About Todd

After drinking and using since age 12, I had finally had enough.  I was 47.  

For most of my adolescence, I had struggled with substance use and untreated anxiety and depression. I never developed the tools to cope and deal with these traumas so I drank and used to numb.  In the end, I had an almost constant feeling of dread and hopelessness and truly believed that I would never get out of the cycle of addiction.   During this time, I was married for 21 years, had 4 wonderful kids, a long and successful career, house, cars, etc.  You get the picture.  Everything seemed great, on the outside, but I was crumbling on the inside.  I guess I was a "functioning alcoholic."

I heard a message of recovery in a close friend and threw myself into the recovery community in my hometown. My first few years of recovery were immensely challenging, despite the vast external improvements that occurred in my life as time went on. 

Today, I have a life that I would not have considered possible. It has been a long, joyful, and at times arduous, journey of healing and growth, and it certainly has not been easy. It is my hope that my experience can be uniquely beneficial to others in similar situations.

Recovery has provided me with relationships, tools, meaning, and purpose, and I consider my recovery to be an immense gift. I have learned that it is possible for anyone willing to do the work to achieve it and that we never do it alone. 

I currently live in San Juan Capistrano, CA, a place that I am glad to call home. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, exercising, fishing, and spending time with the love of my life Lisa and my kids and grandkids. I try to dedicate as much time as I can to my own program of recovery, as I believe that my competence as an addiction professional is directly tied to my own emotional, physical, and spiritual health. 

Family (4 kids, 2 granddaughters, 1 grand-dog, and a fiancé)
Fishing

Off-Roading

Nature

Hiking

Bowling

Golf

Travel
Running

Gardening

Handyman (self proclaimed ;)

Swimming

Guitar

Caring for others