Bios

Sidney Sarfaty -  LAADC, ICADC, CADC II, SAP, Intervention Specialist 

Sidney Sarfaty is a Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LAADC - #LNR24406), an International Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor (ICADC - #110750), a Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor - highest level (CADC II - #A8473305), a registered Substance Abuse Professional (SAP - #13355), and an Intervention Specialist. He specializes in the education of the neuroscience of addiction, relapse prevention techniques, and in the facilitation of grief and loss sessions. He also serves as an interventionist to assist families and/or involved persons to determine what mode of action best suits their concerns, needs and abilities so as to raise the bottom for another ensnared in addiction for whom they have an interest. Finally, he is credentialed to teach other professionals courses that fulfill required continuing education for relicensure and/or recertification through the California Foundation for the Advancement of Addiction Professionals (CFAAP - #1N-10-136-0212).

Sidney Sarfaty has worked in many settings including Adolescent Residential Treatment Programs, Psychiatric Out-Patient Medical Center, In-Patient Residential Treatment Centers and Out-Patient Treatment Programs. As a result, he has developed a deep compassion and empathy for a wide demographic pool which serves to produce a helpful and productive relationship with those he serves. He also has served as an expert witness in several cases when the role of addiction has come into play and where a clear and complete explanation of addiction and its impact on the individual and the community is required.

He is committed to keeping up-to-date with the latest finding on addiction, neurobiology and the differing modalities for treatment. His passion is to be able to constantly gain relevant information that enables abilities to interact with those impacted by addiction to deepen and become increasingly effective and to provide those professionals treating addiction insights that further develop their understanding of their patients. In either arena, his goal is to provide information that will encourage the foundation for the strongest recovery of health and sobriety.

 

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Barry Dewing - LMFT

 

Barry Dewing earned his license in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2002 (LMFT #38936), receiving his BA from the University of Redlands in Psychology and Sociology and his MA degree from Loyola Marymount Univeristy in Counseling Psychology. He has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, having helped families recover from trauma, abuse and substance dependence.

Barry uses a "here and now" aproach to help people develop the tools they need to face daily challenges, beginning from wherever each person is on their journey to self-discovery and health.

To find out more about his practice and experience, visit his website at www.dewingtherapy.com.

 

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Jim Anderson - LMFT

 

Jim Anderson has been practicing Marriage and Family Therapy for the past 17 years, having earned an AA in Music Education, a BS in Human Services and an MS in Marriage and Family Counseling. He has worked in a wide variety of settings, including Royale Psychiatric Hospital, Child Help, Juvenile Detention and in conjunction with county drug and alcohol service programs.

He has been awarded city, state and federal grants for his innovative work with children, teens and "at risk" youth in California, among his most successful programs being the "Drums not Drugs" program that he designed through Choices for Life after-school drug suppression program for teens in Orange County.

Music therapy has proven to be a cornerstone to much of the therapy that Jim provides for adolescents thru young adults.  It has proven to be a highly effective therapeutic outlet for individual expression among those who are struggling to find their voice while working their way to embracing healthy perspectives that promote productive lifestyles and strong life skills.

 

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Dr. Harold Brown - PhD

 

For more than 25 years, Dr. Harold Brown has been professionally involved in the lives of individuals who wish to experience life in a deeper, more fulfillinf manner than which they had known. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology, specializing in Depth Psychology, from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara. Integrating this degree with his Master Degree in Divinity, he enjoys working with addictive disorders, utilizing a Psycho-Spiritual approach to the therapy he provides. He observes that we often adapt to life in ineffective ways, leading to destructuve and painful outcomes.

From early in his career as a minister to most recently enjoying a private practice in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Brown assists his patients in becoming more fully aware of the need to strengthen the core aspects of self which opens the door to more fully participating in a life.

Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. Brown's experience includes working with patients within a psychiatric hospital, providing treatment in a drug and alcohol residential center, and providing continued out-patient care. He also enjoys teaching and provides supervision for doctoral students preparing to become psychologists.

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Christalyn Brooks

 

Christalyn Brooks is an art instructor who is honored to have the opportunity to lift the veil for others on the vast role of art and its impact on the psyche. Having 15 years of personal and hands-on experience in the art world covering all ages, coupled with studies in Psychology and Biblical counseling, Christalyn is enthusiastic about assisting others to discover and define their road in recovery, offering a variety of art mediums for each individual to best discover and express themselves through the gift of artistic expression.

Christalyn's success has been found in award winning songs, art shows in National and International Galleries and in the founding and expansion of the M.A.D. (Make A Difference) Studio Public Art and Gallery locations. Her greatest achievements, however, have been in the discoveries, healing and growth within her personal life which she enthusiastically shares as she assists others to become empowered in creative self-expression.

To learn more about Ms. Brooks, visit her personal website at www.themadstudio.com.