Who We Are

David is a retired clinical psychologist and professor emeritus in the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He worked with adolescents and families for over 35 years and did research and published on adolescent development and how to most effectively treat troubled adolescents. David has been involved in CRAFT clinical trials and in providing therapeutic interventions for and training psychotherapists to work with children, adolescents, and families.

After working in both western and eastern healthcare facilities, Emily joined Allies in Recovery in 2019. She is excited for the opportunity to combine her empathy and passion for helping others with her knowledge around technology. She holds several degrees and certificates in a wide range of areas, from Liberal Arts and General Studies to Pre-Health Sciences and Health Wellness & Public Safety. Born and raised in the East Mountains of New Mexico, Emily still calls the Land of Enchantment home. She currently lives in Albuquerque New Mexico, along with her husband and two sons.

Emily serves as editor, occasional contributor, and co-curator of our Sanctuary posts. She merges her studies in mind-body medicine with a lifelong passion for language, writing and editing to serve the Allies in Recovery community. She is honored to be a part of this global family, bringing compassionate, open-hearted communication to our members. Emily and her family live in New Mexico where she enjoys the steady sunshine, vast landscapes and regional delights. Passionate about natural medicine and healing, she also works as a massage therapist and teaches Anatomy & Physiology at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM.

Annie Highwater is a Writer, Speaker, Podcast Host and Family Advocate. She has a particular interest in family pathology and concepts of dysfunction, addiction, alcoholism and conflict. Annie published her memoir, Unhooked: A Mother’s Story of Unhitching from the Roller Coaster of Her Son’s Addiction, in 2016. Her story sheds light on the personal challenges facing the affected parents and family members, and illustrates how family dynamics both help and hinder the recovery process. Annie’s second book, Unbroken, Navigating the Madness of Family Dysfunction, Addiction, Alcoholism and Heartache was published in August of 2018. She resides in Columbus, Ohio and enjoys writing, long distance running, hiking, the great outdoors and visiting her son in California as often as possible.

Pascal Beuve is a man of many trades (music, sound engineering, yoga teaching!) but his current incarnation centers around the creation of websites and eLearning platforms. He is very enthusiastic about being part of the Allies in Recovery team and feels honored to contribute to the mission of helping families struggling with addiction. Pascal resides in Normandy, France.

Kayla Solomon is a social worker in private practice in Northampton, MA. Her specialty in addiction began right after college when she was hired as a methadone counselor in Fort Green, Brooklyn. Her clients taught her everything she needed to know about addiction. Since then she has worked in Intensive Outpatient Programs, clinics, residential and private practice. She is a certified in Imago Relationship therapy, Cognitive Behavioral therapy, and Brainspotting. Her claim to fame is her use of humor, improvisation and being a very direct New Yorker (even though she’s lived in Western Mass for 25 years). She is a long-term student of improv and tried a stint doing stand up. She decided not to quit her day job.

Jefferson joined Allies in Recovery in October 2016. His management career has been in the fitness and health care fields. Most recently he was Executive Director of ResCare Southern California, where he managed home care services for the frail elderly, developmentally disabled and wounded warriors. He is also involved with the California Coalition for Compassionate Care, promoting patient’s rights at end of life. He resides in Palm Springs, California.