EVENT SPEAKERS
Powerful Nutritional Strategies for Effective Addiction Treatment & Sustained Recovery
Join us on April 30 – May 2, 2025
Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus Dublin
Upper Metro Place, Dublin, OH
Unlock powerful nutritional strategies to enhance recovery and mental wellness at our highly anticipated Feed the Recovering Brain Summit. Whether you attend in person or virtually, this is your opportunity to gain cutting-edge insights from leading experts in addiction recovery, brain health, and nutrition.

Christina Veselak, MS, LMFT, CN
Founder of Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition and Eating Protein Saves Lives, Inc
Beyond Dopamine: Embracing a New Paradigm for Understanding and Addressing the Biochemistry of Addiction and Recovery, Within Everyone’s Reach!
Contrary to the widespread belief that medication is the only effective intervention for the addicted brain, this keynote presentation will open your eyes to the vast array of nutritional and lifestyle actions which can significantly help to bring the addicted brain back into balance and health.
An in-balance life requires an in-balance brain! Many nutritional, physical and lifestyle factors throw the brain out of balance, setting us up for recurrent addictive behaviors. These can be identified, and then addressed using non-pharmaceutical methods within everyone’s control. Research extending to the beginning of the 20th century is clear about the nutrients the brain requires for optimal functioning. Contemporary research into the destructive effects of ultra-highly processed foods corroborates this.
Understanding and identifying these diverse factors gives both the non-medical provider and their clients the power to quickly reduce cravings and the mood and physical distress which fuels relapse and death.
Key Takeaways:
- Research is clear about which nutrients the brain needs to stay in balance and function optimally.
- A nutrient-dense diet, available to everyone, provides these key nutrients and can support a robust long-term recovery journey.
- Many other physical issues can throw our brains and bodies out of balance, leading to symptoms, but can be effectively addressed using key nutritional and lifestyle strategies which are easily accessible.
Feeding Recovery: How a STARVING Brain May Create Cravings and Relapse! (And what to do about it!)
This 50-minute presentation concisely outlines the role the brain plays in supporting a successful recovery journey from all addictive disorders and presents the audience with a clear nutritional strategy for reducing cravings and recurrent use by providing the brain with the nutrients it requires to thrive.
Key Takeaways:
- The brain has many crucial mood-mediating functions, including allowing us to learn and remember to use recovery skills.
- Which foods provide the brain with the nutrients it requires to function optimally.
- When and what we eat matters tremendously to our recovery!
- Practical tips and strategies for consistently getting pro-recovery foods into our diets
Christina T. Veselak is the founder and director of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition. She has been a licensed psychotherapist for over 30 years, and currently provides on-line Relapse Prevention Coaching and Mental Health Nutrition to a wide variety of clients.
Christina consults for supplement companies as well as IV detox programs and residential addiction treatment, helping them integrate this life-saving nutritional approach into their programs.
She is an experienced public speaker, and has presented at conferences and trainings around the country. Christina is also a founding member and former Executive Director of the Alliance for Addiction Solutions, a non-profit organization which promotes the use of nutritional and other natural modalities to support repair of the addicted brain.
Presentation Abstract
Amino Acids for Sleep Disturbances
Trudy also presents nationally to nutrition and mental health professionals on food and mood, sharing all the recent research and how-to steps so they too can educate and empower their clients and patients.
Trudy is past president of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals. She was recipient of the 2012 Impact Award and served as a Special Advisor to the Board of Directors for many years. Trudy is a member of Alliance for Addiction Solutions and Anxiety and Depression Association of America. She was a nominee for the 2015 Scattergood Innovation Award and winner of the Go-Giver Mindshare award in 2018.

Michael Joseph Ferguson
Author of The Drummer and the Great Mountain and ADHD Time Management, ADHD Life Coach, Podcast Host.
Presentation Abstract
A Holistic Approach to Managing ADHD during Recovery
A high percentage of people who struggle with addiction also have ADHD. When ADHD struggles aren’t identified and given proper support, relapse is far more likely.
In this talk, Michael will discuss:
- Why people with ADHD are more prone to addiction
- What are the primary strengths and challenges of having ADHD
- Managing ADHD through Nutrition and Exercise
- Tools to minimize anxiety and overwhelm
- How to approach Time Management from an ADHD-friendly perspective
- Building a strong support system
Michael Joseph Ferguson is an author, ADHD life coach, public speaker, workshop facilitator, and host of the popular ADHD podcast “Adult ADHD ADD Tips and Support.” Author of the bestselling books The Drummer and the Great Mountain – a Guidebook to Transforming Adult ADD/ADHD and ADHD Time Management, Michael is a leading voice in reframing ADHD as a “neurological type” and not a disorder. He has coined the term “hunter-type” as an alternate label for ADHD, combining Thom Hartmann’s hunter-farmer hypothesis with the expression “neurological type.”
Through podcasts, online workshops, and one-on-one coaching, Michael and his partner Questa Li have built a global community based on their holistic approach to Adult ADHD.

