Meet the Seaside Palm Beach Staff

Fredi was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and raised in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.  Before moving to Florida in 2014, she had lived in Boston, California, and Connecticut. She moved to Florida to help take care of her elderly parents. Fredi got her high school diploma at Longmeadow High school. She received her bachelor’s degree from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and her graduate degree at Sacramento State University in Sacramento, California. Fredi’s BA is in sociology with a minor in criminology and her master’s degree is in social work. She also has her clinical license both in Connecticut and Florida (LCSW). Most of her career, Fredi has worked with dual diagnosed people, meaning they suffer from both mental health and substance abuse issues. She has been in the mental health/addiction field for over 20 years. What makes Fredi passionate about what she does is that she’s a big believer in building relationships with people and in that, it allows for the person to heal and grow from almost anything that they are challenged with such as substance abuse, mental health, trauma, etc. She likes being a part of the healing process and seeing the patient being happy, healthy, and successful in life. Her favorite part of her position is building teams and empowering staff and being hands-on with the patients.  Fredi’s goal for her career at Banyan is that she wants to continue to grow and develop as a positive leader to the programs that she oversees and to Banyan as a whole and continue to make her programs be as successful as she can.  She would like for our facilities to be set apart from other treatment centers and to be the best of the best in the addiction and mental health treatment world! Fredi also would like to be part of a team to help create and grow other new programs, especially incorporating animal therapy.

Dr. Hu holds a Bachelor of Arts from the New York University College of Arts and Sciences and a medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Hu completed his internship and residency at the University of Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital and has been practicing psychiatry for over ten years, specializing in substance abuse disorders. He is a board certified diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) as well as the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM), and a Healthgrades Recognized Doctor.

Jenna Weber was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She moved to Florida when she was 18 to pursue a degree in Social Work at Florida Atlantic University and to be by the beach. She attended FAU from 2005-2009 and received a BSW in Social Work. She then completed her Master’s degree in Social Work at FAU and graduated in 2012. While in school, she completed a BSW internship at Wayside House for Women (residential addiction treatment center) in Delray Beach, FL and a graduate internship at Palm Beach State College. She went into college knowing that she wanted to be a therapist. However, it was in her BSW internship at Wayside House for Women that she realized she wanted to specialize in addiction treatment. She was inspired by the strength and resilience the clients had to heal and gain recovery from their addictions and traumas. She was similarly inspired by the commitment and quality of care the treatment team provided to these women. Jenna wholeheartedly believes in the process of change and recovery with the help of the right treatment and support. She has witnessed many clients come into treatment sick and hurting who are able to not only achieve sobriety, but connect to having a fulfilling life again. She has witnessed clients who didn’t think they needed treatment embrace recovery and change their lives. She has observed clients change their thought process, their behaviors, and restore close relationships that were previously shattered. It is this kind of strength, resilience, and courage that gives her such a passion to help others to achieve and maintain recovery. Jenna is in recovery from an eating disorder, and also has family members that have struggled with substance abuse and other mental health issues. This helps to fuel her passion for helping others to gain recovery and optimal mental health. Her favorite part of her position as Clinical Director is supervising an amazing team that truly cares about each and every client. She loves to see our staff’s expertise, dedication, and care help our clients achieve and maintain their recovery. Jenna’s goal for her career at Banyan is to help as many people as possible to get out of active addiction and into recovery. She wants to lead Seaside’s Clinical team and continue to strengthen and improve our program.

Willa was born in West Palm Beach and raised by her grandparents. She attended the Academy of Nursing and is pursuing a Master’s in Nurse Education at Chamberlain University. Willa was a Medical Assistant for 25 years and at age 43 returned to school to receive a nursing degree. BHOPB was her first nursing job. While Willa is not in recovery, she always wanted to be an addiction nurse because her parents had drug and alcohol addictions. The positive outcomes make her passionate. Willa loves what she does because she knows that she is helping save lives, educating loved ones about addiction, and helping them with better understanding. Willa’s favorite part of her position is providing guidance to the nursing staff and working with others to help patients succeed. Her career goal is to help Banyan be the best treatment facility, continue to educate and provide excellent care to patients and staff, and to increase her professional knowledge and addiction training.

Chris Jones is a former NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. He was offered a five year, $15 million contact with the Eagles, and with receiver Irving Fryer combined for 158 catches which remains top in Eagles history for a receiving team. However, with a promising NFL career ahead of him, a tragic knee injury cut his career short. Ultimately Chris entered a downward spiral of addiction, going into a deep depression that led him to heavy drinking and prescription medication abuse. Now years sober, Chris works at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches (part of the Banyan Treatment Center family) as a Program Director, where he helps others to overcome the same demons that he once faced.

