Drew Paxton, MBA
CEO
Drew Paxton has worked at the Betty Ford Center for the past six years in a variety of positions including Admissions Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor, Executive Director of Admissions & Business Development, Founding Director of the 90-Day Program and Executive Director of Residential & Outpatient Programs. Prior to his work in treatment, he had a long history of marketing, product development and operations experiences in a variety of industries ranging from software development to retail. In addition, early in his career he was a management consultant working in a number of foreign countries in industries ranging from financial services to healthcare. Drew graduated with a BA with high distinction in Economics and French from Stanford University and earned an MBA in International Business from Harvard University.
Dr. Brian Steber, M.D.
Consulting Addictionologist
Dr. Steber graduated medical school in 1991 from the University of Texas. In 1995 he was Board-certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Steber is also Certified by American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and has been the Medical Director for St Helena Hospital Alcohol and Chemical Recovery Program. Dr. Steber is an acknowledged expert in the field of addiction, and works closely with government, businesses and other organizations to educate people on the dangers, symptoms and recovery from substance abuse. Dr. Steber takes holistic approach to treating and managing clients and supports calling on the body’s natural inherent properties for healing in addition to traditional medical practices. Dr. Steber is a leader in integrative medicine!
Kenneth Perlmutter, PhD
Clinical Director & Director of Family Services
Dr. Perlmutter’s work life reflects his interest in the inner life of human beings and the systems we create and his personal commitment to spiritual principles, personal recovery, and healing. He earned his MA and PhD degrees in Clinical Psychology from the Professional School of Psychology in San Francisco and serves as Associate Professor of Chemical Dependency Studies at Cal State University East Bay. In addition, he is on the faculty of the Graduate Counseling Department at San Francisco State University.
Kenneth served for many years as Clinical and then Admissions Director for a national-level therapeutic community based treatment center in Marin County followed by several years as the Northern California clinical outreach representative for Sierra Tucson. He has lived in San Francisco and the North Bay for more than 30 years and is married with two teenage sons.
Dr. Karina von Middendorf
Primary Therapist
Dr. Karina von Middendorf is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Sexologist. Areas of specialization include: Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Addiction and Impulse Control Disorders, Sex Addiction and Sex Therapy, Dual Diagnosis, Relationship concerns,Trauma and Addiction Recovery, Combat Stress and PTSD.
Her education includes a B.S. degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University and a M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from University of San Francisco. Graduating with honors, Dr. von Middendorf continued her education at the University of San Francisco for one year in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral program, before attending The Institute for The Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, CA. There she recieved a Doctorate of Human Sexuality and a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality.
An avid equestrian since childhood, Dr. von Middendorf strongly believes in the healing potential of horses as utilized in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Education. This experiential modality of treatment is often integrated into her work with Trauma, Addiction, Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Collaborating with local Horse Ranches, she has worked with many individual and corporate clients, including those from the private, world-class, Alta Mira Treatment Programs in Sausalito, California.
Post Doctorate training and certifications include: Employee Assistance Professional, Substance Abuse Professional, EMDR, Hypnosis and Biofeedback. Additional training and experience include working for the Department of Defense in Baumholder, Germany counseling soldiers returning from Iraq and Afganistan with Combat Stress, PTSD, Substance Abuse and Dual Diagnosis disorders. Dr. von Middendorf is currently working toward board certification as a Certified Addictionologist. Dr. von Middendorf works full time at Alta Mira Treatment Programs as a Primary Therapist in the Trauma Recovery track.
Victoria Green, N.C., MFT
Primary Therapist
Victoria Green has specialized in the fields of eating disorders and chemical dependency for over twenty-five years as a psychotherapist and nutritional consultant. She received her certificate as a Nutritional Consultant from North American College in 1981 and joined the staff of an intensive outpatient program in San Francisco as a nutritional consultant in 1985, working with eating disorders and chemical dependency as part of the treatment team in a therapeutic setting. In 1995, she was licensed as a psychotherapist and broadened her work of helping people, profoundly changing their food, weight, and body-image issues.
Since 2000, Victoria had been Clinical Supervisor in the eating disorders program and Coordinator of Nutritional Services of an intensive outpatient program. Victoria developed a program that was highly regarded in the community and by clients whose lives have been touched by the recovery work they began in treatment.