Michael Lewis, MD
Expert on nutritional interventions for brain health, particularly the prevention and rehabilitation of brain injury
Presentation Abstract
Nourishing the Recovering Brain
Brain health is paramount in addiction and mental health treatment. Often overlooked and underlying mental health challenges, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions can significantly impact recovery and overall well-being. A holistic lifestyle medicine approach, including exercise, healthy eating habits, and targeted nutritional and hormonal interventions, can significantly enhance recovery outcomes.
This presentation will delve into the mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation and dysfunction. Additionally, discussed will be the crucial role of the pituitary gland in brain health and injury recovery.
The importance of customized exercise and dietary guidance and diligent monitoring for safety, feasibility, and effectiveness is emphasized. We will explore the potential benefits of specific nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and adaptogens, in modulating inflammation, promoting neuroprotection, and facilitating neurorepair including assessing pituitary dysfunction and implementing appropriate interventions to optimize treatment plans.
By integrating nutritional and hormonal therapies into a comprehensive treatment plan, mental health providers can empower their patients to achieve lasting recovery and improve their overall quality of life.
Dr. Lewis is the President and founder of the Brain Health Education and Research Institute.
He is an expert on nutritional interventions for brain health, particularly the use of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI). He founded Brain Health Education and Research in late 2011 upon retiring as a Colonel after a distinguished 31 year career in the U.S. Army.
His pioneering work in the military and since has helped thousands of people around the world and regularly featured in the media including CNN’s Sanjay Gupta MD show and numerous radio shows and podcasts. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Tulane University School of Medicine.
Dr. Lewis is board-certified and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine and the American College of Nutrition. He completed post-graduate training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He is currently in private practice in Potomac, Maryland (BrainCARE – www.BrainCARE.center), is a consultant to the U.S. Army and Navy as well as several organizations, institutes, and nutrition companies around the world, and a founding member of the Pop Warner Youth Football Medical Advisory Board.

Suze Kenney
Modern Kryptonite, Ancient Wisdom: Unlocking Your Body's Intelligence to Recover Vibrant Health
Presentation Abstract
Modern Kryptonite, Ancient Wisdom: Unlocking Your Body’s Intelligence to Recover Vibrant Health
Susan Kenney, CHWC, has always been deeply curious about the workings of the human body, supplemented by her knack for rigorous reading and researching.
She is currently the Founder of Actualized Wellbeing and Co-Founder of Emergo Academy. Suze is also a certified health and wellness coach (Wellcoaches), a brain health coach (Amen University), a life coach (Coachville), holds a certification in positive psychology (Whole being Institute), a certified neuro-technician (Brain State Technologies), is a certified sports nutritionist (BodyMind Institute), and has studied functional medicine (Kresser Institute) and nutritional psychiatry with Dr. Drew Ramsey.
Currently, Suze is completing her practitioner training program in functional medicine at the Kresser Institute.

Dave Kenney
Modern Kryptonite, Ancient Wisdom: Unlocking Your Body's Intelligence to Recover Vibrant Health
Presentation Abstract
The Illusion of Addiction
What if an addiction (whether a substance or a behavior) is not the problem— but the solution?
In this groundbreaking keynote, we’ll uncover the surprising truth about addiction, revealing how it’s the brain’s attempt to find relief, balance, and homeostasis. Your brain is the center of your being. It controls everything you think, do, and feel.
When your brain experiences physical or emotional distress or trauma, it causes your autonomic nervous system to react and can create imbalances in how your brain functions. This can lead to self-destructive behavior, substance use, overwhelm, and chaos.
This presentation will help attendees gain deep knowledge and understanding of how the brain drives behavior. Self-destructive choices, substance use, and drifting in life are not about a moral failing or character defect. It is not a lack of willpower—it is all about brain power.
We will lead you through a practical journey with easy-to-implement skills that you can apply to your professional practice, coaching, or peer support efforts to create a deep and lasting impact.
Dave Kenney, PhD (cand.), has enjoyed over 30 years in human performance and development, serving as an educator, sports coach, life coach, and mentor.
He is currently the Co-Founder of Emergo Academy, an international keynote speaker, and addiction/recovery specialist focusing his work on the neuroscience and neuropsychology of recovery.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master’s of Education degree and is a Doctoral candidate in Philosophy at Canterbury University focusing on neuroscience and neuropsychology of recovery.
Kenney is also a certified brain health coach (Amen University), a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), a member of the Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), a life coach (Coachville), a certified recovery coach (CCAR), has been trained in self-management for addiction recovery (SMART Recovery), and is a certified neuro-technician.
Kenney is also past Chair of Humber College’s post-graduate health and wellness program.

