About The Recovery Village Editorial Team
Welcome to TheRecoveryVillage.com, one of the world’s largest behavioral health care websites, reaching millions each month impacted by substance abuse and mental health conditions. TheRecoveryVillage.com aims to educate the public with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and often medically reviewed. We also regularly conduct continuing education webinars for healthcare professionals and publish related news and research on behavioral health topics.
Our Editorial Policy
Addiction and Mental Health are sensitive topics. That’s why The Recovery Village Editorial Team carefully vets and reviews every piece of content we publish. Throughout our website, on our medical web pages, blogs, news, related articles and in continuing education webinars, we deliver evidence-based content and medically reviewed facts that focus on behavioral health conditions, treatments and research. Our mission is to help others by delivering trustworthy, accurate and up-to-date medical and clinical information from a group of passionate contributing experts.
Our Editorial Team
The Recovery Village team is comprised of diverse business and health care professionals from our parent company, Advanced Recovery Systems, LLC. Additional external contributors are hand-selected for their unique subject matter expertise. Learn more about our editorial team below.
PHD
Dr. Anna Pickering has a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology. Anna works as a medical writer. She grew up in Oregon, where she developed a love for science, nature, and writing.
MD
Andrew Proulx holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, an MD from Queen's University, and has completed post-graduate studies in medicine. He practiced as a primary care physician from 2001 to 2016 in general practice and in the ER. Since then he has been involved in research and writing on...
Ashley Sutphin Watkins received her degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Psychology and Journalism. She is a professional writer and blogger and a North Carolina native. For the past eight years, she has worked with clients throughout the country on writing projects....
PHD
Annie earned her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Iowa, where she studied migraine pathophysiology. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado, Denver's Anschutz Medical Campus. Her current project involves characterizing the significance of cortical spreading...
Beth is a Minnesota girl who got sober at age 20. She enjoys writing about her recovery and the realities of getting sober young on her blog, Life To Be Continued, and as a contributing author for The Recovery Village. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for updates. Beth graduated from the...
With over 11 years of recovery under her belt from alcohol and cocaine, Carly Benson has become a faithful believer in miracles, a writer and a person living a mindfully alcohol-free lifestyle. She works to inspire others to live more intentionally as a certified Holistic Recovery Coach, Speaker...
Christina Bockisch uses her personal experiences managing her mental health to help people realize they’re not alone and to know that their story matters. Christina runs her own blog, My Life in Wonderland, where she writes about mental health, newlywed life, fitness and her life...
LPC
Eric Patterson is a licensed professional counselor in the Pittsburgh area who is dedicated to helping children, adults, and families meet their treatment goals. As contributor for the American Psychiatric Association, he helped shape the content in the DSM-5. For the last five years as a...
Jessie Lewis started her career at one of Arizona's largest ad agencies, cutting her teeth writing for companies like Time Warner Cable and the Gore-Tex Brand. Since that formative time, she's run marketing for an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Company, helped launch new businesses and written hundreds...
Lindsey Hall is an author contributing to The Recovery Village with writing on topics related to eating disorders and mental, behavioral health issues.
Liz Lazzara is a freelance writer and editor living and working in Boston, MA. She is working on three large projects: 1) A book series about living with depression to be published this fall,2) A memoir about her life with C-PTSD, and3) A novel about schizophrenia, a Greyhound bus, and the...
MSWPHD Candidate
Born in North Texas and raised in North Eastern Pennsylvania, Robert Ashford is an advocate for all individuals seeking long-term recovery. Robert holds a bachelor's of Social Work with minors in Addiction Studies and Psychology from the University of North Texas, and a master's of Social Work...
BAPHD
Bonnie is a medical communications specialist at Boston Strategic Partners, a global health industry consulting firm. Her recent work in mental health includes developing conference materials for clinical studies in mood disorders and copy-editing clinical manuscripts. Bonnie obtained her BA in...
