Best Alcohol and Drug Rehab FL in Dowling Park, FL

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida International University and two masters degrees in psychological counseling from Columbia University, Alexia became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. Throughout her career, Alexia has worked with a diverse population, treating individuals suffering from addiction, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, trauma, and stage of life issues. Alexia has worked at some of South Florida’s most respected drug & alcohol treatment centers and has acquired a breadth of knowledge and experience working alongside leaders in the substance abuse community. Alexia marries client-centered interventions, empowerment counseling, and cognitive-behavioral therapy to provide her clients with a well-rounded and comprehensive treatment approach.

Ryan is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has spent the past 10 years helping individuals and families struggling with addictions, mental illness and trauma. With a specialization in mindfulness based coping strategies, Ryan is passionate about helping empower clients to regain balance and control of their lives. While a student at the University of Central Florida, Ryan earned his bachelor’s of science in Psychology and then completed his Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Florida. Since then Ryan has worked as a clinician, advocate and public speaker encouraging holistic recovery and wellbeing. Currently, aspects of mindfulness based stress reduction, relapse prevention, movement-eco based therapies and somatic trauma resolution therapies, have been his main source of clinical interests.

Shawn is a senior member of the staff and has been with 1st Step for over 10 years. Shawn came to 1st Step as a client in 2005 and started her journey of recovery. She knew that she was in a special place and wanted to be a part of helping others change their life just as she did. Over time, Shawn has become one of the pillars here. She quickly progressed in the company, starting as a Behavioral Health Tech and is now the Medical Staff Support Supervisor. Her continued education, passion and personal experience is what makes her such an integral part of 1st Step. Shawn is responsible for overseeing the nursing staff and meeting with every client to ensure they are receiving the help they need. Shawn not only takes care of our clients at 1st Step but also takes her care-taking skills home with her to look after her three dogs, two cats, and two ducks. Shawn will soon be a Registered Nurse as she finishes her schooling at the end of 2015.