Lauren was born and raised on Long Island in New York. She attended community college, as well as business school and majored in Business Administration. Lauren began her career in New York City in 1994 where she worked as a Financial Analyst for two of the largest NY Direct Marketing agencies for over 20 years. In 2013, Lauren relocated to Wellington, FL and pursued a career in the treatment industry. Since 2015, Lauren has been the Director of Finance at Banyan Treatment. Lauren works with the clients and their families to help create affordable payment plans for treatment. She assists with cash or self pay clients and helps families navigate through the financial process to ensure they understand their payment options and what is best depending on their situation.

Kathy Molina was born in Manhattan, NY and raised in Brooklyn, NY until she moved to Florida in 2015. She received her Bachelor’s in Neuroscience and Behavior in May 2020 from Florida Atlantic University. Kathy got her start in the addiction field in 2017. She has experience with witnessing some of her own family members who suffered with an alcohol addiction and unfortunately, death due to addiction as well. Kathy has always wanted to work in this industry so that she can learn how to help others and within that, teach her family about addiction. Kathy’s favorite part about her position is being able to work with the families financially and getting them the help they need, which she says is the most rewarding part. Her goal in her career at Banyan is to reach her highest potential within the company.

Jack Crowley was born and raised in Connecticut and came to Florida right after 9/11 in 2001. He has a BA in Sociology from Central Connecticut State College and also began a Master’s Program in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in NYC. He left the New York area as a result of 9/11 and moved to Florida where he received his MSW with Honors and a concentration in addictions from Florida International University. Prior to graduate school, he began as a Behavioral Tech at Four Winds Hospital treating children, adolescents, and adults in Westchester County. Although he spent many years in an unrelated field, he decided to make a life and career change directly as a result of his 12 Step Involvement. While at Columbia, he did his Field Placement at Greenwich Hospital Addictions Recovery Unit for one year. It was there Jack treated an older adult population in an inpatient and outpatient program. He noticed many patients began drinking heavily after they retired or the death of a spouse. He began his interest and focus of study in Late-Onset Alcoholism.  Jack’s internships while at FIU included The Pride Center at Fort Lauderdale Hospital serving LGBTQ community inpatient and outpatient programs. There, he began his interest in Sexual Addiction often coupled with chemical dependency. Jack went on to study with Patrick Carnes Ph.D. and trained to become a Certified Sex Addictions Therapist with the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals. His final internship was in West Palm Beach Florida on a Men’s Recovery Unit, where he worked as a counselor after graduation. He began exploring the underlying issues of addiction and believed childhood trauma played a large role. He started studying Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing EMDR and became an EMDR Therapist Internationally Certified by EMDRIA. Jack began his journey by attending Al-Anon due to personal and family relationships. It was there that he addressed his own issues and found his passion for helping others. Jack loves listening to people tell their stories. He has always had a passion for standing with the “broken” and loves helping people share the secrets that have made them and kept them sick and finding their voice. Jack’s favorite part of the job is being a witness to internal and external changes that make it possible for people to get better. His goal is to keep doing what he’s doing and making a difference in people’s lives.

Erin was born in South Jersey and moved to Ohio at the age of 10, where she resided until graduating college. She’s had the good fortune of living in Tennessee and in Mali, and West Africa as well. Erin moved to Florida 17 years ago and loves living in perpetual summer. Erin graduated with a degree in political science from Ohio University. She received her master’s degree in social work from Barry University and she just finished her doctorate in social work at Florida Atlantic University. After receiving her master’s degree, Erin started her social work career in the hospital setting. She was assigned to the liver transplant team at a major hospital in Miami. It was there that she really started working with people who struggled with alcohol use. Eventually, she applied to work at an addiction treatment center that served women in Delray Beach, FL. Erin says that when she walked in the door, it felt like home. Erin’s personal connection to addiction is to that of a loved one. Her journey led her to seek her own support through therapy and 12-Step groups. What makes Erin passionate about what she does is she just really likes working with people. She’s passionate about learning in general, but she particularly enjoys learning about the human mind, how life experiences change us, and how our relationships with one another can be used to heal us. Her favorite part of her position is that she gets to interact with her clients and loves helping them to give them a different and empowered perspective on what they’re going through in the moment. She says, “There is always hope.” Erin’s goal for her career at Banyan is to expand her practice to work with couples and families.