Bryan Hindin is a law clerk with years of experience working in personal injury, criminal defense, and employment law firms. In his professional background, Bryan has worked intimately with addiction treatment centers like The Recovery Village to assist clients with seeking the help and...
LPCCNCC
Blake Ruble, NCC, LPCC, M.Ed. is the owner and director of Alliance Experiential Counseling. Alliance Experiential Counseling utilizes the power of therapeutic alliance to help clients. The focus is on movement-based experience to allow clients to more fully engage with their therapy. Blake is...
RN
Benjamin Caleb Williams is a board-certified Emergency Nurse with several years of clinical experience, including supervisory roles within the ICU and ER settings. He obtained his Associates in Applied Science in Nursing from Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York, then went on to obtain...
RPh
Christina Caplinger is a licensed pharmacist in both Colorado and Idaho and is also a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. She completed a fellowship program in infectious disease pharmacy, in which her research interests included antimicrobial stewardship and appropriate antimicrobial...
PHD
Dr. Candace Crowley received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and her Ph.D. in Immunology from UC Davis, where her thesis focused on immune modulation in childhood asthma. Candace has 12+ years in the life sciences sector, including experience writing and editing for both...
LCDC
Ceta Gugliemotto is currently a Clinician at The Recovery Village Columbus and a contributor at The Recovery Village.
Cami Renzoni is a creative writer and editor for The Recovery Village. As an advocate for behavioral health, Cami is certified in mental health first aid and encourages people who face substance use disorders to ask for the help they deserve. When Cami is not writing, she's learning. Cami reads...
Devin Golden has worked for various print and digital news organizations. Devin’s family has been affected by addiction and mental health disorders, which is a large part of why he wants to help others who have either directly or indirectly been affected by these diseases. From...
Jennifer Kopf is a Florida-based writer who likes to balance creative writing with helpful and informative pieces. Her passion for helping people has translated into writing about the importance of treatment for substance use and mental health disorders. Jennifer wants to teach...
Matt Gonzales is an award-winning content writer. He has covered the latest drug trends, analyzed complex medical reports and shared compelling stories of people in recovery from addiction. Matt leverages his experiences in addiction research to provide hope to individuals grappling with...
Megan Hull is a content specialist who edits, writes and ideates content to help people find recovery. As a Florida born-and-raised writer with a family history of addiction, Megan is driven by her desire to connect people to treatment that works. As a writer and editor for The Recovery Village,...
PharmD
Dr. Sheehy completed his BS in Molecular Biology at the University of Idaho and went on to complete his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) at the University of Washington in Seattle. Since graduation, He has enjoyed varied experience in the areas of psychiatric pharmacy, retail pharmacy, and has worked...
Daron Christopher is an experienced speechwriter, copywriter and communications consultant based in Washington, DC. He brings a wealth of experience in ghost writing and editing for a wide range of clients, including entrepreneurs and senior government officials. He specializes in helping authors...
JDMA
Diana Clark is an author and facilitator of workshops designed for family members who are impacted by substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. She is the author of "Addiction Recovery: A Family's Journey," and the audiobook, "What Love Looks Like: When Your Child Struggles with...
LCAS
Denise-Marie Griswold is a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist. She earned her Master's Degree in Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling from East Carolina University in 2014. She has worked primarily in a residential, inpatient setting treating patients with substance use and co-occurring...
RPhPharmD
Dawn Sheets is a registered pharmacist who works with Advanced Recovery Systems to review web pages for medical/pharmaceutical accuracy. She has been a pharmacist for over 15 years and has worked in both retail and hospital settings. She has a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of...
PHDMS
Dr. Deep Shukla graduated with a PhD in Neuroscience from Georgia State University in December 2018. He has a diverse background in biology, having transitioned from a background in cellular and molecular biology to neuroscience and integrative biology. His current focus on neuroscience affords...