Julia Ross, M.A., N.N.T.S.
Best-selling Author. Mood & Craving Expert. Nutrient Therapy Pioneer
A HISTORY OF NUTRITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ADDICTION RECOVERY: 1950 – 2025
Over the past 75 years, as addiction has become an ever-greater national concern and conventional treatment methods alone have been unable to meet the challenge, recovery experts, beginning with Bill Wilson, have found that adding nutritional interventions can improve recovery rates substantially.
In fact, by 2010, guided by early neuroscience research, brain-targeted nutrient supplementation had:
- Demonstrated 60-80% success rates in three alcohol and cocaine addiction follow-up studies.
- Saved the state of California’s Drug Court program $20 million in reduced recidivism.
This presentation, given by one of the pioneers herself, will illuminate the rich tapestry of personalities, programs and research that have made nutritional interventions such a powerful part of addiction treatment and will take us on an insightful journey, starting in the 1950’s and continuing with us, here, today.
NEURO-NUTRIENT RECOVERY FROM FOOD ADDICTION: Eliminating the Brain-Generated Cravings That Cause Three Times More Deaths Than All Other Addictions Combined.
Since the takeover of the U.S. snack-food industry by the tobacco industry in the 1970s, its products have been specifically designed to derail the four powerful brain neurotransmitters that regulate our appetite and mood. As a direct result, edible-drug addiction has set off worldwide epidemics of diabetes, obesity, and much other physical and mental distress.
Fortunately, neuroscience research has identified a few simple nutrients that can be used by the brain to correct this neurotransmitter malfunction. Readily available as supplements for short-term use, they can quickly eliminate overwhelming junk food cravings, including those that plague people in recovery from other addictions.
The founding director of eight outpatient addiction treatment programs in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1980, Ross is also the author of three books on nutritional recovery: The Diet Cure, The Mood Cure, and The Craving Cure. She now directs a virtual clinic, which provides neuronutrient therapy (N.N.T.) and trains health practitioners in its use. See juliarosscures.com and her youtubechannel.
Presentation Abstract
Gray Area Drinking: You Don’t Need To Have a Drinking Problem to Stop Drinking
Gray area drinking is extremely common, and that’s precisely what makes it so hard to identify. Our society has normalized gray area (problematic) drinking so we first need to recognize that just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t mean it’s harmless.
There is a large demographic of drinkers who don’t appear to have “a drinking problem”, yet they silently worry and wonder about their drinking habits. When Bill Wilson founded AA in the 1930s, the neuroscience of today was largely unknown.
Understanding how our brain works and how to leverage the nervous system when deciding to quit drinking is the missing piece to moving beyond gray area drinking. Discover what gray area drinking is and what it is not.
Learn about the missing pieces from a physiology-first based approach to repair, replenish and rewire the body and mind after drinking in the gray area.
Jolene park is a functional nutritionist specializing in gray area drinking.
Jolene stopped drinking in 2014 and has studied the functional impact of food, emotions, environments, and movement in relationship to our physical bodies, which she speaks about in her TED talk about gray area drinking that you can watch here.
She founded Healthy discoveries® in 2001 and created Craving Brain private coaching for individuals, the sober choice online course for the public, and the nourish method training program for coaches and healthcare practitioners who would like to specialize in gray area drinking coaching.
Presentation Abstract
Nutritional Strategies for Opioid Withdrawal & Relapse Prevention
- Definition of Opioid
- Classes or types of Opioids
- Effects of Opioids
- Short versus long-acting Opioids
- Opioid Tolerance and Dependence
- The Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
- Acute Withdrawal Symptoms and Timelines (short and long-acting)
- Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms and Timelines (short and long-acting)
- How to detox safely and as comfortably as possible from any opioid(s) like oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, heroin, Suboxone (buprenorphine), Methadone, Kratom, etc., using: =>proven protocols such as high-dose vitamin C, sedative herbal extracts, calming minerals, neurotransmitter-producing amino acids, and other nutritional and integrative therapies.
- List of the Top Opioid Detox Protocols I’ve Seen Work with My Clients for Miracle Recoveries
- How to Prevent Opioid Relapse Using Nutritional Therapies
Matt overcame substance addiction over 13 years ago and made it his life’s purpose and mission to help others recover. A former certified alcohol and drug counselor, Matt witnessed firsthand the high failure rates of mainstream treatment and decided to become a private practice Recovery Coach to spread awareness of holistic therapies and beyond. Matt is the founder of Opiate Addiction Support and the Fit Recovery Head of Coaching.
Dr. Valsa Madhava, MD, MPH, MS, is a Board-Certified Internist, Addiction Medicine Specialist, and Functional Medicine practitioner. She earned her medical degree from Albany Medical College, completed her Internal Medicine Residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds advanced degrees, including a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s in Clinical Research Methods from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Additionally, she is certified in Functional Medicine through the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Dr. Madhava operates two functional medicine-based private practices: BrainBodyMedical and The Benzo Taper Doctor. She also works in the Behavioral Health Services division at St. John’s Riverside Hospital, providing care for individuals with substance use disorders, and holds an adjunct faculty appointment at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
In her Benzo Taper Doctor practice, Dr. Madhava takes a patient-centered approach to support individuals tapering off benzodiazepines and other psychotropic medications. This method often involves addressing root causes such as nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and gut microbiome dysfunction.
BrainBodyMedical is a functional medicine practice offering comprehensive care for a variety of health concerns, with a particular focus on addiction. Dr. Madhava’s evidence-based approach integrates published research, collaboration with experts, and her extensive clinical experience.
Dr. Madhava’s education and expertise reflect her dedication to advancing personalized, effective care.
She serves on the boards of the Alliance for Addiction Solutions and The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices.
Presentation Abstract
Role of Nutrients in Mental Health: Is it Evidence Based
The psychiatric field has been slow to adopt nutrients as primary treatments for mental health conditions, despite growing evidence of their importance. Research remains limited, with many studies being observational or small-scale, often yielding inconclusive or contradictory results. Large, well-controlled clinical trials are still scarce. Since the 1980s, psychiatry has increasingly relied on pharmaceutical therapies, even though many medications show limited effectiveness but are endorsed by regulatory and medical institutions. This presentation will review published studies highlighting the role of nutrients in brain function and mood regulation, focusing on mechanisms revealed by both clinical trials and observational research.
Presentation Abstract
Paradigm Shift: A New Path to Recovery
In this presentation, Dr. Michele Perron discusses the most effective methods to dramatically impact clients who have struggled with alcohol use. Using a unique combination of Amino Acid and targeted Naltrexone and other alternative techniques, she will dive into how to help your clients get faster, easier, less stressful, and lasting control over alcohol use without having to quit drinking as a final goal.
Dr. Michele Perron holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology, is certified in Applied Positive Psychology and the Academy’s Nutrition Recovery Coaching. She has 17 years of practice experience and is the developer of the Splashed not Smashed App. She was the Senior Clinical Supervisor at a national telehealth treatment agency for 7 years where she developed a unique program for moderation with support for targeted Naltrexone which had served over 500 clients with her trained team.
After leaving that employ, she further improved this approach and its outcomes with the application of Amino Acid Therapy, and other alternative health and wellness based methods including, cold plunge, tapping, solfeggio frequencies, and others. She is coach, counselor, speaker, trainer, and author. She teaches, coaches, and supports counselors and clients who want to break free of the one-size-fits-all treatment paradigm.

