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Apex Recovery Team

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The Apex Recovery Tennessee team is made up of clinicians, therapists, and support staff who are dedicated to helping our clients heal. Many of our team members are in recovery themselves and understand the unique challenges you might face on the journey to recovery—and how to overcome them.

Call 615.703.4639 today or reach out online to learn more about the Apex Recovery Tennessee staff and how we can help you or your loved one heal.

Dr. Matthew Bruhin headshot

Dr. Matthew Bruhin

CEO

Fred Bowen

Founder & Board Member

Michael Cartwright

Chairman of the Board

Jennifer Adams headshot

Jennifer Adams

Chief Legal Officer

Branch Atkisson headshot

Branch Atkisson

Vice President of Admissions and Outreach

Michelle Dubey

Clinical Director

Mike Rossi

Director of Business Development

Ashley Evetts

Intake Coordinator

Jacob Radford, MD

Medical Director

Michael Hayoun, MD

Medical Officer

Leah Lima, PMHNP

Nurse Practitioner

Deressa Marshall, FNP

Nurse Practitioner

Lauren Grude, WHNP

Nurse Practitioner

Caroline Drake, PMHNP

Nurse Practitioner

Mara Giovanni

Therapist

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Dr. Matthew Bruhin

CEO

Dr. Matthew J. Bruhin is the Chief Executive Officer of Apex Recovery. Dr. Bruhin utilized his experience in the creation of high-end rehabs, to construct a facility that was cutting-edge and affordable. His vision, eye for detail and desire to lead, have created an unparalleled vision for treating additive illness coupled with mental and emotional disorders. Dr. Bruhin treats every staff member and participant like family and hopes to bring his clinical and administrative vision to all areas of the US.

Dr. Bruhin is a State of California and Tennessee Board of Behavioral Sciences, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, as well as an Addiction Specialist. Dr. Bruhin earned his Doctorate in Addiction Psychology, has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, with a Minor in Addictive Disorders. Additionally he holds many other certifications and has tens of thousands of hours of clinical and training experience.

Dr. Bruhin has a diverse clinical training background, working in the mental health field for over 20 years. He specializes in the treatment of addiction and has specialized experience and clinical training in the treatment of prescription addiction, sexual addiction and gambling addiction. He works with many individuals and families ranging from the chronic mentally ill, to professional athletes, executives, and media personalities. He has developed his own specialized and effective techniques for the treatment of addiction and chemical dependency.

Dr. Bruhin loves to write, blog, and he appears regularly on network TV as a leader in the addiction field. He has worked with clients from A&E’s hit TV show Intervention, as well as the Tyra Show. Dr. Bruhin also performs local TV segments in order to get the public educated about addiction, and to break down the stigma of mental health issues. Dr. Bruhin is an adjunct professor at NYU, where he has taught graduate students at the Steinhardt school. Dr. Bruhin balances his passion for work with the love of his family, enjoyment of travel, and his vintage Star Wars collection, which can be viewed in his private office.

Fred Bowen

Founder & Board Member

Fred was raised in San Clemente, California. Fred was exposed to the drug culture at a very early age. By the time Fred had graduated from high school, his addiction had progressed to a point that most people do not return from. For another decade, he struggled with addiction and recovery with multiple attempts at abstinence. There were periods of homelessness along with periods of high functioning and experiencing success. Fred realized, ultimately, that addiction was always in control. At the age of thirty, on death’s door, Fred had hit rock bottom and had a moment of clarity that would save his life. That clarity was the sea of change in his life.

20 years later, Fred is not able to recognize his past life in comparison to where he is now. Early on, Fred had made the decision that addiction and recovery would be his sole vocation. He started sober living homes and found that working with people that suffered from the same addiction would be his passion. This was the beginning of Apex Recovery.

“I’m extremely proud of the person I have become simply by staying clean and having an open mind in regards to the recovery process.”

Fred’s hope for anyone suffering the way he did is to be able to find a way out of the vicious cycle of addiction. Recovery is a gift that all are entitled to. Apex can be a part of that.

Michael Cartwright

Chairman of the Board

There is no end in sight for Michael Cartwright. He has a sincere goal to provide endless resources to those who truly want to release the grip of addiction.

Known as a premiere addiction industry trailblazer, Michael Cartwright is a noted behavioral health entrepreneur. He founded Performance Revolution LLC, also known as Fit-Rx, in 2009 and, from that success, was then able to merge with a company named Forterus with a successful history of treating over 12 million individuals in need of addiction treatment. Another success in the industry was the founding of Foundations Recovery Network.

Soon thereafter, Forterus grew and developed into AAC or American Addiction Centers being led by their chairman of the board, Michael Cartwright.

Michael Cartwright is a pillar in dual diagnosis management and the founder of Foundations Associates. Under his management, the organization grew to include four alcohol and drug treatment facilities nationwide, including the Canyon, the leading recovery facility in Malibu, California. One highlight in Michael’s service career is when he served and testified on the Senate Help Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.

Jennifer Adams

Chief Legal Officer

Jennifer has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She began her career as a paralegal in the legal department of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) where she spent 15 years learning the health insurance industry. Jennifer held various positions at BCBST including Paralegal, Senior Privacy Consultant; Chief Privacy, Security and Compliance Officer for a technology subsidiary, Shared Health and Senior Counsel.

