WHO WE ARE
Our Team
DAVID MCNAMARA
Founder, Executive Director
David McNamara is a Recovery coach, Substance Abuse Counselor, filmmaker and Zen practitioner. David is currently completing his certification in Harm Reduction Psychotherapy with Dr. Andrew Tatarsky (one of our advisors and collaborators.) David has worked and volunteered in the recovery field for over 10 years as well as having training in Mindfulness Therapy and meditation. Prior to this he was a filmmaker for over 30 years. After many years into his own recovery he began to see the need for alternatives in the way that we treat addiction and the trauma underlying the addiction. In keeping with the contemporary wisdom for the treatment of addiction, David has spent much of his career investigating how recovery, spirituality and creative expression are integrally related. He began to develop a practice based on his own experience of recovery. Using his Zen meditation experience, DBT training, and Harm Reduction Psychotherapeutic techniques he began a program called Mindfulness Based Recovery. He has implemented this practice into his work at a traditional Drug Treatment center with some very promising results.
Last year David embarked on a documentary film called “Disconnected” (Healing an addicted society). In the making of the film he has found an incredible group of therapists, teachers, mentors and advisors. In many ways meeting and interviewing these authors of the paradigm shift in the way we treat addiction gave birth to this idea and this center.
In my role as Executive Director of Samadhi I will guide the overarching philosophy of treating addiction with compassion, understanding and mindfulness. I will be responsible for finding new therapists and treatments along with experts in their respective fields. Samadhi will be a living, growing entity working together with our research department and staff to continually evolve.
THAYER CASE, LCSW-R
Psychotherapist, Trauma Specialist
Thayer received his MSW from Columbia University, a Post Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Therapy from Fordham University and is a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). Thayer is a Senior Student in the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, a practice that deeply informs his work with clients. In addition, Thayer was awarded the Honor of Social Worker of the Year in 2011 by the HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. He has particular expertise in treating addiction, grief, anxiety, depression, substance use disorder ,attachment issues, ADHD, sensory integration and mild autistic spectrum issues, stress reduction, issues with spirituality, and trauma. Thayer works very closely with patients in various ways – both individually and in family modalities. He invites all aspects of human experience into therapy. Thayer views therapy as facilitating a process of empowerment and discovery, unfolding in a safe place, focused on how we experience, and ultimately free ourselves from our habitual patterns in the body, thoughts and emotions. Trauma Resolution: Drawing on his training in Somatic Experiencing ®, body based psychotherapy, and decades of intensive meditation, Thayer works with many categories of trauma.
MEGHAN HETFIELD
CARC, CRPA
Meghan is a fierce recovery advocate and trainer. She has experience implementing both a regional Recovery Coach pilot program and a hospital based peer program responding to opioid overdose in four New York State Hospitals As a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach/Certified Recovery Peer Advocate she believes strongly in the concept of meeting people where they are in their perspectives and helping to move them to a place of healthy change. As a NY State Best Practices Trainer, she has the privilege of training a brand new peer professional workforce to hit the ground running to address the Opioid Crisis.
Meghan is living a life of sustained recovery in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley where she is part of the running and hiking community. As a Public Speaker and Subject Matter Expert, she is involved in many public forums, grass-roots advocacy groups and media campaigns which aim to eliminate barriers to those who seek help for their substance use disorder.
MAYA HAMBRIGHT, MD
Family Physician
Maya Hambright, MD is a Family Physician who has been raising her two daughters and practicing medicine in the Hudson Valley for 20 years. She grew up in Washington DC, the daughter of a Chemistry professor at Howard University and a high school Social Worker at the very diverse public school TC Williams. Education, equality, and accessibility for all, was bred into her.
As the opioid crisis tore through her town of Woodstock, overdose tragedy struck close to her family. Her practice now is primarily based on addiction and healing practices. She has spend the past 10 years working with both inpatients at Samaritan Village Daytop and outpatients at Maverick Family Health, part of the HealthQuest organization.
Maya is a prescriber of traditional MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) and mental health medications, though has become increasingly aware of the limitations of traditional methods. And furthermore is acutely aware of a divergence in the previous styles of substance abuse treatment and in newer modalities. She has been introducing mindfulness and meditation into her medical practice however has had no formal training. As a believer of community and collaboration, she has joined Samadhi, as a place to refer her patients and as a place to further her own discovery and growth.
“We need to address both the mind and body in order to help our clients heal from the trauma and suffering that accompanies addiction. As providers we need to have and show empathy for our clients. We can then model for those struggling to learn empathy and forgiveness for themselves and for others. Without self love and self respect people continue to make unsafe and damaging decisions. As treatment providers we also need to coordinate our care with local community organizations - because without safe housing and food and healthcare - people continue to be forced to make unsafe and damaging decisions. Samadhi will be the much needed intersection of mind, body, community, and wellness in the recovery world.”