Amanda was born in Crailsheim, Germany while her dad was serving in the United States Army. However, she is originally from Florida and returned home to West Palm Beach, FL shortly after she was born. Amanda graduated from John I Leonard High School in Greenacres, FL and attends Palm Beach State. Additionally, she is a Nationally Certified Recovery Coach, has an HR Management certificate and is pursuing her SHRM- CP. Amanda got her start in the addiction field in 2008 and has held many roles to include, Human Resources and Case Management. Amanda is passionate about encouraging and empowering others to be the best version of themselves. Her current goal is to continue growing in the field, while contributing positivity, leadership and innovation to the Seaside Banyan Team.

Shawn was born in New York City, relocating several times, with a final Florida destination in 2003. He attended Pittsburgh’s Taylor Allderdice High School Honors Program prior to relocating to Boca Raton, FL and graduating from Boca Raton High School in 1989. Shawn has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Barry University in Miami in 2010. Shawn received a PhD in Philosophy (with attention to Clinical Social Work and Human Behavior) from Barry University in 2018. Shawn began as a Behavioral Tech at Fair Oaks Hospital immediately following high school graduation. At that time, Fair Oaks was a private pay facility for celebrities and the upper-class populations. Fulfilling a dream, he left the field for a creative career in classical theater performance spanning fifteen years between New York City and Orlando, FL. This venture also resulted in the writing and production of several plays and books. While developing a career in observational stand-up comedy, the necessity and love to understand the motivations of people kept leading him back to researching the psychology of people. The researching modalities of characters is extremely similar to the qualitative researching avenues of the social sciences and thus, his interest in mental health was reignited and a subsequent pursual of academic accreditation followed. Shawn was able to find a home in the growing and challenging field of addiction counseling. He soon found that his candid, direct, and genuine style of interacting with clients was a warranted and successful strategy, further motivating his pursuit of a terminal degree in human behavior. Shawn says, “My job is simply to talk to people. I have fun interacting with those who are neglected the opportunity to share their troubles. No one at the age of twelve says, ‘I can’t wait to grow up and become an addict”. I like to tap into that innocence and confusion and reroute the coping strategy to the use of healthy, adaptive ones that utilize strength perspective while simultaneously being very candid with my observations. People deserve that truth; they pay for that service. To neglect them of that service mirrors the neglect they received in their earlier years.” Shawn’s favorite part of his job is the energy transmitted via oxytocin when the awareness of those suffering is increased. Experiencing the ‘AHA’ moment in another human being validates his purpose in the world and attributes to the fulfillment of the human potential and experience in others. “Human beings do they best they can, given their level of awareness; I enjoy increasing that awareness.” Shawn’s goal for his career at Banyan is to advance the capabilities of eradicating maladaptive obsessions and compulsions to whatever heights the facility allows him to attain.

Caleb was born in Louisville, Kentucky and played football at Lindsey Wilson College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Communication. Like many others in America today, Caleb suffered an injury on the field that resulted in the use of prescription pain medication, which eventually led him down the dark road of addiction. He sought treatment at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, now a Banyan facility, more than four years ago and has been sober ever since. Caleb began his career at Banyan as an Admissions Coordinator and went on to receive several promotions within the organization. He now acts as a National Business Development Representative for the state of Kentucky, where he lives with his wife and son. Caleb is passionate about his position and being able to continue his career at Banyan in his home state, saying that he feels honored to be able to help those in his community who struggle with the same issues he once faced. He has made is his main goal to help anyone seeking treatment to get the help they need.

Travis was born and raised in Delray Beach, FL. He graduated from the Great Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach in 2009 and obtained a degree in Mass Communications/Production Technology. While Travis is not in recovery himself, he does have ties to it. His father struggles with alcoholism and getting into the addiction field helped him understand the power of enabling.  He started in the field because his cousin was a receptionist for Seaside in 2009. His cousin had told him that Seaside was looking for Guest Services coordinators and a year later, he applied for the position. What makes Travis passionate about what he does is giving back to others. He says there is an understanding that people really need help and the fact that he can contribute to that is what makes his job worth it. His favorite part of his job is physically watching the transition from beginning to end. Travis’ goal for his career at Banyan is that he would love to see all the facilities have their own on-site training facility.

