WHO WE ARE

Our story

SeekHealing was founded in 2018, follow along on the journey.
FOUNDATION

SeekHealing began when the founder’s close friend survived an opioid overdose and partnered with the founder to begin a healing journey. Like many others before them, the two discovered that meaningful social connection and community belonging are the most important elements of addiction recovery; yet are almost impossible to find after addiction treatment. 

ACTION

Unfortunately, traditional 12-step recovery and other faith-based recovery communities often perpetuate experiences of shame and can feature social structures that are unwelcoming and/or hierarchical. Through a beautiful cosmic accident, the co-founders discovered that the kind of social connection that the brain needs in order to heal from trauma is actually something any human being can give to another: regardless of whether they identify as an “addict’ or not.

COLLABORATION

Collaborating with neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Wurzman, trauma expert Dr. Gabor Mate, substance use recovery experts and leaders in communication & social dynamics theory from around the world, they formed SeekHealing to create a novel approach for systemic issues of addiction and loneliness: social health. 

GROWTH

In 2018, the founders established the first SeekHealing community in Asheville, NC -- among the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains in Western North Carolina in the USA. The community grew from 8 seekers at the first Listening Training retreat to 150 in the first year, and 500 by the end of 2019.

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, demand for SeekHealing's services sky-rocketed as social isolation became even more widespread under government-mandated quarantine measures. The online community was born in April 2020, and has since grown to serve thousands of seekers online.

In September 2021, in partnership with VAYA Health and the Evergreen Foundation, SeekHealing opened the doors to its second local community in Waynesville, NC.

Meet the team

select an option:
Staff
Advisory Council
Board of Directors
Facilitators

Staff

Imani Ustawi
Program Director
Jenesis Nicolaisen
Executive Director, Co-founder
Melisa Gonzalez
Director of Operations
Brittany "Bird" Brdecka
Facilitators
Natalio CasaNueva
Business Operations Admin
Bethany Chance
SeekHealing Intern
Amy DeCamp
Marketing Coordinator
Manveer Dulay
Website Developer
Conrad Ekkens
SeekHealing Intern
Alina Elizabeth
Development Lead
Adrian Engstrom von Alten
The SHFT Enrollment Director
Robert Epstein
Legal Counsel
Ramiro Flores
Latine Community Building Coordinator
Javonne Green
Seekhealing Community Intern
Janie Gabbett
Chief Editor
Joshua Ginsberg
Chief Technology Officer
Monica Jones
Latine Community Building Coordinator
Tikva Kingrea
Asheville Community Engagement Lead
Koriander
Asheville's Open Hours ClubHouse Coordinator
Joey Moore
Fundraising Coordinator & Asheville Event Coordinator
Sydney McGary
Service Operations Coordinator
Natalie Ifé Lewis
Karla Njathi
Storytelling Coordinator
Alison Reeves
Community Engagement Lead - Online
Sarah Reid
Waynesville's Community Engagement Lead
Duane Roberts
SeekHealing Intern
Raphael Schwartzman
Marketing Consultant
Jody Stevenson
SeekHealing Intern
Lauren Tevelow
Marketing Consultant
Lauren Vermillion
Development Lead & Asheville Event Coordinator

Advisory Council

Hilary Jacobs Hendel, DDS, LCSW
Trauma-informed Psychoanalyst, International Author, creator of The Change Triangle Tool for Emotional Health
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Gabor Maté, MD
Physician, renowned expert on addiction and compassionate care, bestselling author, international speaker
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Maureen McCarthy
Social Scientist and Co-Founder, Center for Collaborative Awareness
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Alan Muskat
Author and educator specializing in nondualism, Nonviolent Communication, and hunter-gatherer culture
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Zelle Nelson
Social Scientist and Co-Founder, Center for Collaborative Awareness
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Sara Ness
Founder and CEO of Authentic Revolution
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Mark Smith
Author, therapist, social work professor; background in trauma, attachment, group process, and narrative-based practice.
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Peter Strong, MD
Board-certified in addiction psychiatry, expert in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Former Medical Director of Hartford Dispensary, managing 13 clinics and 4000 patients.
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Andrew Weil, MD
Author of over a dozen books on alternative medicine, including several international bestsellers.
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Avrum G. Weiss, Ph.D
Psychotherapist, author, and teacher with more than 40 years of experience in relational psychology. Architect of experiential psychotherapy theory.
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Bill White
Emeritus Senior Research Consultant at Chestnut Health Systems, Former Board Chair of Recovery Communities United, and author or coauthor of 20 books and 400 papers on addiction.
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Rachel Wurzman, Ph.D
Director of Science
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Board of Directors

Lauren Clark
Vice President and Secretary
A lifelong advocate for humans and the planet they inhabit, Lauren leverages 11+ years of experience driving growth and social change for non-profits and purpose-driven organizations.
Joshua Franks
Treasurer
An entrepreneur with a focus on product development, marketing, and supply chain and distribution logistics, Joshua is committed to facilitating meaningful connection and radically authentic relationships.
Susan Freeman
Board Member
MBA, PCC, NCC, is an executive coach, team coach, author, speaker, and leadership development consultant who brings more than three decades of corporate, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit business management and leadership experience to her clients.
Jennifer Garrett
Board Member
Mental Health and Substance Use Clinician and Clinical Supervisor (LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS) with experience in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Harm Reduction, and Trauma.
Joshua Ginsberg
President
Technologist and entrepreneur; network system engineer and professional programmer. Software architect at Columbia University in New York.
Sara Ness
Board Member
Sara Ness is the CEO and Chief Catalyst at Authentic Revolution, the oldest Authentic Relating company still in existence, and the only one that is primarily women-owned and -led.

Facilitators

Adrian Engstrom von Alten
Alison Reeves
Ariel "Faye" Harris
Brittany "Bird" Brdecka
Cam Payne
Giles Carwyn
Imani Ustawi
Ionsul Ferrin
Jack Rubin
Javonne Green
Jenesis Nicolaisen
Jennifer Garett
Kim Crowley
Koriander
Leesha Rollar
Manuela Stanica
Mark Smith
Michele Morris
Michelle Kelly
Natalie Ifé Lewis
Robbie McLucas
Robert Epstein
Sammy Vanek
Stuart Jeckel
Sydney McGary
Tony Stokes

Join the team

We're always open to meeting the humans who are inspired to join this movement and contribute their service energy to SeekHealing -- either in local communities or on our leadership and back-office teams. Career opportunities are limited by locally-available grant funding in the communities they serve.

There are no current openings, but we encourage you to check back for future opportunities.

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Anti-Racism policy

SeekHealing strives to create spaces and opportunities for authentic, meaningful connection for all humans. We recognize that racism affects our behavior as an organization and as individuals in ways that can cause harm to People of Color.

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Julian F. Keith Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center

SeekHealing’s mission is to facilitate meaningful human connection to strengthen social health, end loneliness, and equip people with the power to give and receive authentic support.

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SeekHealing Asheville

50 S. French Broad Avenue #138
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 222-5029

SeekHealing Waynesville

116 Depot St
Waynesville, NC 28786
(828) 222-5029