Chief Clinical Editor for Narconon, Claire Pinelli
Claire Pinelli has been a teacher and counselor for over 45 years. Claire has always been interested in helping others, even while working on her degree in mathematics. Eventually, Claire took a year off to follow her passion, then returned to finish her degree graduating Cum Laude for Brooklyn College, CUNY.
Throughout the 1970s Claire continued to counsel others, moving to Los Angeles before eventually settling in New York City where she married. While in New York Claire began a new chapter in her life by teaching in the New York City School System, where she helped establish the first computer science curriculum for the New York City School System. Despite her busy schedule, Claire found the time to earn her Master of Science Degree, Cum Laude, in Computer Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York (now New York University).
In 1985 she left New York with her husband and moved to Los Angeles finding herself managing a multi-specialty medical clinic in Los Angeles. As time went on, Claire’s family grew to 3 children and with her husband, they made the decision to move to Northern California for her children to have a quality education. It was here that Claire began one of the most fulfilling chapters in her life when a local Narconon drug and alcohol rehab center asked for her help. She agreed, and it was there she realized her passion and ability to use her counseling skills to help those addicted to drugs and alcohol as well as their families. While there, she was able to put in a standard withdrawal protocol and double the program enrollment.
In 2004 she moved on to work at a larger Narconon facility in Oklahoma. Here she was met with a new challenge. Over the course of her 2-year tenure, Claire saw the enrollment double as she supervised treatment for over 200 clients at a time. Her skills as an administrator as well as a counselor were put to good use as she helped thousands of addicts discover how to live life free from drugs and alcohol. After ensuring a smooth transition, in 2007 she decided to move to Houston, Texas, where she and her family live today. In Houston, she and her husband founded Q.U.A.D. Consultants of Texas, Inc. A Texas corporation whose goal is to help people Quit Using Alcohol and Drugs by treating and educating not only the addict, but the counselors, the family and the facility as well.
Over the years, she never stopped learning and advancing her knowledge and certification to increase her expertise and skill to help others. She became an LADC with Clinical Supervision Certification from the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors; an Internationally Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICAADC) and a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS) from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium; a Registered Addiction Specialist (RAS) from the Breining Institute in California; and a Master’s Level Certified Addiction Professional and Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP) from the state of Florida.
Claire has been doing talks and lectures on drug addiction and treatment as well as classes for professionals since 2005.
She currently is living in Houston with her family and consulting for several facilities and creating and delivering Board Approved Continuing Education training for professional and lay people alike.
As we roll into the summer months and some of the shelter-at-home quarantine mandates loosen, many Americans are undoubtedly entertaining the idea of hosting BBQs, parties, beach days, and other social gatherings.
The 2020 social environment definitely presents us with unique challenges. With some ingenuity, it's possible to use all the communication tools at our disposal to create a new social life that might be just as good as the one you experienced in 2019.
Because of the threat posed by COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to protect your basic health to prevent any upper respiratory diseases like COVID-19 or pneumonia. Eliminating drug use and excessive alcohol use are key ways to improve your resistance.
Many families seeking addiction recovery for a loved one are told that medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine is the only way to go. It takes understanding the liabilities of buprenorphine treatment to know the answer.
This is a difficult time for a lot of people. Unemployment is at record levels, and a health crisis is spreading across America. For those in recovery, tensions are likely quite high. What can you do to help your loved one stay sober?
Admitting to a drug problem takes courage. If there's a national spotlight on you so, doing so takes even more courage. One mayor from Florida's state capital just came forth and admitted to his drinking problem, effectively inspiring others who secretly struggle with addiction to do the same.
Every State in the Union addresses the drug abuse and addiction problems in its own way. And every State racks up huge costs in doing so. How much are we actually spending on this problem? And what is the financial burden for each working American?
What does it mean for an addictive product to be commercialized – in other words, manufactured and sold solely for the purpose of making profits? Is this a good idea or one that is destructive? We’ll provide the facts and you can decide.
For the last decade, we’ve been focused on fighting an epidemic of opioid use and overdose deaths. While we were occupied dealing with that problem, methamphetamine has made a comeback. This should be a lesson to never get too fixed on one specific drug problem.
When you’re dealing with an addicted loved one, there comes a time you have to draw a line to stop enabling and to help them stop their addicted behavior. When is the right time? How do you do it?
Yes, it is possible to maintain your recovery, even if things around you are uncertain and upsetting. It mostly takes making the decision to start things moving in a more positive direction. If there’s any influence that’s likely to cause a person in recovery to relapse, it’s stress.
Controversy has surrounded facilities established to give injecting drug users a safe space with medical supervision in which they can consume their drugs. Up to now, it's been hard to tell if they were truly beneficial or actually harmful. A new report from the Government of Alberta provides a possible answer.
For some people, returning to their usual environments after completing rehab can be a serious mistake. A change of environment can be just the therapy some people need to succeed in their new sober lives.
In the decades that America has allowed direct-to-consumer drug ads plus posters and billboards for alcohol and marijuana sales, we have come no closer to resolving our nation’s problems with these substances.
So your friend or loved one has completed rehab. Now what? You might be surprised at the many ways you can help. In fact, MORE than just help. You might be the deciding factor in whether they succeed in sobriety or not!
Any time we try to solve the drug problem, we have to look at the whole of the problem, not just one drug. Have you ever been to a carnival and played the game called “whack-a-mole”? This game consists of a large board with holes through which mechanical moles stick their heads, one after another.
Especially for those who have spent time addicted to drugs or alcohol, this is the best possible time to boost your immune system. We'll provide you with simple suggestions to help you increase your resistance to disease.
Before a son or daughter gets into rehab, parents worry about an overdose. After a son or daughter completes rehab, parents worry about a relapse. What can YOU do, as a parent, to ensure your son or daughter has a healthy and relapse-free life?