MD
Davis has a Bachelor's in Neuroscience, a Bachelor's in Psychology and a medical degree. Davis' next academic adventure is pursuing a masters in business administration. His education has allowed him to gain a deep understanding of the vast complexities of the human condition, and he enjoys...
Erika Krull has a master’s degree in mental health counseling and has been a freelance writer since 2006. She is a healthcare writer specializing in mental health content for professional training modules, blogs, and websites. Her writing has been featured on Mindcology.com and...
PharmD
With over 11 years experience in academic, hospital, and ambulatory pharmacy, Frances has a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and healthcare industry, assisting physicians with the development of pathways or protocols to improve clinical practice. She received her professional...
Lara Frazier is a freelance writer and influencer living in the Tampa Bay area. She is a fierce advocate for addiction recovery and shares her own story of sobriety through her blog, A Story of Healing. After many years of working in the entertainment industry, Lara became addicted to...
Megan is a writer in Recovery with a passion for healing others through the power of word. She believes in speaking her truth, being loud and proud about her story, and she hopes to inspire others to share theirs through her website, Healing Hopefuls. She is based out of Jacksonville, FL, but...
Writer and wellness advocate, Olivia Pennelle (Liv), is in long-term recovery. She passionately believes in a fluid and holistic approach to recovery. Her popular site, Liv's Recovery Kitchen, is a resource for those on their journey toward health and wellness in recovery. You will find Liv...
Gretchen Pruett is a writer and editor based out of Detroit, specializing in academic and evidence-based content. Born and raised in the economically distressed city of Flint, Michigan and from a family history of addiction and mental illness, Gretchen is aware of the daily challenges that people...
MDMBAMS-Epi
Dr Helen Okoye is a highly accomplished and sought after American Public Health Physician with a medical degree (MD), an MBA in Healthcare Management, and a master's in Epidemiology/Public Health. She is also a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Research Fellow. She has a plethora...
ND
Dr. Hillary Webster is a board-certified Naturopathic Doctor and a self-proclaimed Hormone Advocate. She leads the digital team at EHN Canada, helping Canadians recover from mental health and substance use disorders by creating authoritative, engaging and empathetic digital campaigns. As a...
LCSWLMFT
Jenni Jacobsen is a licensed clinical social worker through the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. She has seven years of experience working in the social work field, working with clients with addiction-related and mental health diagnoses. Jenni is also...
Joy Youell is a writer and content developer with a background in educational research. Using sound pedagogical approaches and expert-backed methods, Joy has designed and delivered adult learning content, professional development, and company training materials for organizations. Joy has done...
PharmD
Dr. Jessica Pyhtila is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist based in Baltimore, Maryland with practice sites in inpatient palliative care and outpatient primary care at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She is a double board-certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP) and a Pharmacotherapy Specialist...
Jonathan Strum graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a Bachelor's in Communication in 2017 and has been writing professionally ever since. He has written, edited and published content for health care professionals, educators, real estate agents, lawyers and high-level university...
Kim Kehl has had various roles with state agencies including the Ohio Departments of Education, Mental Health, Health, Job and Family Services, Transportation and the Governor's Ohio Family and Children First Council. Kim received a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Wright State University in...
LCDC
Krisi Herron is an Adjunct Psychology Professor, a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a freelance writer who contributes to several mental health blogs. Krisi obtained her Master of Arts degree in Psychology through Texas A&M University in Commerce and has worked in the mental health...
MD
Kimberly Langdon, MD is a retired University-trained obstetrician/gynecologist with 19 years of clinical experience. She graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine, then completed her OB/GYN residency program at the Ohio State University Medical Center. She was awarded first...
PharmD
Kathleen is a licensed pharmacist in New Jersey. She earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from Rutgers University. She currently works in the retail setting as a pharmacist and also has experience as an independent consultant pharmacist for skilled nursing facilities. Kathleen’s professional...
PHD
Dr. Karen Vieira has a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She previously led the Kraft Foods cell-based research team for discovering novel health and wellness ingredients, and has led a team of...