Val Prisecaru MS, CN, LDN
Val Prisecaru has been working as a nutritionist and nutrigenomics consultant for the past 20 years.
Presentation Abstract
Exploring the Multiple Roles of Genomics in Addiction and Mental Health
In this presentation, Dr. Michele Perron discusses the most effective methods to dramatically impact clients who have struggled with alcohol use. Using a unique combination of Amino Acid and targeted Naltrexone and other alternative techniques, she will dive into how to help your clients get faster, easier, less stressful, and lasting control over alcohol use without having to quit drinking as a final goal.
Val’s personal wellness journey began in Los Angeles in the 90s where he was studying anthropology. After reading numerous wellness books and studying many different health theories, Val moved to Illinois, changed majors, and earned his BS and MS degrees in nutrition from the University of Illinois where he studied macronutrients, ABO blood groups and glycomics, NIR imaging of food crops, neurotransmitter pathways, microbiome, oncology pathways, and the impacts of dietary lectins on health.
Val has over 25 years of clinical, research, and business experience. He has written many publications and has been an invited speaker at numerous presentations, where he translates complex multi-omics scientific concepts into practical principles that anyone can understand and apply.
Val is currently conducting independent research, constantly delving into the scientific literature to decode the latest findings and rediscover long-forgotten evidence.
He collaborates with several groups in the fields of bioinformatics, nutraceuticals, medical devices, and other wellness concepts.
Val has developed novel multi-omics protocols with Datapunk Bioinformatics and with Atlas Genetics, to help empower people to take control of their health.
He currently serves as Professor and Program Director of Nutrigenomics at John Patrick University (jpu.edu), operates a multi-omics health coaching service (geneticwellbeing.com), and works with Designs for Health at new product development (NPD) including the development of novel multi-omics platforms. Val resides in central Illinois with his wife Renee and their three children.
Are you ready to expand your toolbox and transform the way you approach recovery?
Join us on April 30 – May 2, 2025
Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus Dublin
Upper Metro Place, Dublin, OH
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the future of addiction recovery.