Staff
A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPPProgram Director
A. Tom Horvath was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College, Annapolis, Maryland, in 1975, and a Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology at San Diego in 1981. From 1981 to 1984 he served as an active duty Navy Psychologist. In 1984 he entered full time independent practice. In 1985 he founded Practical Recovery, which offers a self-empowering alternative to 12-step and disease-oriented addiction treatment. He became a board certified clinical psychologist of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in 1990. In 2006 he founded Pyrysys Psychology Group, Inc., which offers a wide range of services, including Practical Recovery, Supporting ME (Moderate Eating), and the Center for Cognitive Therapy La Jolla. Currently the Practical Recovery system of services includes residential rehab (Reunion San Diego), office-based services (Pyrysys), and a sober living home (Carmel Summit Reatreat).
Dr. Horvath has been active in professional psychology and behavioral health at the local, state, national and international levels. He is a Past President (1990) and Fellow (1993) of the San Diego Psychological Association and a Past President (1988-1990) of the San Diego Phobia Foundation. He was the Volunteer Advisor for SMART Recovery San Diego from 1990 to 2010. In 1992 he was appointed by Speaker Willie Brown to the California Controlled Substances Prescription Advisory Council, which produced recommendations regarding California’s triplicate prescription program for controlled substances.
At the national level, he was the Secretary-Treasurer (1995-98) of the American Psychological Association’s Division on Addictions(Division 50), and served as President from 1999-2000. The Division has over 1200 members and is the world’s largest organization of addictive behavior psychologists.
He is the President of SMART Recovery (1995-2008, 2009 to present), an international, non-profit network of free, self-empowering, science-based support groups, face-to-face or online, for abstaining from any substance or activity addiction.
From 2000-2010 Dr. Horvath was adjunct faculty at the Leadership Studies Program, School of Education, University of San Diego, where he helped leaders in all fields develop their leadership and executive potential. Since 2010 Dr. Horvath has been adjunct faculty at Alliant International University in San Diego, teaching the Chemical Dependency course. He is the author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions (2nd ed.; Impact, 2003).
Dr. Horvath’s publications, media interviews, and presentations to professionals are helping to change how individuals, professionals, and societies understand addictive behavior. PSY7732
Priya Chaudhri, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
Dr. Chaudhri is the Clinical Director at Reunion San Diego and holds an adjunct faculty position at UCSD. Her specialty is in behavioral medicine, addictive disorders and biofeedback. She has over 10-years of experience working at various outpatient and residential substance abuse programs and has been the Clinical Director of several addiction treatment facilities. Dr. Chaudhri completed an APA accredited postdoctoral fellowship through Yale University in cardiovascular behavioral medicine. During her fellowship, she received specialty training in treating cardiac patients with co-occurring addictive disorders and became certified in biofeedback. Dr. Chaudhri applies a modern and multidisciplinary treatment approach by combining evidenced based treatment and alternative medicine into addiction treatment. She is committed to providing comprehensive and personalized care that maximizes successful recovery and self-discovery.
Nancy Shah, Psy.D.
Post Doctoral Psychology Fellow
Dr. Shah received both her Masters and her Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus with a focus on Health Psychology. In line with this emphasis, her dissertation research focused on the impact of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program on corporate health care costs. Prior to this, she completed her undergraduate education in Business Management at Purdue University and spent several years working for a large pharmaceutical company. This experience gives her clinical work a unique grounding in the realities of work life for many people. She also brings to her clinical work her real-world experience as a divorced mother of two young children. She recently completed advanced study in spiritual counseling at the Center for Spiritual Healing in Tiburon, CA, an organization that embraces all religions and philosophies and focuses on finding one’s own deepest truth. Her work can best be described as an integration of clinical psychology, Eastern philosophies, mindfulness meditation and spirituality, with a deep appreciation for the realities and challenges of daily life.
Mariel Diaz, L.C.S.W., Esq.
Clinical Coordinator
Linda D. Lewis, B.S., LAADC, CADC, CCP,
Counselor
Ms. Lewis provides Relapse Prevention counseling. She uses cognitive-behavioral techniques to help clients maintain lifestyle balance, and identify high risk situations and alternative methods for coping with them. She also provides life coaching, and is certified as a coach practitioner by the Certified Coaches Federation.
Before entering the counseling profession Linda was a Certified Property Manager and President of a real estate management company. Along the way she also overcame her own addiction problems. In 1997 she changed careers, to help others benefit from the insights gained from her own painful background. In 2000 she also co-founded the Bobby Jo Lewis Foundation, named for her 17 year old sister, who along with their mother was killed in a domestic violence incident. The Foundation helped disadvantaged parents overcome addiction and domestic violence problems. Her workshop, Courage is Contagious, has been presented around the country, and she has been a featured speaker at the Million Mom March in San Diego and Washington, DC.
