsend Letter for Doctors.

Recent speaking engagements have been in Orlando, FL, where she addressed the American College for the Advancement of Medicine, and in Toronto, Ontario at The International Orthomolecular Medicine Conference, as well as The International Health Expo in Toronto which she keynoted and the 2006 Nutritional Medicine Today Conference in Vancouver, BC.

Dr. Abram Hoffer, who is being honored at this conference for his brilliant lifetime achievements, describes Dr. Larson’s work as having created “The Orthomolecular Model of Addiction Treatment.” Dr. Julian Whitaker’s 100th Issue of Health and Healing: Tomorrow’s Medicine Today lists Joan Mathews-Larson as one of an elite group of six national researchers and practitioners who have made a significant contribution to the world of medicine.

Cardwell.C. Nuckols, PhD

Cardwell C. Nuckols, PhD has been described as “one of the most influential clinical trainers in America.” For over 30 years, he has gratefully served the healthcare industry in multiple capacities as a clinician, supervisor, program director and hospital administrator. Dr Nuckols has led numerous corporate start-up and reengineering projects including involvement in the development of four publicly traded companies. One of these corporations is helping to bring to market new medications to help those suffering from the devastation of AIDS. For his entrepreneurial efforts, Dunn and Bradstreet nominated Dr. Nuckols to receive special commendation.

Dr. Nuckols is widely published, having authored more than 50 journal articles, 30 books and workbooks, 38 DVDs, CDs and videos, and 17 audiotape series. Dr Nuckols first book, Cocaine: Dependency to Recovery, is a trade best seller, as are his booklets Quitting Heroin and Quitting Marijuana (Hazelden). Quitting Alcohol was released in 2006. He is the author of the book Healing an Angry Heart (HCI) and video Chalk Talk on Drugs with Father Martin (Kelly Productions). A series of workbooks on “Adolescent Disruptive Behavior” and a CD on “Anger Management” have been released by Hazelden Publications as a part of their Adolescent Co-occurring Disorder Series.

Dr Nuckols recent works include four DVDs entitled The Evidence Based Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders, A Research Based Approach To The Treatment of Anger, & Aggression In Early Recovery, Treating Early Life Trauma Related Issues In Early Recovery From Addictive Disorders and The Science Based Treatment of Addictive Disorders. He has completed a four part video/DVD series especially designed for alcoholics and addicts in criminal justice and other treatment settings entitled “Breaking the Chains” of Addiction; Using Science to Aid Recovery and has expanded “Breaking the Chains” with a two DVD/video series on Overcoming Anger and Aggression and Overcoming Early Life Trauma and Neglect. Currently, Dr. Nuckols is working on book entitled The Science of Recovery: Adding Neuroscience and Neuropsychology to Your Practice. This text will integrate important findings from attachment theory, neuroscience, developmental psychology and neuropsychology into the treatment of those suffering from addictive disorders while providing scientific support for a 12 step facilitated approach to recovery.

During his career Dr. Nuckols has been awarded national honors including the SECAD, Swinyard and Gooderham Awards, as well as being recognized for his contributions to The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s Patient Placement Criteria. Dr. Nuckols is on the review board of Counselor Magazine and serves as the conference chairperson for numerous national conferences.

Dr. Nuckols’ educational background includes advanced work in medical research, pharmacology, education and psychology. His practical approach comes from working with people in various business and clinical settings. Dr Nuckols has consulted with The Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO), United Auto Workers, Stouffers, Boeing, Dupont, General Motors, Bechtel-Bettis, Ford Motor Company, United Airlines and other industries in the area of enhancing productivity. He served as a trainer and consultant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), federal court systems, and branches of the armed forces specializing in the areas of antisociality, violence, and trauma. See www.gwcinc.com/drnuckols.htm for more information.

Carolyn Reuben, L.Ac.

Carolyn was raised in Santa Monica, CA, and attended the University of California Santa Barbara, Davis, and Berkeley campuses, graduating from Cal in 1968 with a B.A. in sociology. She later attended UCLA's Graduate School of Motion Pictures and Television, and then decided to pursue acupuncture training at SAMRA University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles. After obtaining her license as an acupuncturist, she pursued graduate training at the Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanjing, China, and the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing.

After opening an acupuncture practice specializing in allergy elimination, Carolyn joined with other acupuncturists and supporters to create in 1994 Community Addiction Recovery Association (CARA), a nonprofit in Sacramento dedicated to providing quality Chinese medicine and natural nontoxic healthcare to people with addictions and their families. CARA's contracts include the county Drug Court, Kaiser Permanente's Chemical Dependency Recovery Program, and Cottage Housing, Inc.

CARA's mission has expanded over the years to include the use of tai chi, qigong, yoga, Emotional Freedom Technique (acupressure linked with guided imagery), nutritional supplementation, nutritious food, and cooking classes.

In 1999 Carolyn accepted the Harold Cole Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Prevention and Treatment from the Sacramento County Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board on behalf of CARA.

