Licensure

The AToN Center is a California licensed adult residential alcohol and drug treatment facility.  The outpatient services of Practical Recovery, a division of Pyrysys Psychology Group, Inc. (PSY7732; pyrysys.com), operate under the licenses of its psychologists.  License numbers are listed at the end of each biography.  All staff work under the supervision of Dr. Horvath.  Postdoctoral psychology fellows and predoctoral psychology interns, because they are preparing for independent licensure as psychologists, have additional individual supervision with Dr. Horvath or another staff psychologist.

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President

A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP

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 an alternative to 12-step and disease-oriented addiction treatment programs.  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 includes over ten divisions, including Practical Recovery, Supporting ME (Moderate Eating), and the Center for Cognitive Therapy La Jolla.

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 is the Volunteer Advisor for SMART Recovery San Diego. 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. 

From 1995-2008 he was President of SMART Recovery, Inc., an international, non-profit network of free, self-empowering, science-based support groups, face-to-face or online, for abstaining from any type of addictive behavior, substances or activities.

Since 2000 Dr. Horvath has been an adjunct faculty member at the Leadership Studies Program, School of Education, University of San Diego, where he helps leaders in all fields develop their leadership and executive potential. 

Dr. Horvath’s publications, media interviews, and presentations to professionals are helping to change how individuals, professionals and societies understand addictive behavior.  He has appeared with CNN, Time and ABC.  Dr. Horvath is one of the leading addiction therapists of our time.  PSY7732

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Senior Psychologist

David Jacobs, Ph.D.

Dr. Jacobs has been a licensed psychologist in California since 1989. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Human Development and an M.A. from Southern Illinois University in Clinical Psychology. He has broad treatment experience with diverse problems, settings and persons over a 25 year span. His background includes training in the Person Centered Approach with Carl Rogers, psychodynamic depth psychology, and developmental psychology. He has published numerous scientific papers in journals in psychology, psychoanalysis, and medicine, and he serves as Associate Editor of two scholarly journals in psychology. He treats adults, couples, adolescents, and families. PSY10926.

Senior Psychologist 

Tom Brown , Ph.D.

Dr Brown is a clinical psychologist and founder/member of the National Registry for Certified Group Psychotherapists. He earned his BS in Social Studies Education from Indiana University and MA in Group and Interpersonal Communication from the University of Cincinnati. A transforming life event led Dr Brown to pursue an interest in Transpersonal Studies at The Union Institute. There he received one of the country’s earliest PhD’s in the then emerging field of mind, body, spirit integration. Dr Brown has continued to pursue his Transpersonal Studies interests as a university professor, researcher and therapist.

Among Dr Brown’s many honors is a Presidential Citation for his efforts in humanizing the workplace and a National Leadership award from the Institute for Behavioral Healthcare for his work in improving outcomes in behavioral health. In addition, he was a Resident Fellow and later Board Member at the Center for the Studies of the Person. Over the past twenty years, Dr Brown has developed a solution-focused, integrative approach to helping people with issues of addiction, depression, anxiety, major life challenges and spiritual yearning. PSY17382.

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Psychologist

Daniel Galant, Ph.D., C.H.T.

Dr. Galant is a clinical psychologist and holds Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, and a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA. In addition, he is a certified hypnotherapist through the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners (ACHE). He has been on staff at UCSD and Kaiser Permanente. His areas of specialty include depression, anxiety, addictive behavior, smoking cessation, weight loss, stress management, pain control, phobias, and sports/skills enhancement. PSY18543.

Psychologist

Mojgan Jahan, Psy.D.

Dr. Mojgan Jahan is a clinical psychologist with over 22 years of experience in a variety of clinical and organizational settings. In addition to her Doctorate degree, she has two Masters degrees. She assists clients to gain a clear perspective on becoming confident and balanced in their private and professional lives.

Dr. Jahan is passionate about helping clients set personal goals. She supports them in overcoming obstacles to realizing their dreams. These obstacles often involve unacknowledged limiting beliefs and assumptions. She has a deep appreciation and respect for each person’s individuality which is reflected in her warm and informal interpersonal style.

