Dr. Reef Karim, D.O.
Founder, Medical Director
Expertise: Addiction Medicine, Detoxification, Mental Health Disorders, Relationship Therapy, Spiritual Healing
Dr. Reef Karim is a board certified psychiatrist, board certified addiction medicine specialist, and a certified relationship therapist. He is a senior attending physician and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience as well a published research scientist in the field of behavioral & chemical addictions with articles in the International Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Addiction Medicine, and other prestigious journals.
Dr. Reef has been a consultant at many well-known rehab facilities and is the Founder and Medical Director of The Control Center. Additionally, Dr. Reef is a well-known media personality in the field of mental health, relationships, and addictions with multiple appearances on: Oprah, Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, The Today Show, Dateline NBC, and many others. Dr. Reef has trained with Sufi mystic leaders, Navajo and Hopi shaman, and other spiritual practitioners in addition to his strong training in traditional western medicine. As such, he created The Control Center to fully integrate neuroscience, psychological testing, specialty psychotherapy, and trauma work with nutritional support and spiritual healing.
Dr. Priya Chaudhri, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
Expertise: Addictive Disorders, Behavioral Medicine, and Biofeedback
Dr. Chaudhri is currently the Clinical Director of The Control Center and is trained in behavioral medicine and addiction. Dr. Chaudhri has over 10 years of experience working at various outpatient and residential substance abuse programs. Dr. Chaudri has been the clinical director of several addiction rehabs.
Dr. Chaudhri received her academic and research training from UC Berkeley. She completed an APA accredited postdoctoral fellowship through Yale University in cardiovascular behavioral medicine. During her fellowship, she received specialty training in treating cardiac patients with co-occurring addictive disorders and became certified in biofeedback. Dr. Chaudhri has extensive experience in integrating alternative medicine and other advanced techniques into treatment for chemical and behavioral addiction.
Dr. Farzin Yaghmaie, M.D., M.A.
Clinical Psychiatrist
Expertise: Mental Health Disorders, Addiction Medicine, Detoxification
Dr. Yaghmaie is a psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of mood, anxiety, and addiction issues. He completed his medical residency and psychiatric training at UCLA, where he was chief resident of the UCLA Integrative Substance Abuse Programs and the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Opioid Treatment Program.
He has extensive training and experience in the evaluation of addiction, detoxification, and treatment of chemical dependency with medication and therapy. Dr. Yaghmaie has academic and research training from UC Berkeley, where he studied integrative biology and endocrinology. He has numerous professional publications and has been a sub-investigator researching medication development for the treatment of opiate and methamphetamine dependence. Dr. Yaghmaie is currently a psychiatrist at The Control Center and also has a private practice in Beverly Hills.
Andre Zitcer
Holistic Practitioner
Expertise: Somatic Experiencing, Yoga, Acupuncture
Andre Zitcer is a licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist in the state of California with a Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine. He has extensively trained to help clients find ways of resolving stress and anxiety, beginning with various forms of meditation, yoga, and tai chi, in his utilization of holistic medicine. Andre has been practicing oriental medicine for 10 years. He has trained with Peter Levine, PhD, in the art of somatic experiencing and he is also a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher. Andre teaches Pranayama for health and has developed an expertise in the complex relationship of addiction, anxiety, and trauma.
Rohini Ross, MFT
Spiritual Psychotherapist
Expertise: Meditation, Breathing, Visualization, Mindfulness
Rohini Ross is a licensed marriage and family therapist and spiritual psychotherapist. Rohini specializes in integrating practical spirituality with therapeutic work to promote transformational healing. She helps clients quiet their mind and tap into their own resources through alternative healing techniques in an effort to help diminish anxiety and impulsivity. Rohini received her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology with a Certificate in Consciousness, Health, and Healing from the University of Santa Monica.
Dr. Deborah Sweet, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Expertise: Addiction Therapy, Trauma, EMDR, Compulsive Shopping
Deborah Sweet, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who specializes in helping people recover from a variety of addictions and traumas with a specialty in chemical dependency and spending addictions. Dr. Sweet uses talk therapy, CBT, solution-focused, and 12 Step Recovery models. Since many addictions are rooted in trauma, she blends Somatic Experiencing and EMDR treatments to help clients with a sense of resilience.
Three areas that are frequently affected by trauma are a sense of choice, a sense of safety, and a sense of self. EMDR and Somatic Experiencing provide a different kind of access to traumatic material. Dr. Sweet has also helped individuals and business owners with their issues around spending and financial recovery since 1997. As a compulsive shopping expert, Dr. Sweet offers a gentle yet direct approach regarding resistance and motivation around money, saving, and shopping.
In addition to psychological help, she offers practical tools on how to deal with money, shopping, and financial resources. She is an active member of the American Psychological Association, CPA, LACPA, and the Women’s Association for Addiction Treatment.
Dr. Jeremy Martinez, M.D.
