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I was born in the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Throughout my formative years and into high school I was a good student and competed in both football and track and field and graduated with meritorious honors. After graduating from high school, I started college (which I subsequently dropped out of due to my addiction to drugs) and worked at a cleaning service company where I worked my way into management within one year. For many years I was able to obtain work as a manager in the services industry, but unable to maintain the job (again due to drug addiction).
Unfortunately, during my early adult years, I experimented with drugs and alcohol and fell victim to the powerful grip of addiction. I tried desperately for over 20 years, to break free from the grip of drug addiction, going in and out of treatment centers and churches, begging “God” for deliverance. My addiction to drugs led me to many years of unemployment, loss of finances, homelessness and sleeping in abandoned buildings and “crack’ houses. I was in and out of jails, shot in the head and stabbed, suffering many other tragic and near-death situations. Moreover, and most regrettable, my addiction to drugs caused so much hurt and pain in the lives of others.
For example, I lost my marriage to my 1st wife (1991) due mostly in part, to my addictive behaviors, which subsequently prevented me from providing financial support to her and my oldest children. Furthermore, my addiction caused major disruptions in all my family and personal relationships, and in the end; I lost my self-respect and self-worth.
In the early 2000’s, I had a very powerful spiritual experience (that I know was God) that helped me to surrender and use courage and faith, which subsequently lifted my obsession to use drugs. After the obsession to use drugs was lifted, I made up my mind to take full responsibility and change my life. I decided to stop blaming others for my failures, my feelings, and my fears. With the help of a few friends in recovery and a mentor, I conducted painstaking and introspective work on myself, made amends to as many people as I could (especially my children and family members), and forgave myself. During the early course of my recovery from addiction, I realized that my past transgressions and addiction to drugs, led me to my true passion and purpose in life, which is to influence, inspire, encourage, teach, and help others suffering from addiction and human developmental struggles.
In my efforts to become more effective at helping others I walked through my fears and went back to school in 2006 and earned an Alcohol and Drug Specialist Certificate from Glendale Community College in 2007 and became a Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor by the Addiction Counselor Certification Board of California & the California Alcohol and Drug Educators (C.A.A.D.E). In 2007 I attended Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena CA., and earned both my bachelor’s degree with a Specialization in Early Childhood Education (2010) and master’s degree in human development (2012). In addition, I also completed all the core course requirements in the Marriage and Family Therapy program before changing my major to Human Development.
During my years in school I worked as a clinical director for two different drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. I also worked as a substance abuse counselor at various mental health and substance abuse treatment centers working with adults and adolescents. I obtained certification as a personal fitness trainer and started my own fitness training business.
In the spring of 2012, I was accepted to the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where I earned my Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology all the while maintaining a perfect grade point average of 4.0 throughout my entire school process.
Earning Professional Fitness Instructor and Trainer Certifications gives me a unique understanding of how to emphasize and integrate holistic health to patients. My areas of specialty are administration, psychoeducation, group and individual psychotherapy, family therapy and education, motivational speaking, life skills education, substance abuse counseling, communications skill training, twelve step education, specialized forensic mental health treatment, and health & fitness and nutrition consultation.
I 2015 I started Dedicato Treatment Center Inc. We specialize in substance use disorder treatment. incidental medical services, detox treatment, co-occuring mental health disorders, domestic violence , DUI, and outpatient services
I am only one of a few African American owners in the country accredited by the joint commision (only 6% of all treatment centers in the country have Joint Commision.
Publisher work
Doctoral Dissertation- " Exploring Developmental Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent Substance Use Disorders" (UMR-ProQuest)
Master Thesis (Pacific Oaks College) " Exploring Psychopathology and Low Self-Esteem and it's Correlation with Adolescent Substance Use Disorders"