LUIS MOJICA
Director of Nutrition and Holistic Detox Services
Luis Mojica CHHC is a certified holistic healer, nutritionist and herbalist. He was challenged with trauma, eating disorders, illness, and the Standard American Diet. When a close friend died of a sudden heart attack, his mother bought him a juicer and his healing journey abruptly began. He juiced, sprouted, breathed, read, studied, and practiced what he was reading and preaching until he cured every incurable disease he was afflicted with - cystic acne, severe asthma, high cholesterol, weight issues, crippling anxiety and insomnia to name a few. I went on to study Psychology, holistic nutrition, life coaching, and somatic therapy. Each modality gave me new tools to, first, heal myself and then help others heal themselves.
“My personal traumas turned out to be incredible gifts. They motivated me to learn unique healing modalities out of a personal need to heal. They've also allowed me to have experiential empathy and understanding for others, so that I'm able to truly understand where someone is and help them. I find that more valuable than my training even.
In addition to my own journey and studies, I spent a decade working in NYC wellness centers, consulting for wellness businesses, and working with thousands of people directly from every background and with every story imaginable. From there, I started to develop my own form of healing that incorporates herbs, nutrition, and counseling. In 2012, I launched my private practice and have been enjoying it ever since.”
RONI SCHNADOW, MS, LMFT
Family Therapist
Roni was educated at SUNY Downstate Medical Center (BS), Columbia University (MS) with post graduate training at the Minuchin Center for the Family in New York City. She was an assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and currently on the faculty of the Minuchin Center for the Family. In addition to her private practice, she supervises other therapists in their work with couples and families. She is a Program Consultant to various agencies in the Hudson Valley including substance abuse programs, mental health agencies and hospitals. She holds two NY State Licenses: LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and RN (Clinical Nurse Specialist in Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. In addition to the problems that people usually come to therapy for, she has found this work to be beneficial for families going through difficult life transitions such as divorce, abuse of alcohol or drugs, loss and bereavement, living with a chronic or life threatening illness and domestic violence.
Advisors
In addition to the team described above, Samadhi has had the great fortune to be endorsed by the below luminaries. These experts will act not only as guest lecturers but will also be involved and instrumental in the ongoing training of our staff.
Dr. Andrew Tatarsky PHD
Andrew Tatarsky is an internationally recognized leader in the treatment of problematic substance use and other potentially risky behaviors. He has specialized in the field of substance use treatment for 35 years working as a counselor, psychologist, program director, trainer, advocate and author. He has devoted his career to developing a comprehensive psychobiosocial understanding of the broad spectrum of substance use problems and an integrative harm reduction psychotherapy approach to treating this spectrum.
Dr. Valerie Mason-John
Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John is an inspirational public speaker and master trainer in the field of conflict transformation, leadership and mindfulness. She is the award winning author of 8 books, and is the co-founder of Eight Step Recovery .She also is the co-creator of Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery (MBAR). Valerie is one of the leading African Descent voices in the field of Mindfulness and Addiction, and trains professionals to working in the field of addiction all over the world.
Dr. Gabor Maté
A renowned speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress and childhood development. Rather than offering quick-fix solutions to these complex issues, Dr. Maté weaves together scientific research, case histories, and his own insights and experience to present a broad perspective that enlightens and empowers people to promote their own healing and that of those around them.
Consultants
SARA GILLEN
Sara Gillen has a 20-year career in nonprofit senior leadership and executive positions in the US, building innovative programs and strengthening organizational infrastructure in the areas of board management, staff development, financial management, and program reporting. Sara has overseen HIV prevention, harm reduction, and healthcare services, public health initiatives, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Her most recent position was as the Chief Operating Officer of New York City Health and Hospital’s Correctional Health Services. In this role, Sara was responsible for oversight of day-to-day operations, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Labor Relations. Highlights from her tenure at some of the country’s foremost AIDS service organizations and health centers include: doubling divisional budgets, integrating a merged organization, and testing and evaluating cutting-edge HIV prevention programs. Sara holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Yale University’s School of Management and a Master’s in Public Health from Hunter College in New York City.
MARGARETTA FOX
Margaretta Fox has been a practicing program evaluator in the United States for the last 20 years. She has developed and managed internal and external evaluations of a wide range of nonprofit programs, supported by both public and private funders. Before starting her own consulting business, Margaretta served as an executive-level manager at one of the premier AIDS service organizations in the country. In this capacity, she oversaw the development of a large internal evaluation department that would ultimately become a leader in quality management, program evaluation, community-based research, and evaluation-related technical assistance. In 2008, Margaretta started her own successful, New York-based consulting firm, Fox Evaluation, LLC, which specializes in providing highly-accessible, utilization-focused evaluation services. Clients have included: The Robin Hood Foundation, The Truth Campaign (Washington, DC), Public Health Solutions, The Fund for Public Health - New York, Rabin Martin Associates, The LGBT Community Center, Women in Need (Win), Harlem United, Housing Works, Brightpoint Health, Fortune Society, Osborne Association, CAMBA, CHASI, Turning Point Brooklyn, Rainbow Heights Club, Iris House, Brooklyn Perinatal Network (BPN) etc. Over the course of her career, Margaretta has co-authored journal articles on studies assessing the effectiveness of various programmatic interventions in community-based settings. She has also presented at professional conferences - mostly on the subject of quality improvement at nonprofits. Margaretta was trained in social psychology, research methodology, and statistics in a PhD program at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.