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Dr. Kenneth Blum, PhD, Neuroscience Advisor
Dr. Blum has spent more than 20-years researching the link between genetics and addiction and, with co-author Dr. Ernest Noble, published a seminal study in the Journal of American Medical Association which established a correlation between the brain’s dopamine D2 Receptor Taq 1allele and addiction. Currently, Dr. Blum is currently a Full Professor at the University of Florida’s McKnight Brain Institute and an Adjunct Professor in its College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. He coined the phrase “reward deficiency syndrome,” and has written 12 books and published more than 500 articles in peer review journals. Often called "The Father of Psychiatric Genetics," Dr. Blum serves on 13 editorial review boards, is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Genetic Syndromes & Gene Therapy and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the new BMC Journal “Integrative Omics and Molecular Biology.” He is also an honorary professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont. |
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Joan Borsten | Chief Executive Officer
Joan is a native of Los Angeles, California. She has a B.A. from the University of California at Berkley and an M.S. from the University of Southern California. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Panama.
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Click Here for a Video Bio of Joan |
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Oleg Vidov, Owner, Chairman of the Board
Oleg is one of Russia's best known cinema actors. He defected to the U.S. in 1985, after starring in dozens of popular films. Here his credits include "Red Heat," "Wild Orchid," and "Thirteen Days.
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Dr. Thom E. Lobe, M.D., Independently Affiliated Physician
Thom E. Lobe, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., is the founder and medical director of Beneveda Medical Group in Beverly Hills, California. A native of Baltimore, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in 1971 from George Washington University before attending medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree in 1975, graduating cum laude and with special honors in pediatrics. During medical school, Dr. Lobe took time out to train with the former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D. and with leading physicians at Harvard and Johns Hopkins Medical Schools. He then moved to Columbus, Ohio where he trained at The Ohio State University Hospital in general surgery and at The Children’s Hospital in pediatric surgery.
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Miriam Hamideh, Ph.D, Independently Affiliated Psychologist
Miriam is a licensed clinical psychologist. She holds a PhD in clinical Psychology, a masters-level certificate in Psychoanalytic Theory and Practice, and a Bachelors degree in Clinical Psychology. In having practiced psychology for over 15 years in diverse clinical settings, she has extensive experience treating drug and alcohol addiction, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, relationship problems, dual-diagnoses conditions, psychosomatic illnesses.
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Dr. Laura LaPiana
Laura LaPiana, Psy.D. is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Calabasas, California. With a background in Marriage, Family, Child Therapy Dr. LaPiana began working with families in addiction in a community setting. A desire to understand the more intricate and complex components of human behavior propelled Dr. LaPiana to pursue a doctorate from California School of Professional Psychology and a Certificate in Psychoanalysis from Wright Institute Los Angeles.
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Allen Glass II, MFT
Allen D. Glass II, M.A., M.F.T.I., C.D.S. is a symbolic-experiential family therapist, chemical dependency specialist, and addiction treatment counselor. He has years of experience working with at-risk youth and adults suffering from addiction, homelessness, and co-occurring disorders. His concentration is in client directed outcome informed treatment and multi-generational family therapy from a family systems perspective. His work at Malibu Beach Recovery Center is guided by integrated collaboration with clients and collegial consultation with other members of the clinical team.
In addition to his clinical work, Allen D. Glass II is an international artist whose films and photographs have been exhibited by The British Film Institute, The Museum of Modern Art, Anthology Film Archives, and the international film festivals of London, Melbourne, Tehran, Toronto, Tokyo and Luxembourg among others. He has collaborated extensively with musicians such as Wadada Leo Smith, Revolutionary Ensemble, Kris Tiner and Empty Cage Quartet.
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Oleg Flow (formerly Oleg Yevseyev), Lead Exercise Instructor
A native of Ukraine, Oleg has been practicing and teaching yoga for 18 years. He began as a child, taking classes from his mother. He has completed internationally in swimming, judo, and taekwondo. He received his first yoga certificate from Yoga Federation of USSR. Since 1993 he has been a certified yoga teacher of TriYoga International, teaching yoga at International Yoga conferences and conventions, giving private and group classes in countries across the globe including Spain, Israel, China, Austria, Italy, Great Britain, Turkey, Egypt and Russia.
Click Here for a Video Bio of Oleg
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Dr. Ivone Umar, PhD Therapist Ivone Umar, Ph.D., M.A., is a bilingual psychotherapist. She specializes in Addiction, Post-Traumatic Disorders, and Positive Psychology, treating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Dr. Ivone Umar has helped her clients develop skills for dealing with life transition, and assisting her clients in finding meaning and life purpose.
Dr. Umar is a registered Psychological Assistant under the supervision of Radhule Weininger, M.D., Ph.D. Her current work with Dr. Weininger focuses on Cultivating Emotional Balance and Mindfulness. Dr. Ivone Umar has also held positions as university lecturer at the University of California Santa Barbara.
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Shannon Scott, a native of Southern California, is the first Malibu Beach Recovery Center alum to join our staff. She arrived on September 8, 2009 with a Xanax addiction, and never looked back. Today she is a yoga teacher, carefully trained over many months by Oleg Flow, regularly giving classes in our unique style of yoga at both the Malibu and Brentwood locations. The story of her recovery has already been told by Voice of America and NBC News.
