Karen Zazzera DBH, LPC, CSAT, BRI-II
Dr. Karen Zazzera is the founder of Scottsdale Intervention and Counseling. She has worked as a professional in the addiction treatment industry since 1995 in residential, inpatient, outpatient, and private practice environments. Her passion for healing addiction began with her own recovery and has grown into a quest to provide those seeking healing from addiction and behavioral health problems with the best available treatment. For this reason, she continues to learn and educate others about the most current and effective methods, while discouraging people from being allured by the latest “quick fix” on the market.
Grounded firmly in the science of behavioral health and addiction recovery, Karen is a highly credentialed professional. She holds a Doctor of Behavioral Health degree from Arizona State University, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Arizona, a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), and an internationally Board Registered Interventionist. She is a board member for the Association of Intervention Specialists, and the Vice President for the International Interventionists Credentialing Board. She has been trained and certified as a Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor. She truly is an expert at helping people heal from addiction and behavioral health problems. She provides counseling and intervention services.
Karen’s Mission
In July of 1994 life as I knew it changed. That was the day I “reluctantly” admitted that I needed help. My drug and alcohol use had beaten me and robbed me of meaningful relationships with my family, the ability to fulfill work responsibilities and obligations, positive social interaction, hobbies and interests, material things, and most importantly my dignity and self respect. I was a slave to my addiction.
While my family watched me self-destruct, I felt tremendous guilt and shame about what I knew they saw. But I was unable to do anything about it. I know now that my brain had been “hijacked” by addiction rendering me powerless to help myself. In the end, it was the love and concern of my family that got me into recovery. They did not give up on me, and for that I am forever grateful.
Prior to recovery I did not know that there was a better way to live. When I got into recovery from my addiction I was overwhelmed with hope. I wanted to shout from the rooftop to all my addicted friends, ” You can be free!”
That continues to be my message today. Based on my personal experience with recovery from active addiction and what I have learned by studying and treating addiction for many years, I know that addiction is a brain disease that can be arrested, forever.
Addiction not only destroys the lives of addicts. Family members can be just as devastated by this family systemic disease. My focus is to help addicts and families find peace and dignity – to go on to live healthy, happy, and productive lives.
My expertise extends beyond addiction, to a rich understanding of the underlying issues of poor self esteem, negative self image, resentment, lack of self confidence, feeling disconnected from others, lack of motivation, and the loss of a sense of meaning in one’s life that plague so many people. This understanding allows me to successfully help people who do not have addiction problems, but experience depression, anxiety, history of past trauma, fatigue, and chronic pain.
My message is HOPE! No matter what stage of recovery or “pre-recovery” you or your loved one is in – I want to help you move toward health and freedom.
Professional Credentials
- Doctor of Behavioral Health Degree (DBH), 2010, Arizona State University
- Master of Counseling Degree (MC), 1999, University of Phoenix
- Bachelor of Science Degree, Health Care Administration, 1988, Idaho State University
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT)
- Board Registered Interventionist II (BRI-II)
- Membership Chairperson, Association of Intervention Specialists – (AIS) Board of Directors
- Full Member of the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS)
- Vice President of the Board of Directors for the International Interventionists Credentialing Board (IICB)
- Trained and Certified as a Compulsive Gambling Counselor (CCGC) certification not current, due to personal choice not to renew