Table of Contents
Laura Nuss
Co-Founder and Director of Administration
Denver Recovery Center
Laura brings several years of experience in the drug and alcohol treatment industry to the organization. Laura has a passion for empowering others and ensuring that all levels of operations run as smooth as possible.
Laura began her career in 2011 at a residential treatment program. As a member of their management team, she oversaw the financials, helped with state licensure, maintained vendor accounts, and helped with HR and billing functions. In 2014 Laura helped found a reputable Scottsdale, Arizona based treatment center. Because of her experience Laura has a strong working knowledge of the unique components that it takes to have a successful treatment center including, Joint Commission, policies and procedures and Insurance billing. Laura studied psychology and business management at Northern Arizona University. Originally from Connecticut, Laura relocated to Arizona to pursue her own journey of recovery which is where her passion for helping others comes from.
Jason Bordonaro
Co-Founder and Outreach
Denver Recovery Center
Jason knows recovery from addiction entails much more than abstaining from substances and alcohol. Recovery is a process of self-discovery, embracing a new way of life, and joining the thriving community of people devoted to sobriety and healthy living.
After 8 years of service in the treatment field and 15 years of personal recovery, Jason and partners Laura Nuss and Tyler Tisdale founded Denver Recovery Center, eager to share their experiences and continue helping others experience the joy of sobriety.
As an active member of the 12-Step community, Jason’s commitment to emotional and spiritual growth is an inspiration for all those around him. He believes healing both body and mind are paramount to lasting recovery and carries these ideals into his own life. He is passionate about living life to the fullest and enjoys camping, hiking, yoga, traveling, listening to live music, and spending time with his loving family and his dog, Charlie.
Hunter Kennedy, Psy.D., LPC-S
Executive Director
Denver Recovery Center
Hunter has a Doctorate in Psychology and is an LPC-Supervisor licensed in Texas and Colorado. He has a broad background of experience in mental health and chemical dependency; working in a variety of environments to include hospitals, residential and outpatient settings. Hunter’s primary focus is in attempting to facilitate transformational experiences for clients by helping them to break old paradigms, allowing for a new path to take root. He has spent the past decade researching elements of conscious awareness and how it interacts in the holistic treatment of the individual within the overlapping components of body, mind, and spirit via the internal aspects of choice, experience and perception. Hunter credits life as being his greatest teacher. “There is no substitute for experience, for all of our experience shapes each of our choices and perceptions.”
Dr. Michael Doody, EdD., LPC, LAC
Clinical Director
Denver Recovery Center
Michael Doody has extensive history working with different settings and different services ranging from direct client care, to providing mental health therapy and offering substance abuse treatment. In his role as the clinical director, he provides group therapy, intake assessments, support for the therapists and case managers, as well as staying updated on most current treatment services in the field of substance recovery and mental health.
Michael utilizes daring leadership skills to foster a positive and supportive environment for his clinical team, with an emphasis on personal development. Michael works to improve the relationship and growth of his team and welcomes their individual interests and hobbies. Being an avid Star Wars fan himself, his office embodies how to share the things that bring you joy, with those around you. As soon as you step into his office, you are immediately surrounded by the world of “Geekdom”.
Michael has a doctorate of education (EdD) in Counseling Psychology, is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) in the state of Colorado. Michael earned his EdD as well as his Master’s in Community Mental Health Counseling at Argosy University.
Ben Hettler
Operations Manager
Denver Recovery Center
Ben’s passion for helping others achieve sobriety comes from his personal experiences with addiction and recovery. Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is working towards his master’s degree in social work.
Ben began his career as an engineer in 2011 but has since shifted his interest towards the field of drug and alcohol treatment. With almost 10 years of engineering experience, he brings strong organizational and analytical skills to the company. By combining his own experience in treatment and his previous work experience, Ben drives to improve the daily and long-term operations for the DRC team with an emphasis on efficiency. When not working he is playing basketball, hiking, fishing, or playing music with friends.
Kathleen McCarthy, LPCC
Primary Therapist
Denver Recovery Center
Kathleen McCarthy brings years of eclectic professional practice to her role as an IOP therapist at Denver Recovery Center. Drawing from her own life and work experiences, she understands how overwhelming it can be to move away from addiction and towards recovery, and that this is a journey that must be taken with others.
Kathleen believes in a holistic approach to working with recovering human beings. We must look at our behaviors from all angles, both internal and external, to get honest about what needs to change. No stone can go unturned when it comes to developing awareness of our patterns and building up the foundation to support our new sober path. It is probably the single most important restoration project we will ever embark on.