Eric was born in Evanston, Illinois and relocated to Florida in 1972. He studied biology at Palm Beach Atlantic University and Exercise Science at Florida Atlantic University and has an Associates’ Degree. Eric has been a Massage Therapist since 1994.  In 2000, he became certified as a Personal Trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, one of the top leaders in exercise and health, and specialize in flexibility methods.  Eric has been a Yoga Instructor since 2009, specializing in Hatha and Vinyasa style, and has been studying meditation for over 14 years. Eric has been in recovery since April of 2006.  He started drinking heavily at 19 years old - first, it was cases of beer, and then it turned into whatever he could get his hands on.  Years went by, with a few brief attempts to get sober, but he always eventually went back out - he wasn’t ready to stop.  Eric reached his rock bottom after an evening of bar-hopping with friends ended with him waking up the next morning lying on his front yard, not recalling how he got home.  When Eric later heard how he ruined his friend’s bike, he had an epiphany: his actions weren’t only affecting himself but those he cares about.  From then on, he made the decision to turn his life around.  Eric says, “It was difficult, especially in the beginning, but I learned I didn’t have to do it alone. So, I surrounded myself with people that could and did support me, going to support groups like AA, learning coping skills and tools such as meditation and mindfulness, and most of all, gaining a deeper connection and understanding with my spirituality.  Today, I can honestly say that I am more happy, joyful, and liberated from the bondage of self-destruction.” In 2006, Eric started going to support groups such as AA to get help.  After a while, he realized that his story - experiences of weakness, strength, and hope - was actually helping others along the way.  Since then, he has always done his best to maintain open transparency when sharing and connecting with others struggling with their addiction.  In 2012, Eric was hired as Integrative Therapist with Seaside Palm Beach and has been here ever since. Eric hates to see people suffering.  He says, “I wish everyone had the ability to experience more joy.  I have been given the gift of being able to: 1. See and feel what it’s like to self-loathe, feel alone, angry, sad, anxious, and also 2. See and feel what it’s like to be happy and not define myself with those negative emotions.  That has given me compassion and empathy to go on to help others.” Eric’s favorite part of his position is watching the amazing transformation that happens after someone comes to Seaside as a broken-down soul, with little-to-no self-care.  “After a certain period of days or weeks of attending groups, therapy, and connecting with peers, he or she is holding up their chin higher, dealing with their issues head-on, and exuding a new sense of hope.  That is very rewarding to see!”  

Sue Neering is a native of Palm Beach County. She attended Palm Beach State College and obtained certificates in Massage and Multiple Modalities, Hypnotherapy, and is a Reiki master level teacher.  Sue has been in Alcoholics Anonymous since 1986 and sober in AA since 1987. She got her start in the addiction field since recovery is her subject of study and she has been fortunate enough to work in recovery since 2009. What makes Sue passionate about what she does is that she loves to combine body work, mindfulness, meditation and reiki into helping people recover from their addictions. Her favorite part of her position is being able to help people and make a difference in their lives. Sue’s goal for her career at Banyan is to be able to continue connecting the relationship between the spiritual, physical, mental, and the emotional healing into recovery.

Greg was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. In 1990, his parents decided to purchase a vacation home in Florida, thus beginning his traveling adventure to the sunshine state! Throughout his childhood, Greg grew up to love the many summer escapades in Florida and in 2001, he became a permanent resident. After many years of hands on training at several different restaurants, Greg decided to further his career by attending Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, FL. In 2007, he received his associate degree in Culinary Food and Beverage Management. While not personally in recovery, throughout his childhood and adulthood, he has been subjected to family and friends journeying through the life of sobriety. Greg’s culinary background consists of hospitality. He has worked in world class country clubs and corporate restaurants such as Quail Ridge, Mirasol, and Tommy Bahama. At these locations, he has held positions as kitchen manager, banquet chef, and executive sous chef. Greg started working in the addiction field two years ago and says, “Although it wasn't part of my past employment background, in my opinion, food is a universal language that we all love, understand and can enjoy with one another. Working in an addiction facility would still allow me to share my skills via food.” What makes Greg passionate about his career is the instant gratification from the dishes he creates. He often says, “I create food for the soul”, which means that he designs and makes a plethora of different types of dishes that not only taste good but feels good as well. From Greg’s past experience in the food world, Executive Chefs are usually no longer in the kitchen creating. In his current position, he is able to cook and/or create food. Greg’s career goal with Banyan is to continue providing his culinary skills to the clients.  