After graduating from the University of Denver, Kelsey began her career at an L.A.-based boutique PR agency where she worked with clients in the consumer goods, healthcare and live entertainment industries. In 2008, she joined the global Paul Mitchell marketing team and contributed to product...
MD
Dr. Lauren Weinand is an M.D. medical writer/editor. She enjoys crafting accurate, well-researched, digestible and relevant content for consumers and health professionals. She is passionate about advancing strategies in health literacy and health advocacy.
Mike Candelaria is a 30-year veteran of the magazine industry in Central Florida, having served as a writer and editor for numerous publications. Those publications range from city/regional and business magazines to travel/leisure and sports magazines. Formerly, he was the editor of Orlando...
LMFT
Nicole Arzt is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working in Southern California. Her clinical emphasis lies in working with females with substance use, eating disorders, and complex trauma. She has been privileged to provide therapeutic services for a wide variety of individuals, couples...
PHD
Dr. Nicolas Gutierrez is a science journalist with a PhD in Cellular Biology and Physiology from the University of Bordeaux in France and a Master's in Science Journalism from the ESJ Lille. He is an seasoned medical writer, with publications on genetics, health, addiction and metabolism in...
PharmD
Nate Jakowski is a clinical pharmacist specializing in drug information and managed care. He completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Wisconsin. He enjoys medical writing and education and has developed several accredited continuing education courses for pharmacists. He is...
MD
Dr. Navin Ramchandani is a Medical Doctor, Diagnostician and Owner of R&R Medical Centre in Barbados. He is also an Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) International instructor with the Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG), and a Paediatric BASIC (Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive...
LCSW
Paula H. Cookson is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist and freelance writer who lives and works in midcoast Maine. She received her master's degree in Social Work in 2008 from the University of Maine. With over a decade of experience in the field of mental health, she is always...
MSNFNP
Patrick is a nationally-certified Family Nurse Practitioner who primarily works with adult patients with mental health conditions or problems with addiction. Patrick earned his MSN from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and his BSN from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. He is...
LPC
Patrick Santilli is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in the state of Ohio who works in private practice as well as online therapy. Patrick obtained his Master of Education degree in Counseling through Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and has worked in the mental health industry for...
Rob Alston has traveled around Australia, Japan, Europe, and America as a writer and editor for industries including personal wellness and recovery. Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Minor in German from Miami University (Oxford, OH), Rob is a proud Midwestern. After working...
Dr. Stephanie Conn is a former police officer, as well as the daughter and wife of police officers, and is a Licensed Psychologist at her practice, First Responder Psychology, in Beaverton, Oregon, specializing in police stress, trauma, work-life balance, coping, and resilience. She supports...
PHD
Dr. Sarah Dash is a postdoctoral research fellow based in Toronto. Sarah completed her PhD in Nutritional Psychiatry at the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University in 2017. Her research interests include public health, mental health, lifestyle medicine and noncommunicable disease prevention.
MSW
Stephanie Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English from Pomona College and her Master of Social Work degree from New York University. She spent several years in the field of clinical social work before transitioning into professional writing and editing. As a social...
Hi! I’m Shannon. I have worked in the marketing industry for 5+ years and am passionate about all things relating to content marketing, creativity, and making the world a more connected place. I am increasingly excited about the ways technology and communication are intersecting in the 21st...
RN
Mrs. Tiffany Kline is a board-certified Occupational Health Nurse with more than 18 years of experience in occupational medicine, and she specializes in the health and safety of first responders. In 2001, Tiffany started the Occupational Health Program for Tampa Fire Rescue. This comprehensive...
Kelly is a sober writer based in Cape Coral, Florida, best known for her personal blog The Adventures Of A Sober Senorita. She has been published across the web on sites like The Huffington Post, SheKnows, Ravishly, The Fix, and Buzzfeed.
PHD
Dr. Sippel is a diversely trained scientist with expertise in cancer biology and immunology. She received her PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus and has completed two postdocs, one at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and one at Fred...