Cody Bishop
Fitness Instructor
Cody has been involved in the fitness industry for 5 years and has experience as an athlete in sports such as boxing, grappling, kickboxing, triathlon, and olympic lifting since his high school years. Cody has experience with a diverse range of cliients and currently utilizes a mix-modal, full range of motion, functional exercise regimen with his clients. Cody also currently holds an MA and is on track towards a Ph.D in clinical psychology with an emphasis on health from CSPP.
Ashley Adams
Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee
Ms. Adams has been working in addiction treatment and recovery for 4 years. She was born and raised in Lodi, CA but has been a San Diego resident for 5 years. In 2008 she earned her Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego State University in Sociology and Psychology. Ashley is a second year graduate student at Alliant International University. She intends to get licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist and practice in the field incorporating family systems into addiction treatment. In addition to her work in addiction, she also has a strong interest in eating disorders, including awareness and prevention. She interned for Healthy Within, an eating disorders program in San Diego, for two years. She has been a facilitator for ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) during her time at Healthy Within. She also works with individuals who have experienced trauma, including sexual assault and domestic violence.
Laura Makey
CADC Intern
Ms. Makey is completing coursework to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and interns under the supervision of senior staff. She has been a Certified Moderator for Women For Sobriety, Inc since 2007 and serves on the Board of Directors for that organization as well. She has an eclectic educational and professional background and has held an adjunct faculty position at CSUSM since 1997.
Elissa Frazao
Admissions Coordinator
Ms. Frazao comes to Reunion after working in addiction treatment for the past year, coordinating intake, scheduling, and managing the office at a residential facility. It has been an extremely rewarding experience for her and she is excited to see more residents work towards a more fulfilling and healthy life. She also has five years experience as a middle school teacher, a career that taught her patience, organization and multi-tasking! She really enjoys helping residents get acquainted with Reunion and working with them to create ideal treatment schedules. In her free time, she enjoys anything outdoors, including running, hiking and going to the beach.
Angel Seevers
Office Manager
Angel Seevers born and raised here in San Diego has been working in the behavior and the home health field within the past 12 years here in California as well as Arizona. She is an accountant at heart and has been for the past 23 plus years, in many diverse companies. Blessed with two children and a dachshund named Ginger she enjoys walking, sewing and good food with friends.
Britton Turkett M.A.
House Manager
Mr. Turkett joins Reunion after more than 10 years in the addiction and behavioral health field. For the previous seven years he worked to help develop and direct a young adult transitional living program in Boulder, CO, where he was Program Director. Before this he was the milieu manager at a 27 bed young men’s residential treatment facility. He has also worked as a USA cycling coach and volunteer at a multi-sport program supporting those in recovery. Mr. Turkett obtained his M.A. in Religious Studies from Naropa University, where he worked in both the master’s level psychology and religious studies programs. He currently leads mindfulness classes at Moore’s Cancer Center and runs Mindful Parenting groups through UCSD’s Center for Mindfulness.
Molly Drucker-Rice
Resident Assistant
Ms. Drucker Rice graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from UC San Diego, where she worked as a Research Assistant in a lab studying human emotions and forgiveness. She spent the last few years working with children on the Autism Spectrum, providing behavioral therapy and teaching them communication, play, and social skills. In addition to helping others at Reunion, Molly plans to continue her education to pursue a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology. In her spare time, Molly enjoys being outside, hiking, biking, playing frisbee and ping pong, and rock climbing.
Chelsea Hurt
Resident Assistant
Miss Hurt has graduated San Diego State University with her bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Public Health in 2009. She has interned with UCSD pediatric neurology lab as well as interned at East Corner Clubhouse with co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness. Miss Hurt is now attending National University for a Masters in Counseling Psychology and MFT. She hopes to continue in the field of substance abuse when she finishes with her master’s degree. On her free time, Chelsea enjoys spending time with family, at the beach, camping and shopping!
Kristin Preiser
Resident Assistant
Greg Horvath
Resident Assistant
Greg Horvath is currently working on his B.S. in psychology at University of California, San Diego. There he has a focus on consciousness, cognitive psychology, and philosophy of mind. Greg worked at Reunion while it was still a sober living home and enjoys being there now in its new form as a residential treatment center. A full house of any kind is a great environment for positive self development and he enjoys working in such an environment. In his free time, Greg loves to get outside, breathe fresh air, and have exciting new experiences.