By Anna McKenzie

At The Meadows, we have a group of Senior Fellows who are proven experts. But what is a Meadows Senior Fellow exactly? These men and women have made significant contributions to the field of addiction and mental health treatment, and they play an integral role in shaping our model and methods. That’s why we believe that the more you know about our Senior Fellows, the better you’ll understand our unique approach to treatment and why it makes a difference in the lives of our patients.

“Senior Fellow”: Its Meaning and Implications

What is a Senior Fellow? At The Meadows, a Senior Fellow is a key advisor who has been handpicked based on their expertise and groundbreaking work in the behavioral health field. Many of our Senior Fellows have published peer-reviewed research and books that have informed our country’s contemporary understanding of addiction and mental health rehab and recovery. Others are well-known speakers and teachers. Some have started foundations, institutes, or organizations based on their specialties or models that they developed.

Research is critical to our treatment approach. We want to focus on evidence-based approaches that have been shown to provide results for patients, and that means lots of scientific study and experience. Our Senior Fellows have put in the work of investigating and adopting certain approaches to determine if they offer patients the most effective and least invasive opportunities for long-term recovery. 

While we look back at what’s been done before (and has been shown to work), we also look ahead, seeking innovative techniques that can reduce the physical, mental, or emotional load that comes with forging a life in recovery. Our Senior Fellows have often been on the forefront of modern methods that help patients see more significant results with less time or effort than previous methods.

The Meadows Senior Fellows: Our Behavioral Health Experts

Our Senior Fellows are some of the nation’s top addiction and recovery experts. Some have held positions at our treatment centers, and others have played critical advisory roles while continuing their careers in research, speaking, teaching, and writing. Here are our Senior Fellows and just a glimpse of what they are known for:

• Pia Mellody: Developed the Developmental Model of Immaturity and Post Induction Therapy, the foundation of The Meadows Model of treatment
• Claudia Black, PhD, MSW: Internationally recognized for her pioneering and contemporary work with family systems and addictive disorders; helped start the Claudia Black Young Adult Center at The Meadows
• Patrick Carnes, PhD, CAS: Created the 30 Task Model for sex addiction treatment; primary architect of the Gentle Path at The Meadows treatment program
• Bessel van der Kolk, MD: Wrote a No. 1 New York Times’ bestselling book on trauma entitled The Body Keeps the Score; helped develop the Trauma Research Foundation
• Peter Levine, PhD: Developed a trauma treatment called Somatic Experiencing®
• Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD: Developed the Neurosequential Model© of treatment
• Laurence Heller, PhD: Developed the NeuroAffective Relational Model© (NARM) for trauma
• Tian Dayton, PhD, TEP: Developed Relational Trauma Repair (RTR) Sociometrics
• Resmaa Menakem, MSW, LICSW, SEP: Racialized trauma expert; founder of Justice Leadership Solutions
• Kevin McCauley, MD: Expert in substance use disorder treatment; produced the award-winning film Pleasure Unwoven
• Stefanie Carnes, PhD: Expert in women’s intimacy issues; clinical architect for Willow House at The Meadows
• Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN: Wellness and nutrition expert; created the Fuel Well® Program
• Jenni Schafer: An influencer and advocate for eating disorder treatment; Ambassador with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
• Richard Schwartz, PhD: Developed Internal Family Systems (IFS) model
• John Bradshaw, MD (in memorium): Expert on addiction treatment and toxic shame; chosen by peers as one of the 100 most influential writers on emotional health in the 20th century 

These individuals have made landmark contributions to behavioral health science and have helped expand its sphere of influence in modern culture. Their work has created the structure for our programs and fosters their future development. Some Senior Fellows leave such a lasting legacy that we continue to honor their contribution to our programs even after they’re gone.

Every Senior Fellow we choose has an impact on treatment at our facilities. They are not a random board of public figures affiliated with us; they are a group of experts who are dedicated to the thoughtful process of shaping our programs and the way we interact with patients. We’ve carefully chosen each one for their particular expertise, and their work has been instrumental in helping patients rediscover how to thrive in life. Their fingerprints are all over our compassionate, evidence-based approach to addiction and mental health rehabilitation, which is why you can trust that you’re getting a top-tier treatment experience when enrolled in one of our programs.

Get Research-Backed Treatment at The Meadows

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, don’t hesitate any longer to contact our admissions team. We can help you determine exactly what next steps you need to take to start a fresh life in recovery. From top to bottom, our programs are integrated with extensively researched and groundbreaking techniques in the behavioral health field to give you the best chance of thriving in the long-term. Reach out to learn more today.