Addiction Treatment Staff

Matthew is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 12 years of clinical experience working in addiction and dual diagnosis treatment. Matthew is originally from San Jose, CA and spent much of his young life playing sports and other outdoor activities.  After graduating from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Matthew took many career diversions as an advertising executive, a non-profit director, teaching and snowboard instructor. Matthew finds his current journey as therapist to be immensely fulfilling, as this role allows him to address his personal goals of living courageously, learning, and developing self.  He graduated from the California School of Professional Psychology with a Masters in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. While well versed in many models of therapeutic change, Matthew is especially drawn to postmodern ideas and specifically Narrative Therapy in his individual work.

Ernesto Paz is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT #115411) who earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine and master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University. Ernesto has also completed a dialectical behavioral therapy skills training program through the Linehan Behavioral Tech Institute. Ernesto has years of experience working in addiction treatment and has held various positions including support staff, case manager, and lead therapist. Ernesto’s personal, professional, and academic experiences have afforded him the ability to effectively work with adults struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental disorders. While Ernesto most often employs a collaborative and humanistic approach, he tailors the therapeutic process to meet the unique needs of his clients’. Ernesto is comfortable with a variety of modalities including solution-focused brief therapy, narrative therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, positive psychology, dialectical behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing. Ernesto’s primary focus is to provide excellent clinical care by authentically connecting with clients to help them break free from their addictions and strive to reach their personal goals.

In addition to being a therapist, Ernesto is a family man who loves spending his time with his wife and three sons. Ernesto enjoys riding bikes, skateboarding, snowboarding, exercising, cooking, playing with his kids, and watching a good movie or TV show.