Ashley was born in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and raised in Jupiter Farms, FL. In 2019, she earned a Master’s degree in Social Work with honors from Barry University in Miami, FL. Ashley completed a clinical internship at an outpatient addiction treatment center in Davie, FL in 2017 and completed a second clinical internship at an inpatient behavioral health facility in West Palm Beach, FL from 2017-2018. Ashley is in recovery and can now say that she has more than 5 years clean and sober. She got her start in the addiction field as a behavioral health technician at an addiction treatment facility in Lauderdale-By-the-Sea, FL in 2017. Afterwards, she took a position as a case manager in the behavioral health field, working with youth in Palm Beach County who struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues. Ashley joined Banyan in 2018 as a discharge planner at the Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches facility and transitioned to a case manager role at Seaside Palm Beach that same year. Subsequently, she was promoted to a clinical support therapist at Seaside in 2019 and was promoted again to primary therapist at Seaside in 2020. Ashley is passionate about forming connections that foster hope, strength, and resilience. Being in a position to have the opportunity to create a strong, therapeutic alliance with our clients is something that she is continuously grateful for. Her favorite part of her position is watching our clients grow and progress from the time they enter treatment and it never ceases to inspire her. Ashley says, “I feel that we are able to witness true healing and growth on a daily basis. Additionally, I love knowing that I am a part of an amazing team who strives to provide the best care in our field.” Ashley’s goal is to continue to learn and grow within her current capacity at Seaside. She is currently completing her clinical hours needed for licensure; anticipated to be completed in 2021!

Brian was born and raised outside of Boston and moved to Florida in 2005 to go to treatment. Brian is in recovery. His first attempt at getting sober was a “halfhearted effort” during college in 1990. Over time, his usage progressed, and his consequences became more severe. He stopped and then relapsed many times after 1990. Fortunately, Brian has now been able to stay completely sober for almost 11 years! He received a BA from the University of MA in 1992, a Juris Doctorate from Western New England University in 2001, and MSW from Florida Atlantic University in 2015. After receiving his MSW, he realized that he could be most helpful to people by applying his experience in recovery and his education toward helping people overcome the challenge of addiction. Brian says, “Addiction often drains the life out of people, pulls them apart from the people they love, and leads them to act in they normally wouldn't.” He is passionate about helping a person's authentic self come back to the surface. When asked what his favorite part of his position is, Brian says, “There is nothing I find more rewarding than watching how a loving treatment team can inspire hope, confidence and happiness in a person who entered treatment feeling so hopeless, depressed, and beaten down. Watching a person "come to life" is my favorite part of my position.” His goal is to make sure all his patients feel listened to, cared about, and are given the best possible chance of staying sober.

Michelle was born and raised until age 5 in Buffalo, New York. Her family then moved to Florida where she grew up between the Orlando and South Florida areas. Michelle graduated from Boca Raton High School. She went on to Palm Beach State College to receive her AA in Psychology. She then went on to Florida Atlantic University, receiving her BA in Psychology in 1994. She started her work in the field of mental health, working at Fair Oaks Hospital in Delray Beach, Florida as a Behavioral Health Technician, working with various adult populations in a mental health hospital setting. After leaving that facility, she went on to continue to work as a Behavioral Health Technician at another center in Coconut Creek, Florida, working with women who had eating disorders as well as co-occurring disorders. It was while working at that facility that she decided that she wanted to work on a deeper level with clients. In 1997, Michelle went back to school to obtain her Master’s degree in Social Work at Barry University while continuing to work full-time in the field. She graduated with her Master’s degree in 2000. Since obtaining her degree, Michelle has had experience in a multitude of aspects within the field of mental health doing Individual, group, and family therapy work. She worked with women and children who were domestic violence victims and sexual abuse survivors. She has also worked with children who were in the foster care system. Additionally, Michelle worked with children placed in a short-term shelter due to not being able to return home because of the Department of Juvenile Justice involvement in the home. While Michelle is not in recovery herself, she has firsthand knowledge of the disease as a family member or loved ones with an alcohol addiction. She has had several family members who were alcoholics and who have died at the hands of the disease.  Michelle came into the field of addiction as a Primary Therapist in 2015 and has been working at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches/Seaside Palm Beach since 2016. She states that what makes her passionate about what she does is that she has always wanted to assist others in helping them find the underlying issues that are contributing to their addiction as well as helping them develop strategies and coping tools to assist with those issues. She states that her favorite part of the job is the ability to watch clients grow in a holistic way while gaining their strength and resilience.