Introducing Our New Clinical and Men’s Director – Tricia Roberts
The Extension would like to welcome our new Clinical and Men’s Program Director Tricia Roberts. Tricia grew up in Georgia and has a powerful personal story and a passion to see transformational change in those who struggle with the disease of addiction…
Where are you from? What is your background?
“I grew up in Pickens County, GA. My parents are entrepreneurs who ran a successful grading business throughout my life. We have always lived in the country, on the family homestead surrounded by family and a close-knit group of neighbors. I went to Pickens High and then to North GA College, where I graduated with a BBA in Finance. I married young and started a family while working in the grading business until 2008. At that point, the economy and a divorce (God) forced me into a different career path. I began working in the social support field and later moved into mental health, working with adults with developmental disabilities.”
What prompted you to get into addiction counseling?
“I started my education in counseling with a curiosity about what made people tick. More specifically, why do the people in my life behave the way that they do, and why do I respond the way I respond? I began to see patterns in the families I was close to. In my own family, one of the most impactful and influential men was my Granddaddy. His addiction to alcohol has had repercussions that are still felt, almost 30 years past his death. His addiction had a negative impact on his finances, his marriage, and the upbringing of my father, which ultimately affected me as well. He was a master at “burning it down” as we say. His relationship with my Daddy was strained the entirety of my life. When I was very small (back before car seats and seat belts) I can remember riding all over the county standing in the truck seat beside him. My mother became fearful for me to ride with him; his use was out of control. Soon after, when I was 6, he had a massive stroke and a car accident. He spent the next 13 years in a nursing home, paralyzed completely on one side. I had a front-row seat to the destructive nature of his addiction and the challenges it caused. My grandmother managed her life around his care. She always felt obligated to see him and fix meals for him daily. After he passed away, she followed in less than a year due to a heart attack. I always believed her death was directly linked to stress and I resented the time I felt I lost with her.
Naturally, when the opportunity presented itself in the master’s curriculum, I was drawn towards substance abuse counseling. I worked with children in the drug court system throughout my practicum and internship, and I recognized the need for addiction counseling. However, through my own experience and seeing kids flounder in the court system, I knew I wanted to work with adults. Adults are the ones who can actually enact change, the kind of change that disrupts the generational patterns and writes a new story for themselves and their families.”
What is your area of expertise and focus?
“My focus is on trauma, trauma resolution, and addiction. I have found trauma and addiction are interwoven for most every person I have worked with. I am a certified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapist. This modality of treatment is one of the leading treatments for PTSD and is effective in reducing anxiety, depressive symptoms, urges to use substances, and many other mental health issues.”
Why did you want to work at The Extension?
“I did my homework. The Extension has a stellar reputation and the alumni involvement is a testimony to the work that is done here. The Extension is a front-line battleground of the addiction war in our area. I wanted to be a part of that. Now that I’m here, one of the things I love most is the idea that we are a family. I am impressed daily at the heart everyone here has for our mission and our individuals. I have never met anyone with more compassion and determination than Tyler; I didn’t know it when I came, but having him as a boss is at the top of the list for why anyone would want to work at The Extension.”
What positive changes would you like to bring to the men’s program moving forward?
“My biggest change will be to bring our alumni and volunteers back on campus. I keep hearing about how “it was great before Covid, there were so many people here, loving on our folks!” Not having that connection right now is my most difficult challenge. Beyond that change, I would like to implement more intensive 1:1 therapy and continue to expand our group curriculum. This month we have implemented or updated “Helping Men/Women Recover”. This is an example of evidence-based programming that will help our individuals gain insight into themselves, spark motivation and allow for measurable outcomes. I would like to continue outcome analysis and use the information we are now able to assimilate to make decisions on programming that will help our individuals better attain and maintain healthy recovery for the rest of their lives. ”
Tricia Roberts, MA, LPC, NCC
Clinical Director/Men’s Program Director