Recovery is hard and it can also be fun, refreshing, and inspiring, so it is important to practice enjoying life and leaning into what works for you too. Kathleen brings this perspective into her work with clients and helps them to remember that life is not ending now that you are sober, it is actually just beginning.
Kathleen graduated with a BA in Sociology from Skidmore College, and an MA in Transpersonal Psychology Counseling from Naropa University. When she is not at work, you can find her practicing on her yoga mat, hiking/biking/camping in the mountains, experiencing live music through dance, and finding creative ways to engage with fun self-care.
Shannon Dunn, LPCC
Primary Therapist
Denver Recovery Center
Shannon Dunn has prior experience working with adults with mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. She has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness to support clients. Shannon has also worked with youth with a history of trauma and neglect currently experiencing homelessness. She considers this to be her most impactful past clinical experience and what led her to work in addiction recovery.
Shannon is passionate about helping clients heal from trauma and discover new ways to cope with the hardest parts of life. She considers the therapeutic relationship to be of the utmost importance and sees herself as a partner in growth and change. She also values group therapy highly and loves facilitating groups, encouraging clients to challenge and learn from one another. She is particularly passionate about helping older adolescents and emerging adults navigate tough transitions and to find a sense of self and belonging.
Shannon received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Arts in Counseling from Regis University and is a registered Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate. She is currently working towards her Dialectical Behavior Therapy Certificate.
In her spare time, Shannon enjoys painting, traveling, and live music. She recharges through her time spent connecting with nature, specifically while hiking and camping.
Sandi Ewing CAC III
Primary Therapist
Denver Recovery Center
Sandi joined the field of addiction recovery 26 years ago after being inspired by the transformative nature of her own recovery. She started bringing Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to several Denver jails and continued volunteering at the Department of Corrections for 13 years assisting with the drug and alcohol programs there. Sandi eventually became a Certified Addiction Counselor Level III and worked in gender specific residential treatment for females for four years. Following that, she worked with medication assisted treatment for opiate use disorder. Sandi finally landed here at Denver Recovery Center, where she practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Solution-Focused and Motivational Interviewing approaches to treating clients. Sandi believes that addiction is not a moral failing but a brain disease that can be treated and managed. When she is not at Denver Recovery Center, you can find her out riding her Harley-Davidson or fishing and hiking in Colorado’s beautiful wilderness.
Tobias Gale
Primary Therapist
Denver Recovery Center
Tobias Gale’s passion for helping people recover from addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges comes from his personal experience of recovery through 12-Step and Inner Child Work and professional experience working with adolescents and adults in residential and outpatient treatment settings. Tobias’s counseling approach is influenced by Gestalt and mindfulness-based therapy, as well as attachment theory and Inner Child Work.
Tobias believes that healing addictions and trauma and supporting a client’s journey to living from greater authenticity and wholeness, comes from acknowledging our inner parts, encouraging their expression, and increasing our capacity to integrate these parts through self-awareness and compassion. As a result, we are less prone to addictions, emotional reactivity, anxiety and depression, and codependency. We are better able to live in alignment with our values, set healthy boundaries for ourselves and with others, have honest and compassionate relationships, and express who we are without fear of rejection or abandonment.
Walking the road of early recovery is not easy. Clients need mentors and guides who understand what they are going through and believe in their ability to heal and grow into their truest selves. Tobias’s personal recovery, education and training, and work with adolescents and adults struggling with addiction and mental health challenges has equipped him with the skills to effectively and compassionately support clients at any stage of their recovery process.
Tobias has a BA in Psychology from The University of Massachusetts Amherst and a MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University. When not working, he enjoys writing, reading, making art and music, and spending time in nature.
Jaroed Sarmiento
Behavioral Health Tech
Denver Recovery Center
Jaroed works at DRC as a Behavioral Health Tech and is also an alumni of Denver Recovery Center.
Working as a BHT at Denver Recovery Center, Jaroed introduces and encourages the 12 step program to clients by coordinating attendance of 12 step meetings and sharing his own experience. Jaroed organizes the day to day operations for clients when they are under his care, and supports the men in the beginning of their recovery journey.
“My main goal when the men come in is to show them that there is a way out, and they can live a happy and fulfilling life sober. I try to inspire hope, because I know what it feels like to come in and feel hopeless. There is another way to live life.”
Jaroed spends his free time with his daughter, dogs and cats. He enjoys disc golf, and constantly explores new interests. He makes it a priority to stay active in the recovery community by sponsoring men, and being of service.