She has recently joined Alta Mira Treatment Programs in Sausalito as Program Director of the Disordered Eating Program and is very excited to be part of such an innovative, integrative approach to recovery. “This is truly, in every sense of the word, a healing environment.”
Sylvia Israel, MFT, RDT/BCT, TEP
Psychodrama Therapist
Sylvia Israel received her graduate training in clinical psychology and drama therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She also has a master's degree in Theater Arts from San Francisco State University.
Sylvia holds a Marriage Family Therapist license from the state of California and is a Registered Drama Therapist/Board Certified Trainer (RDT/BCT, granted by the National Association of Drama Therapy) and a Certified Psychodramatist (CP, granted by the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama). She is a psychodrama Trainer, Educator and Practitioner (TEP).
Sylvia has advanced training in using action methods with trauma survivors. Her work is greatly influenced by family systems, cognitive therapy, object relations and Jungian psychology. In addition to theater, she has experience in dance/movement, art and voice. Her client’s have a great opportunity to explore themselves and their relationships in ways traditional therapy cannot uncover. This exploration often leads to impactful realizations about damaged and sabotaging relationship dynamics. At the same time Sylvia holds each client in a safe and sacred space that allows them to acknowledge their relationships and begin healing.
She teaches at California Institute of Integral Studies and at Sonoma State University and formerly at JFK University and College of Marin. In addition, she provides professional training to therapists and has presented at numerous community agencies and professional conferences.
Patricia Ross, Mft, Atr, B.C.
Art Therapist
Patricia experienced the healing power of art making as a teenager, in response to a significant loss. She has seen the positive effects of non-judgmental art expression in a group setting, the art work becoming a window into the core of the individual, and a mirror for the art maker to come to personal insights. She has been working in the field of recovery for 20 years, continuing to find this work exciting and valuable.
Patricia completed an M.A. in art, and then Clinical Psychology/ Art Therapy, after using art making with individuals in hospitals and jails, and seeing it's trans-formative effects. Within the last 20 years, she has developed art therapy programs for agencies treating disturbed children, psychiatric adults and those in recovery. She has taught art therapy at the University of California, Berkeley and Sonoma State University. She served for many years on the board of the Northern California Art Therapy Association. She maintains a private practice in Sonoma County.
Kevin Griffin, BA, MFA
Author/speaker
Kevin Griffin is the author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps (Rodale Press) and a leader in the mindful recovery movement. He teaches at treatment centers, spiritual centers, professional conferences, and colleges across the U.S. Trained as a Community Dharma Leader at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, he takes a spontaneous and intimate approach to teaching mindfulness, drawing from a depth of experience in recovery, in meditation, and in group facilitation. His many years as a professional musician and writer inform his creative approach to healing.Ilene Connelly, BA,CMT
Cranial Sacral Therapist
Ilene started her journey as a healing practitioner in 1994 at the Esalen Institute and has had extensive training in many aspects of massage therapy including Lymphatic Drainage, Reiki, Thai Massage and various others.
Ilene’s main focus of practice for the last 13 years has been as a Cranial Sacral Specialist, having done years of advanced training and working for Esalen Institute, Ilene has had a profound effect on all she connects with.
In 2006 Ilene was listed in Spa magazine as one of the top Cranial Sacral therapists in the country.
Christopher Miller
Executive Chef
Chef Miller’s love affair with food began in his early teens working at the famed Perfect Pan Cooking School in San Diego working as kitchen help for Chef Jaques Pepin. Chef Miller’s exposure to French cuisine had far reaching effects towards his love of California Fusion Cuisine. His use of fresh herbs, citrus, seasonal produce and the finest proteins has always been at the forefront of his goal to provide healthy cuisine; fused with a Mediterranean and spa cuisine mix.Chef Miller's resume includes working at the Ritz Carlton in Colorado and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands as the Banquet Chef. He has also worked with Deepak Chopra in Rancho Santa Fe as Executive Chef, Golden Door Spa under Chef Michel Stroot, Paula Le Duc catering in San Francisco, numerous A-List clients in Los Angeles, and on private yachts in the Mexican Pacific and Southern California.