She has a special interest and expertise in leadership and organizational development, with a focus on providing a safe environment for people to realize their potential, and to work and live meaningfully and in alignment with their core values.

Dr. Jahan’s areas of specialty include addictive behaviors, trauma, EMDR, personal growth, and midlife transition. Her approach integrates cognitive behavioral, schema, narrative, and psychodynamic modalities. She has extensive training and teaching experience in multicultural counseling and is bilingual in English and Farsi. PSY19101

Psychologist

Natalie Masson, Ph.D.

Dr. Masson is a clinical psychologist specializing in healthy lifestyle maintenance and mind-body processes. Blending Eastern and Western philosophies, she helps clients attain optimal physical and emotional health through increasing mind-body awareness and developing effective skills for self-care and wellness. Using research-supported therapy approaches, her specialty areas include anxiety, panic attacks, depression, chronic pain, addictions, medical illnesses, weight management, relationship issues, and couples communication. Her educational background includes a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, a Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California, and a pre-doctoral internship at Yale University. PSY17895

Psychologist

Amy K. Epner, Ph.D.

Amy K. Epner, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. She has worked extensively in both clinical and research eating disorder treatment settings. She is passionate about helping individuals understand and overcome their eating and body image issues.

Additionally, Dr. Epner has specialized training in health psychology, including coping with chronic illness (e.g., diabetes), stress reduction, time management, lifestyle changes (e.g., nutrition, exercise), and parenting issues.

Dr. Epner earned her bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, her master’s at Brandeis University, and her doctorate at the California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, San Diego Psychological Association, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. PSY18455

Psychologist 

Rob Gibson, Ph.D., J.D.

Dr. Gibson specializes in the treatment of addictions in addition to general psychotherapy, mediation, and problem solving. He earned his B.A. at the University of California, Riverside, M.A. and Ph.D. at the California School of Professional Psychology, and J.D. at California Western School of Law. He is licensed both as a psychologist and attorney in the state of California.

His experiences range from private practice to various inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, the treatment of substance abuse, sexual offending and sexually compulsive behavior, and psychological correlates of various medical conditions in a skilled-nursing setting. Other areas of specialization include the psychology of religious fundamentalism and domestic violence. In addition, he has conducted SSI appeals hearings and interned at the California Attorney General’s office of Health Quality Enforcement.

Dr. Gibson’s experience is also rooted in his past practice of Aikido and current practice of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido.  PSY18827, CA Bar 202349

Psychologist 

 Cathy Reto, Ph.D.

Dr. Reto earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology - San Diego.  She specializes in eating and weight disorders, addictive behavior, and trauma recovery, and individuals who may be experiencing two or three of these problems concurrently.   She has worked in the area of bariatrics since 1998, running support groups, conducting pre-surgical evaluations, and offering individual therapy and post-surgical coaching.  Dr. Reto is also a registered nurse who obtained her A.A. in Nursing at Youngstown State University.  She has over 25 years experience in nursing that includes peri-operative care of gastric bypass patients.  PSY16625

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Psychologist

Julie Myers, Psy.D., BCIAC, CATC

Dr. Myers is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in teaching self-regulatory strategies for coping with substance use, stress, anxiety and mood disorders (including bipolar disorder) in adults and adolescents.  She also works with individuals with chronic pain, sleep problems, severe illness, hoarding issues, procrastination, and difficulty adjusting to medications.  She teaches self-regulation and empowerment using cognitive-behavioral techniques, biofeedback, psychoeducation, positive psychology, and psychophysiology.  Dr. Myers is Board Certified in Biofeedback (BCB/BCIAC), a Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor (CATC), earned a California Teaching Credential, and is currently pursuing an MS in Psychopharmacology. She is the Volunteer Advisor for SMART Recovery San Diego and serves on the Continuing Education Committee of the San Diego Psychological Association. PSY23354

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Psychologist

Karen Sorensen, Ph.D.