Jennifer then further advanced her healthcare experience by joining the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for almost 10 years. Jennifer served as the Director for Payer Relations where she was responsible for managing all payer relationships across the country for the VA. In her last position, Jennifer’s was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and served as the Executive Director for Integrated External Networks which was responsible for the development, oversight and management of the Community Care Network program that provides Veterans access to community providers when VA cannot provide the service timely or close to home.

Jennifer joined Apex Recovery in February 2023 as the Chief Legal Officer. Jennifer graduated from Tennessee Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Science business degree in Human Resource Management, Economics and Finance. She also holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the Nashville School of Law.

Branch Atkisson

National Director of Business Development

A passion for helping those in need started with his own personal experience growing up. This morphed into a professional expertise in the areas of outreach and community development.

A true understanding of what treatment resources are available and how to connect those in need with them has allowed him to develop relationships that continue to benefit APEX’s patients. “I love sitting with addicts and their families in moments of crisis and helping them understand there is hope through the process of treatment!”

Michelle Dubey

Clinical Director

Michelle is a seasoned licensed clinical social worker, deeply committed to supporting individuals facing trauma and substance use disorders through a holistic lens that incorporates fitness and wellness practices. She believes in addressing mental health challenges from a comprehensive perspective, recognizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. That’s why alongside traditional therapeutic approaches, she places a strong emphasis on integrating holistic and fitness-based interventions into our work together.

Michelle has over 15 years of experience in the industry and have worked with people of all ages and walks of life. She is actively licensed in KY, TN, VA, AZ, OH, and CO for independent practice and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist.

Mike Rossi

Director of Business Development

With a diverse background spanning entertainment, music, television, special events, and fashion, my experience encompasses a broad spectrum. From sales and event production to talent relations, entertainment programming, promotions, tour management, and music direction, I have navigated various facets of the industry. This extensive journey has not only honed my skills but also provided a solid foundation for venturing into drug, alcohol, and  mental health treatment. Recognizing the critical intersection of entertainment and mental well-being, I leverage my expertise in business development and marketing to forge innovative paths in the treatment space, integrating my background in event production and talent relations.

As Director of Business Development I aspire to create initiatives that contribute positively to individuals’ mental health journeys. This dynamic fusion of experiences positions me at the forefront of a business endeavor that seeks to make a meaningful impact on both the Substance Abuse and mental health landscapes in our community.

Ashley Evetts

Intake Coordinator

Ashley grew up in Murfreesboro, TN and graduated from Smyrna High School in 2005. Upon graduating, she attended college and received an associate degree in applied science before taking on a role as a medical assistant.

After 10 years as a medical assistant, Ashley was in an accident and found herself dependent on medications she started taking while recovering. Long-term treatment gave her a path out of addiction and into recovery, and after this experience, she decided that she wanted to help people in similar situations. She began working for the same center she went to for treatment as a medical assistant in their admissions department, and she is now part of the Apex team in a similar capacity.

Ashley and her husband Shawn have five sons, and her free time is spent cheering on her sons in baseball and football and spending time with her granddaughter. Ashley can often be found reading, running, and relaxing with true crime documentaries and podcasts.

Jacob Radford, MD

Medical Director

The founder and CEO of Icarus, and now Medical Director at Apex Recovery Tennessee has been an emergency room doctor since 2010, and is dual board-certified in addiction medicine. The failures he saw in the ER motivated him to create a better system, so he founded Icarus Addiction Care in 2022.

Michael Hayoun, MD

Medical Officer

The Chief Medical Officer of Icarus and now Apex Recovery Tennessee, Michael was born and raised in New Jersey. His education includes the Northeastern US, England, and California. He is a physician board-certified in emergency medicine and medical toxicology.

Leah Lima, PMHNP

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Practitioner Leah Lima has been practicing as a PMHNP-BC since 2022, building on 25 years of psychiatric RN experience.

Deressa Marshall, FNP

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Practitioner Deressa Marshall has worked for a decade in a rich variety of Middle Tennessee primary care and addiction care settings.

Lauren Grude, WHNP

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse Practitioner Lauren Grude has a background in women’s health, but dedicated her career to addiction care starting in 2016.

Caroline Drake, PMHNP

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioner Caroline Drake practices with empathy, compassion, and whole-person understanding. She treats patients holistically from a patient-centered perspective. She has over 15 years of experience in administration, entrepreneurship, and mental health treatment.

Mara Giovanni, MSW

Therapist

Mara Giovanni, MSW, is the visionary behind Kali Connection Therapy (KCT), a pioneering somatic therapy deeply rooted in neuroscience. With a master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University, Mara dedicated years to developing innovative therapeutic groups addressing crucial themes such as boundaries, trauma, safety, recovery, grief, and meditation.

Inspired by Bessel van der Kolk’s assertion that martial arts could be one of the best treatments for traumatic stress, a transformative journey unfolded, blending 40 years of martial arts expertise with an intensive exploration of trauma science, Polyvagal Theory, Interpersonal Neurobiology, the Nurosequential model, and Affective Neuroscience. This fusion gave birth to Kali Connection Therapy, featuring targeted exercises for specific manifestations of somatic trauma and anxiety.

Mara is excited to partner with Apex Recovery, which provides deeply holistic and comprehensive care for persons seeking recovery. Impressed by the incredible team at Apex Recovery, she feels this partnership will add a whole new dimension to her transformative work.

Call Our Toll-Free Hotline 24/7 at 877.881.2689