LPCNCCACS
Tracy Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a mental health freelance and ghostwriter. Tracy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Science degree in Professional Counseling from...
MD
Vishwani is a residency- and fellowship-trained adult and child psychiatrist. She attended medical school in India, and then went on to train at Brookdale University Hospital & Medical Center and University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. She is passionate about writing, specifically on...
PharmDMBA
Wendy J. Weber is a pharmacist with almost 20 years of experience in acute care clinical practice, hospital pharmacy leadership, medication safety, and clinical research. Her professional background also includes community pharmacy, government contracting, and association leadership. Dr. Weber...
Yulia is a cell and molecular biologist with expertise using embryonic stem cell models, 3D human tissue models, and animal models to investigate different human disease phenotypes including impaired wound healing, cardiovascular disease, and cancer metastasis. She is interested in translational...
Born a Hoosier, Cynthia has lived in sunny Florida and Texas. Cynthia spent five years writing about pets at an advertising agency in Indiana before using her passion for writing to help people at The Recovery Village. Her desire as a writer is for her words to both inspire and change lives.
Jess Freda received her Bachelor's in Journalism from the State University of New York College at Buffalo in 2017. Well into recovery herself, Jess works to share the stories of her struggles in hopes of helping others. She aims to fight the stigma against mental health in two major ways...
As a contributor for Advanced Recovery Systems, Renee Deveney is passionate about helping people struggling with substance use disorder. With a family history of addiction, Renee is committed to opening up a proactive dialogue about substance use and mental health. Renee is a graduate of Rollins...
With over a decade of editing experience, Tom is a content specialist for Advanced Recovery Systems, where he edits the great research articles, news releases and blog posts that are produced every day. Working with such a passionate team of dedicated writers inspires Tom to ensure that the...
PHD
Brooke Nichole Dulka is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She received her PhD in Biological Psychology at the University of Tennessee in August 2018. Brooke is a behavioral neuroscientist, and her work is focused on the...
BSPHD Candidate
Maureen is an academic researcher with a passion for science communication. She has a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University, where she majored in Molecular Genetics and minored in English. She has worked in multiple labs, studying the genetics of cancer and is currently a PhD student...
LCAS
Hailey Shafir is a licensed therapist with over a decade of experience supporting the recovery of those struggling with mental illness and addiction. In her career she has developed several specialty areas of practice including behavioral addictions, anxiety disorders, trauma, and impulse control...
Johanna Galyen is a Registered Nurse and is passionate about helping others increase their understanding of their medical illnesses. She began working as a CNA in college and then received a B.S. in Nursing. Johanna has obtained a Compact RN license with 17 years of experience in the medical...
As the content manager at Advanced Recovery Systems, Melissa Carmona puts years of writing and editing experience to work helping people understand substance abuse, addiction and mental health disorders. Melissa is a Florida State University graduate with bachelor’s & master’s...
Nicole leads a team of passionate, experienced writers, editors and other contributors to create and share accurate, trustworthy information about drug and alcohol addiction, treatment and recovery for The Recovery Village and all Advanced Recovery Systems sites. She is a graduate of the...
PharmD
Sendra is a pharmacist with a specialty in drug information. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Wingate University School of Pharmacy and completed a one-year postgraduate residency in acute care pharmacy and a second postgraduate pharmacy residency in drug information. Her experience...
PHD
Aleishia Harris-Arnold earned her PhD in Immunology in 2014 from Stanford University School of Medicine. She began her career in 2002 as a research scientist at the University of California, Irvine, earning her BS in Biological Sciences. After UC Irvine, she headed east to spend two years...
Vice President of Admissions
Robert Fishman is the vice president of admissions at Advanced Recovery Systems, a position he has held since May of 2013. Robert prioritizes customer service by ensuring a seamless experience for patients, insurance providers and other partners. Before joining the ARS team, he was the admissions...