Karen Sorensen, Ph.D.’s post-graduate degrees are in psychology: a Masters with specialization in Stress Management and a Ph.D. with specialization in Addictions. She has worked in both prevention and treatment since 1990 in a variety of clinical and university settings, including Sharp Healthcare, UCSD, and Palomar Pomerado Healthcare System. She also provides consulting and coaching to individuals and organizations.  Dr. Sorensen treats individuals and couples with various emotional problems, addictions, anxiety disorders, ADD/ADHD, compulsive thoughts and habits, chronic pain, depression, and relationship issues. The therapeutic techniques Dr. Sorensen uses are determined by the needs of each person, combining both eastern and western psychology. Techniques include: cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, schema therapy, meditation, EMDR, guided imagery, focused emotional processing, and skills training where she teaches her clients communication, assertiveness, stress reduction, anger management, problem solving, and parenting. PSY23540 

Pre-Doctoral Intern

Kerry King, M.A.

Kerry King is a doctoral student in clinical and sport psychology. Ms. King earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Langston University in Tulsa, OK and her Master’s Degree in Educational Research in Psychology with emphasis in Sport Psychology from University of Missouri - Kansas City.  Ms. King has worked as the Program Manager of a domestic violence treatment program for mandated clients. She currently focuses on addiction, anger management, anxiety, depression and sports psychology interventions.  She is the full-time House Manager for Reunion San Diego.  Ms. King is working towards building her practice as a sport psychology consultant. Combining her work in addiction and anger management with performance enhancement, she would like to help athletes and teams achieve their desired goals. Registered Psychological Assistant PSB32095. 

Social Worker, Equine and animal therapist

Diedre Knowlton, MSW

Diedre Knowlton earned her masters degree in social work from San Diego State University. She is working towards becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has worked as a medical social worker at a psychiatric hospital and a senior health clinic. Her prior careers include teaching special education, and directing a bronze casting facility while working as a sculptor. She has spent her entire life with animals and enjoys introducing horses and dogs into therapeutic sessions.

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Counselor

Linda D. Lewis, B.S., CADC, CCP

Counselor, Meditation, Eastern practices

Rachel Gobar, B.A.

Rachel Gobar is well grounded in several Meditation Methods or Mind Training Services as she prefers to call it. She has experience in both Business and Personal Training while working nationally and internationally. In sessions, Rachel uses your belief system to address issues and meet your individual needs. She designs a specific individual-based program for you or your company. Rachel’s Mind Training programs are useful for the novice and for the advanced. Clients will notice results within one to three sessions.

Ms. Gobar believes there is no one way to approach a problem. Instead, she uses the organization or the person’s belief system and culture to help incorporate a lasting solution. She is a firm believer in practicing what she teaches.

Counselor

Galen Cooper Ph.D

bio coming soon

Psychiatrist

Charles Moreau, M.D.

Charles Moreau, M.D. is a board certified psychiatrist. He received a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles where he graduated with honors. He returned to his childhood home in Louisiana to earn his medical degree from Louisiana State University, New Orleans. Dr. Moreau then completed his psychiatry residency at the University of California, San Diego. During his final year of residency, he served as chief resident.

Dr. Moreau has published in the area of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and mood disorders and has conducted research in the area of bereavement. He has given lectures on addictions, bereavement, depression, and coping with the holidays in both community and university settings. He is a volunteer clinical faculty member of the University of California, San Diego and serves as a consultant to the Survivors of Violent Loss Program of San Diego, CA. Dr. Moreau is an analytic candidate at the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

In addition to his practice in La Jolla, he is a staff psychiatrist at Scripps Mercy Hospital. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the San Diego Psychiatric Association, and the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.  Dr. Moreau has a special interest in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology for the treatment of substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

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Body Worker

Solluna Moyoah, HHP

Solluna is a Master Professional Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP), and Herbalist and Counselor, providing therapeutic/healing massage.  She specializes in the diminishment and elimination of both mental and physical pain.  Her education and experience, in the US and abroad, focused on gaining greater knowledge of the benefits of massage while also enhancing her technical knowledge.  She has a BA in Biology (USD) and a Medical Massage Certification.  She is a professional member of AMTA, on the National Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and an Ordained Minister.  She continues to develop and refine her abilities and self.  Curently she is conducting research about fatigue and posture. 

Energy Healer, Yoga

Nirvair Singh Khalsa, B.S.