Carolyn is a well-published author of four self-help health books and numerous educational media scripts and newspaper and magazine articles. She speaks about the use of acupuncture and nutrition for addictions and mental health conditions at state-wide and national conferences and serves as a consultant to clinics wishing to integrate drug-free drug treatment into their existing program.

Julia Ross, M.A., M.F.T.

A pioneer in the field of addiction recovery, Julia Ross has founded eight treatment programs in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1980. As founder and director of outpatient programs at the Henry Ohloff House, Ross instituted seven programs in three counties, including the area's first treatment programs for the addicted family system for addicted adolescents and for food-addicted individuals.

As Executive Director of Recovery Systems in Marin County (1988 to present), Ross has developed an innovative, holistic treatment model combining nutrient therapy and biochemical rebalancing with counseling and 12-step programs. In 1994 Ross began teaching in the addiction counselor certification programs at both U.C. Berkeley and JFK University. She is the author of The Mood Cure (2004), a brain repair manual for mood and addiction problems, and the best selling The Diet Cure (2000) on recovery from carbohydrate addiction.

Ross has addressed hundreds of conferences and workshops and has appeared as an expert on dozens of radio and television programs including an NBC11-TV news special aired throughout the country. She presents training seminars in Amino Acid Therapy for treatment of chemical dependency, carbohydrate addiction, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of neurotransmitter deficiency. See www.moodcure.com for more information.

Michael O. Smith, MD

Michael O. Smith, MD is a psychiatrist, acupuncturist, addiction specialist and public health planner who has been the Director of Lincoln Hospital Recovery Center since 1974. He graduated from Wesleyan University and the University of California Medical School in San Francisco. He is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Cornell Medical School and is certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Smith is internationally known for developing the use of acupuncture in the field of chemical dependency. More than 2,000 treatment programs worldwide use the Lincoln Hospital model. As Chairperson of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA), Dr. Smith has provided consultation to city, county, state, federal, and United Nations agencies in more than one hundred settings.

Dr. Smith has spoken before a remarkably wide range of audiences; he has presented medical grand rounds in three different specialties: Psychiatry, Obstetrics, and Infections Disease. He has addressed judicial conferences, Native American gatherings, and health professional conferences reflecting many different clinical disciplines.

The Lincoln Hospital program was redesigned in 1987 to focus on court-related referrals. Dr. Smith developed the Miami drug court treatment and court monitoring system based on the Lincoln Hospital model. Dr. Smith has provided on site consultation for more than 20 drug courts and has given numerous training seminars for judges and other practitioners. He received the first National Leadership Award of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) in 1995.

Dr. Smith has been a principal co-investigator on research studies conducted by the New York State Department of Health, Columbia University and private research institutions. In addition to his work with acupuncture and substance abuse, Dr. Smith is known for expertise in: clinical toxicology, herbology, community psychiatry, medical information systems, treatment of multiple sclerosis, Chinese philosophy, and addiction treatment planning. His five-year study on the use of Chinese Medicine in the treatment of AIDS has been published in many countries. Dr. Smith conducts a weekly acupuncture clinic for AIDS patients at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in Manhattan.

Dr. Smith was presented with the Samuel and May Rudin Community Service Award by New York Mayor David Dinkins. He was named Acupuncturist of the Year by the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM), and served on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Substance Abuse. See www.acudetox.com for more information.

Nancy J. Smyth, PhD, LCSW, CASAC

Nancy J. Smyth, PhD, LCSW, CASAC is Professor and Dean at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. She has taught courses on addictions, assessment and treatment with people who have dual disorders, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an innovative treatment method for trauma. In addition, she is an associate research scientist at the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo, N.Y. Dr. Smyth is conducting research on the problems of people with coexisting psychiatric and substance abuse disorders, translating research into practice, and, in conjunction with Dr. Brenda Miller, the impact of alcohol/drug problems and childhood and adulthood victimization on women's parenting. Dr. Smyth also has a small private practice in Buffalo, NY, where she specializes in treating adult survivors of childhood trauma, anxiety disorders, and addictions.

Dr. Smyth has worked in both mental health and addiction treatment settings for over 25 years as a clinician, manager, educator, researcher, and program developer. She has published multiple articles and book chapters related to substance abuse and mental health problems, and has provided training and consultation to professionals of many different disciplines on a wide range of topics. Dr. Smyth is a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress, Certified EMDR practitioner, and an EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Consultant and Instructor. See www.socialwork.buffalo.edu for more information.

