Clients and co-workers describe Chris as “inspirational” and “always positive.” Colleagues report that he has “excellent counselling skills, a high degree of integrity, ethics, strong teamwork and an ability to develop healthy therapeutic alliances with his clients.” Chris excels in crisis intervention, conflict resolution and both individual and group therapy. He has also been recognized for his “innate leadership skills” and “his passion for helping people with substance use disorders recover and lead healthy lives.”Chris has a combination of experiences that inform his practice in a rehabilitation setting. As a former restaurant owner and manager, he knows the importance of teamwork and motivation. As a therapist in an intensive outpatient setting, Chris used his management skills to monitor client progress or regression in all aspects of recovery, including job search,12 step self-help meeting attendance, working with sponsors, life skills, self-awareness, and community service. At Ocean Breeze Recovery, Chris facilitated both male and co-ed groups for self-esteem issues, relapse prevention, healthy life choices, and acted as the liaison between primary therapists and their caseload while supervising the residence on the second shift. Among other duties, Chris oriented new clients to the residence and provided the tools to be successful while in treatment through fellowship and monitoring the big brother/sister program. While working at Still Health Care, Chris managed a full case load while facilitating individual and group sessions with clients from Still Detox as well as their sister facility, The Healing Place.Chris holds a Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. The Hazelden Foundation is the premier leader in the treatment of chemical dependency and the training of professionals in addiction and recovery. One of his internships included four hundred hours at Lino Lakes Correctional Facility in in MN. Chris also has earned his Masters level Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP) certification in the state of Florida and is currently pursuing his required supervised hours necessary to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.