A student of Master Yogi Bhajan, Nirvair has been trained in the Healing Arts, Yogic and Tantric traditions since 1977. He does intuitive energetic healing,  and  Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. These techniques are used to identify and release limiting  patterns, beliefs, and emotional blocks to create more freedom,  understanding and choice.

Energy Healer

 Nancy Princetta, B.S.

Nancy’s artistic awareness was nurtured and heightened from an early age by the dynamic cultural influences of growing up in New York City.  While attending the CUNY Baccalaureate Program in New York City she discovered her interest in health and nutrition. She then left to attend Georgia State University as an art major and pursued the early years of her training in both the healing and visual arts, ultimately graduating from Hunter College with a B.S. in Health Sciences and a minor in art.  Nancy has explored art therapy, studied crystal and harmonic healing techniques and continues to expand her skills by attending numerous courses and lectures throughout the United States and Europe. Her desire to help others, together with her gifts of healing and creativity have given rise to an extraordinary experience for both the artist and her clients, many of whom include her pieces in their spiritual practices.  "Creating Soul Symbols has given me the opportunity to experience art in a unique way. As a visionary artist and healer, I have the divine opportunity to combine my life as an artist with my journey as a healer. Each Soul Symbol creates a personal connection that is a part of the great gifts in my life.”  Her Soul Symbols are in private collections, healing centers, and business offices throughout the United States.

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Herbal and Nutritional Pharmacist

James Mattioda, Ph.D.

Dr. James Mattioda is a licensed, registered pharmacist with more than 15 years of experience in clinical herbalism.  He consults clients on the nutritional approaches to healing and teaches homeopathy, herbalism and nutritional pharmacology to both the public and professional communities.  Dr. Mattioda earned his Doctoral Degree in Integral Health from the California Institute of Human Science and his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Science at St. Louis College of Pharmacy.  Dr. Mattioda received his Diploma of Homeopathic Medicine from Hahnemann College of Homeopathy and has pursued advanced studies in clinical herbalism and human subtle energy research.  Dr. Mattioda has also been involved in a number of professional memberships & affiliations including: The Association of Natural Medicine Pharmacists, American Herbal Pharmacoepia Review Committee, Faculty advisor to the British Institute of Homeopathy, Consultant to Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine.  He is a faculty member at the California Institute for Human Science and the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.  Dr. Mattioda provides patients with expertise in both conventional clinical pharmacy and complementary therapies.

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Acupuncturist, Yoga, Ayurvedic healing

Chris Marrazzo, L.Ac. 

Acupuncturist

Norah McIntyre, L.Ac. 

Clinical Coordinator; Marriage and Family Therapy Intern

Abbe Long, MS

Intake Coordinator

Sandra Jacobs, MFT

Sandra Jacobs brings to the position of Intake Coordinator a background in business administration and psychotherapy. After her years of managing a psychotherapy practice, she graduated with an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and pursued her clinical interests by becoming a California Marriage and Family Therapist in 1993. Her formative training included being an aftercare counselor at a hospital and a senior mental health clinician in an outpatient setting in which she conducted intakes and provided psychotherapy. Now she enjoys being at Practical Recovery since she can use her knowledge of the many issues people face in selecting a recovery setting and provide those seeking assistance with the highest quality of treatment options.

Executive Assistant to Dr. Horvath

Jolene Johnson

Jolene Johnson returned to Practical Recovery in 2010 after an extended leave.  Her background in the healing arts as well as her eleven years of business experience give her the balance and understanding needed to aid Dr. Horvath in his life project of making self-empowering treatment easily available.  Jolene delights in knowing that her work supports individuals as they move into a greater and greater experience of their potential.

Office Manager

Ana Ferraro

Ms. Ferraro has many years of billing management experience and has operated as an accounts receivable manager, human resource coordinator, and billing manager. She earned her billing certificate at Comprehensive Training Systems in 1994. In addition to Ms. Ferraro’s many contributions to Practical Recovery, she offers thorough attention to detail and strong customer service skills.

Receptionist, Administrative Assistant

Alba Inzunza

Ms. Inzunza is a licensed real estate agent who has many years of customer service experience.  Her previous employments include credit & collection agent, employment case manager and child care eligibility specialist.  She likes to greet our clients with a smile!