Stephen J. Schoenthaler, PhD

Professor Schoenthaler, a native of New York, received his Masters from Syracuse University, worked in the New York Attica Correctional Facility, and then received a Ph.D. in Sociology with a specialization in Criminology from the State University of New York in Buffalo in 1980. He developed an interest in nutrition and behavior research while teaching in Virginia for three years. That interest has continued for twenty-five years at California State University, Stanislaus where he received his professorship in 1990 and his University’s highest research award in 2002—The Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award. In the past 25 years, Professor Schoenthaler’s work has appeared in all four of the most prestigious scholarly journals worldwide and he has published over 40 peer reviewed articles and 150 professional presentations in addition to having multiple television specials devoted to his work.  Dietary Research Foundation

Stan Stokes, MS, CCDC

Stan Stokes, MS, CCDC is the CEO and President of Bridging the Gaps, Inc., an integrated treatment facility for adults in Winchester, VA. His professional background is over 30 years experience in the addictions field both in the military and private sectors.

Stokes received his Master's degree at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He is past president of the Central Regional VADAAC and vice-president of the Central Region VADAP.
Stokes brings an innovative approach to the treatment field by integrating traditional and alternative approaches to addictions recovery. Bridging the Gaps' highly successful approach to treatment provides a 12 Step-based psychosocial program while focusing on rebalancing brain chemistry and building up the body through the use of oral and intravenous therapy, acupuncture, exercise, meditation, and other stress reduction techniques.

Stokes has a lifelong commitment to community outreach and the development of innovative approaches to treatment that improve successful outcomes for clients. See www.bridgingthegaps.com for more information.

Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Stuyt, MD

Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Stuyt, MD is currently the Medical Director for the Circle Program at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, Colorado, a 90-day inpatient treatment program funded by the state of Colorado for persons with severe co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse who have failed all other levels of treatment. Dr. Stuyt is a board certified Addiction Psychiatrist and also is a Senior Instructor for the University of Colorado HSC, Department of Psychiatry. She has authored and co-authored several abstracts and articles including “Addressing Tobacco Through Program and System Change in Mental Health and Addiction Settings,” and “Recovery Rates After Treatment for Alcohol/Drug Dependence: Tobacco Users versus Non-Tobacco Users.”

Dr. Stuyt has presented internationally on numerous topics and has been working in the field of addiction psychiatry for seventeen years. She helped the Circle Program become tobacco free beginning in January 2000 and has used the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) (www.acudetox.com) protocol of five acupuncture points in the ear to help patients with tobacco cessation since November 2000. She has since discovered many other positive benefits of the NADA protocol in dual diagnosis treatment and has published on this experience: Stuyt, E.B. and J.L. Meeker, “Benefits of auricular acupuncture in tobacco-free inpatient dual-diagnosis treatment.” Journal of Dual Diagnosis. 2006; 2(4): 41-52.

Christina Veselak, MS, LMFT, CN

Christina Veselak, MS has been a licensed marriage and family therapist for over 23 years. She has specialized in working with addicts/alcoholics and their family members. She began her career working with alcoholic teenage boys in a long-term residential program and then ran the family proram in a hospital in-patient chemical dependency unit.

Following the close of that program, she had a successful private practice in Berkeley, CA for ten years, focusing on codependency and Adult Children of Alcoholics. She and a colleague created the Center for Addiction Recovery and Christian Spirituality, led retreats and workshops on Co-Dependency: A Christian Masquerade and various aspects of spirituality in recovery. After two years of working with native families in Alaska, she moved to Denver, Colorado where she currently resides.

In Denver she worked with an IV amino acid detox program as a nutritionist and relapse prevention counselor, then started her own program, Relapse Prevention Services, with her husband Jan Veselak, a licensed addiction counselor. Relapse Prevention Services is a multi-modal outpatient recovery program for chronic relapsers. Nutrition, EMDR, hypnosis and other modalities are used to help their clients identify and heal from the issues that drive their addictions.

Christina is currently teaching at a hypnotherapy school and has a private practice as a psychotherapist and nutritionist working with people with chronic pain and illness as well as with their families.

After meeting Julia Ross from Recovery Systems in Mill Valley, CA in 1988 and using a nutritional approach to heal from a physical illness, she studies nutrition at the National Institute of Nutrition Education. She became a Certified Nutritionist in 1993, specializing in nutrition and emotional wellbeing and addiction recovery. She successfully integrates her nutritional expertise into her work with clients.

Brad Yates

Brad Yates is known internationally for his creative and often humorous use of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). He was trained and certified at the respected Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Tarzana, CA, where he served on staff. Combining this background with training in energy psychology and various schools of thought in the area of personal growth and achievement, he coaches groups and individuals in achieving greater success, health and happiness in their lives.

Yates has worked with a diverse group of clients, from CEO's to professional and NCAA athletes, from award-winning actors to residents at a program for homeless men and women in Santa Monica. For several years he taught a weekly class using EFT and guided imagery at Sacramento Drug Court. He has also been a presenter at a number of conferences and events, including several International Energy Psychology Conferences and the Walk On Water (WOW) Fest in Los Angeles. He is also the co-author of the best-seller “Freedom at Your Fingertips,” and has been heard internationally on a number of internet radio talk shows. See www.bradyates.net for more information. To see a seven minute video on EFT go to http://www.emofree.com/splash/video_popup.html