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Irina Svistelina, Nurse
Irina Svistelina was born in the the city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in the former USSR. She earned her Master Degree and worked as a teacher for 25 years in the city of Lviv (Lvov) located in Westerm Ukraine. She moved to the US in 1996 and completed an AA degree in Computer Information System and Respiratory Therapy. She successfully satisfied the requirements for Nurse Assistant Certification (CNA), BLS, ACLS, PALS, and NRP, and is a Respiratory Care Practitioner licensed by the Respiratory Care Board of California and Registered Respiratory Therapist licensed by National Board for Respiratory Care. A resident of Malibu, she met Joan and Oleg Vidov in 2008 and began to work part time at the Malibu Beach Recovery Center as a nurse, specializing in Tender Loving Care.
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Cyril Landrat, Lead Chef
Born in Challans, France. Formally educated at the culinary school Lycee Valere Mathe in Vendee. In Paris worked as a chef for many prestigious restaurants awarded Michelin stars. In the U.S. worked at some of the top French restaurants. In Los Angeles worked at the very celebrated L'Orangerie among others.
Click Here for a Video Bio of Cyril
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Yannick Marchand, Chef
Born and raised in Saumur, France. Twenty years of experience as a chef. Former owner and executive chef of the award-winning Quatorze Restaurant. "I consider it my honor to work with something so foundational to our existence as food.
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Johnnie Handal, Chef
Chef Johnnie Handal is a Los Angeles native with an East Coast Italian heritage. He was born and raised in the restaurant business –- in fact, his after-school daycare was the table closest to the kitchen at his family’s Italian Restaurant San Gennaro, located in Brentwood Village (West Los Angeles). If you sat in the restaurant’s dining room in the ‘80s and saw pizza dough twirling from the open kitchen, chances are there was an eight-year old Chef Johnnie under it.
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Stephen Smith, Counselor
Stephen is a devoted professional, currently working towards his degree in electrical engineering while specializing in renewable energy systems. He has a core belief that with a healthy body, comes a healthy mind. Having worked in management for over 20 years he has learned how to work with people from all walks of life. He uses his own personal experience and recovery to aid and help them along their way. He and his wife Rebecca have 5 beautiful children and have compassion and a zest for life that they hope to instill upon them, and anyone else they meet along the way. |
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Kevin Thompson, Counselor
Kevin Thompson is a native of Los Angeles, CA. He is a certified CAADAC, and registered AODS Counselor. Kevin has over 20-years of experience with the 12-Step recovery process. He has a genuine desire to assist, support, and encourage clients on their path to recovery. Kevin has an Associate's Degree in Behavioral Sciences, and is continuing his educational goal towards a BS degree in Human Development. A team-player, he has the temperament, attitude, and ability to build great rapport with clients. |
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Elisabeth Winchell, Counselor
Elisabeth Winchell has worked as an Addictions Case Manager for over 18 years with a wide variety of populations, including medical professionals who became addicted and active duty military personnel. She has a special interest in working with prescription pill addiction and family dynamics. Elisabeth is in recovery and is CADC II certified, with a BA in Psychology and she is hoping to complete her M.A. in preparation to becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist. |
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Tamra Youngblood, Counselor
Tamra Youngblood is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Psychology at California State Northridge University. She has studied Spiritual Psychology here in the states as well as India and Thailand. Tamra has been in recovery since 2006 and worked with dozens of women on the very challenging and rewarding journey of self discovery and self awareness. She has taken extensive courses and workshops over the course of the last 12 years on healing that which imprisons us and is passionate about helping people to find their truest most authentic self. |
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Myra Estes, CounselorA Malibu Beach Recovery Center counselor from 2007-2009, Myra returned in 2012 to work at The Brentwood House.
Myra Estes was born in Sylmar, California. She has worked in the field of recovery for over 18 years and has a CAADE certification. Her personal story is one that regularly offers hope and inspiration to those she counsels.
20 years ago Myra overcame a traumatic past, which caused her to self-medicate and lose 14 years of her life to addiction. As a result of drug use she was incarcerated twice. Myra left prison for the last time on June 30,1992, determined to find purpose in life. She became a certified addiction counselor and more recently an avid scuba diver. She has helped hundreds of men and women transitioning from prison program, taught relapse prevention strategies to teens and adults for over 15 years. |
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Pamela Graham
Pamela Graham has more than twenty years experience helping individuals to find lasting freedom from the suffering of alcoholism, drug addiction, co-dependency, behavioral disorders and the traumas of Adult Children of Alcoholics. Pamela is a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor who works closely with clients to break the vicious cycle of addiction and to restore them to sustainable sobriety. “I love to see the weight and darkness of years of addiction lifted in a client, and to see them alive again with that beautiful light in their eyes,” she says. |
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Angela Goncalves, Manager of Operations
Angela Goncalves was born and raised in Brazil. At age 18, Angela moved to Los Angeles in 1988 to study English. She fell in love with California and the friends she made here. Angela became a US citizen in 2001. She has held a variety of positions since arriving in the US and worked as manager and personal assistant, to attorneys and business executives, handling all aspects of personal business, travel, entertaining, and finance. She enjoys her work at the Malibu Beach Recovery Center as executive assistant to the CEO Joan Borsten and finds the position interesting and well suited to her ability to tackle and manage new and varied responsibilities. Above all Angela is loving, loyal and devoted to her family, friends and colleagues. |
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Elizabeth Hernandez, Administrative Assistant
Daughter of Nancy, Niece of Chela and Martin, Angela's right hand. |
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Dr. Birnbaum was a dedicated professional addictionologist who worked in the recovery field since becoming clean and sober himself many decades ago. A graduate of New York University, he received a D.O. from the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons in Los Angeles, and his M.D. from the University of California at Irvine’s College of Medicine.
Please see this page for a memorial: Dr B.1929-2009
Click Here for a Video Bio Of Dr. Birnbaum
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