Addiction Psychiatrist
Expertise: Addiction Psychiatry, Detoxification, Cultural Psychiatry
Jeremy Martinez, MD is an addiction psychiatrist in Los Angeles. His approach to mental health is unique, using such techniques as EEG biofeedback, and alpha-stimulation, in addition to traditional forms of psychiatric treatment. His interests also include dual-diagnosis treatment in the rehabilitation setting and cultural issues in mental health.
Sharon Skok
Expertise: Traditional Chinese Medicine – Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine, Hatha and Restorative Yoga
Sharon Skok is a California State Licensed Acupuncturist and a nationally recognized Diplomate in Oriental Medicine by the NCCAOM. She graduated with honors from Yo San University in Los Angeles, CA where she earned her Masters Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine (M.A.T.C.M). Sharon began treating individuals recovering from addiction during her clinical internship at Yo San University and saw the positive benefits of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in patients with addiction and aiding in recovery. She is happy to be part of the integrative team at The Control Center. Sharon has worked in integrative health care settings in the past, including working with HIV+ individuals and also with cancer patients, their families, and their caregivers. Sharon has devoted her adult life to studying health and eastern healing practices. Sharon helps her patients reach better health and well being though the use of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and Chinese nutritional guidelines to support and harmonizes an individual’s body, mind, and spirit. In addition, Sharon has been teaching yoga in Los Angeles since 2002.
Dr. Rory Reid, Ph.D.
Consultant Neuropsychologist
Expertise: Neuropsychology, Psychological Assessment, Compulsive Sexual Behavior, Problem Gambling
Eric Harlacher, CADCA
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
Expertise: Chemical Dependency, REBT, and CinemaTherapist
After spending two decades working as a Hollywood screenwriter, Eric Harlacher is thrilled to be developing CinemaTherapy at The Control Center in conjunction with Dr. Reef. Having proactively recovered from first cancer and then alcohol dependence, it has become Eric’s passion to reconcile how addiction is viewed so differently from other disease models. Hence, his mantra: “Shame is the enemy.” Eric facilitates a weekly SMART Recovery® meeting at Las Encinas Hospital that is open to anyone, free of charge.
Dr. Dana Kiesel, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Expertise: Eating Disorders, ADHD
Dr. Dana Kiesel, a psychologist with a specialty in the clinical treatment of eating disorders as well as CBT work with ADHD, has maintained a private practice in Beverly Hills for 18 years. Dr. Kiesel works in an interactive and collaborative way that works towards gaining insight, self-awareness, and strength for each client.
Therapy is held in a supportive atmosphere and at the same time the client is encouraged to face the issues that have been causing them to engage in disordered eating. This collaborative kind of psychotherapy helps clients become “unstuck” from the self-destructive behavior and other patterns of the eating disorder. Dr. Kiesel was trained in many modalities and uses them to keep her work current and effective.
Some of these modalities include psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, hypnosis, and mindful meditation. Dr. Kiesel earned her Masters and Doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant University. She did her Pre and Post Doctoral training at the Wright Institute in Los Angeles.
Robyn L. Goldberg, RD
Registered Dietitian
Expertise: Nutritional Services, Eating Disorders
Robyn began her career at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as the inpatient dietitian in the Department of Cardiology. She currently works in Beverly Hills, CA, where she specializes in medical, psychiatric, and self control conditions such as disordered eating. Dr. Goldberg also works with an eye toward preventative nutrition for all clients as well as for athletes, helping them reach optimal nutrition.
Additionally, she serves as a Nutrition Consultant for the Celiac Foundation. Robyn is a contributing author for and has been quoted in the following publications, among (but not limited to) Shape and Fitness, BH Weekly, and Todays Dietitian. For the last eight years, Robyn was the Nutritional Counselor for the Susan Krevoy Eating Disorders Program at The Wright Institute Los Angeles.
Sara Barthol, LCSW
Expertise: Sex Addiction, General Addiction
Sara Barthol is a psychotherapist with an extensive history of providing help for clients with the following; sex addiction, general addiction and mental health therapeutic services including assessment, as well as providing individual, group and family therapy. She has worked as an inpatient psychotherapist at Malibu Rehab Center and she trained and worked as an individual and group psychotherapist at the Sexual Recovery Institute for over 10 years. Sara’s work in sex addiction includes conducting assessments and working with couples and individuals to stabilize and control their impulses while building their coping skills. She has an Associate of Sex Education degree from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality and she is a licensed clinical social worker. She also has a small private practice for adults. License # is LCS 18733.
Allison Cohen, MFT
Expertise: Individual Therapy, Family & Relational Therapy
Allison Cohen, M.A., MFT – Allison Cohen is a licensed psychotherapist, with 9 years experience working with individuals, couples, and families. Allison specializes in aiding clients that struggle with life issues including self-esteem, partner dynamics, family of origin conflict, identity formation, communication skills, impulsive eating, anxiety, and depression. She uses a kind yet frank approach to provide concrete tools for life long change.
She believes that the client is the expert on themselves and through an eclectic combination of orientations, she works to bring out the best version of the client that they can be. She is a member of the California Association of Marriage Family Therapists, Divorce Transition Professionals, and Psi Chi (the International Honor Society of Psychology).