Therapists
Paul Weaver, MS, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS, CCTP
Clinical Director
With a Master’s in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University, Paul has worked extensively with Emerging Adults in both hospital and outpatient settings, largely focusing on the client with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders. Being deeply influenced by the work of Carl Rogers, Viktor Frankl, and Carl Jung, Paul tends to focus on themes of autonomy and power, identity formation, and meaning and purpose in his work with clients. Paul brings to Red Oak Recovery® experience and interest in clinical rehabilitation program development and training. Paul and his wife’s passion for the outdoors and for sustainability drew them to the Asheville area. Working at Red Oak Recovery® enables Paul to continue to focus on his work with Emerging Adults and explore his interests in Eco and Adventure Therapy. When not working, Paul, his wife, and their two young children spend much of their time camping, hiking, and enjoying the serenity of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Ellen Sizemore, MA, MDIV, LCMHC, LCAS
Associate Clinical Director and Family Therapist
Ellen joined The Willows at Red Oak Recovery®’s treatment team in 2017 after earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Wake Forest University in 2012, then working as a therapist and supervisor in community mental health and substance use services for several years. She currently serves as a the Associate Clinical Director and Family Therapist at Red Oak Recovery® and appreciates getting to work directly with clients, families, and alongside the treatment team. Ellen is passionate about recovery and supporting young adults in experiencing and claiming their own power and wholeness. Ellen is from rural east Tennessee and is grateful for the mountains from which she came and the mountains she calls home today. Ellen lives in Asheville with her husband, Joe, and daughter, Heidi. She loves running, yard work, singing, and eating at all the eclectic restaurants in Asheville.
Ben Lancaster, MTS, LCMHCS, LCAS-A
Primary Therapist
Ben has been licensed as a professional counselor for almost 20 years and has been practicing as a therapist and involved with addiction recovery since 1989. He has worked in a wide variety of treatment settings including hospitals, residential, intensive outpatient, independent living, alternative school and public school, agency and private practice. Ben has enjoyed working with dual diagnosis, mental health and addiction recovery clients of all ages, and believes strongly that any person can make meaningful changes necessary to experience a purposeful and fulfilling life with the necessary support. A native of North Carolina, Ben has appreciated the natural therapy of his homeland from coast to mountains throughout most of his life. Growing up farming tobacco, playing sports and working in the woods of eastern North Carolina gave an early experience of the importance of embracing nature and needing support. Graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1986, an interest in psychology and religious studies was fueled, and he continued to evolve with a Master’s of Theological Studies degree in 1991 from Vanderbilt University with a focus in human development counseling. Experiences of spirituality and community related to mental health and addiction recovery offered a natural fit for continued passion and learning for a lifetime. Ben is a NC Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor. He has committed multiple years of advanced education to two major post graduate training programs – The Southeast Institute for Group & Family Therapy in Chapel Hill and the Appalachian Gestalt Therapy Institute (AGTI) in Asheville. He continues to be currently involved with AGTI. As a primary therapist at Red Oak Recovery®, Ben brings an interest in co-creating experiences of connection, wholeness, and support for individuals and families who decide to make life-affirming changes toward long-term, sustainable recovery. Ben is an avid UNC TarHeel fan and enjoys hiking and most outdoor activities. He also loves sitting by the fire in his mountain home with his Golden Retriever, Jackson, and his wife, Peggy, of 25 years.
Hannah Baker, MA, LCMHC, LCAS, CCTP
Primary Therapist
Growing up in the piedmont of North Carolina, Hannah has called the Asheville mountains home for over 10 years. Hannah holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University following many years of experience with working with children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Gaining experience in several therapeutic settings including psychiatric residential treatment, middle-school counseling center, intensive in-home services, and wilderness adventure program, Hannah is poised to provide dynamic clinical services based on the individualized needs of the client. Hannah is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist-Associate. With the therapeutic alliance as the foundation of change, Hannah’s approach is supporting clients and their families as they learn to navigate various challenges with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health diagnoses, process trauma, and heal painful interpersonal patterns that keep them stuck. Hannah specializes in the areas of attachment, trauma, identity-exploration, substance abuse, mood disorders and anxiety, and family conflict and dysfunction. She is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and utilizes mindfulness approaches, Motivational Interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and somatic-based modalities to support her clients towards their goals. When Hannah is not at work, she enjoys spending time in any of the local coffee shops, watching documentaries, and canoeing down the French Broad River with her partner and friends.
Melanie Hanson, MSW, LCSW, LCAS-A, CCTP
Primary and Family Therapist
Melanie brings a wealth of clinical experience to Red Oak Recovery®. She recently moved to Asheville from Boston, MA, where she worked as a behavioral health therapist for the homeless, runaway youth, and young adults (ages 14-24), many of which struggled with substance use as well as mental health challenges. Prior to living in Boston, Melanie lived in Burlington, VT for 11 years and worked with people in various stages of opioid addiction and recovery for 8 of those years. Her experience working in the addiction field has instilled an interest in continuing to reduce stigma, as she believes shame resulting from stigma around addiction hurts self-esteem and can increase barriers to seeking support around addressing addiction. This work also inspired her to support her clients developing a diverse tool kit of healthy coping resources in their pursuit of recovery. Melanie understands the importance of fostering connection is to combat addiction and has learned that recovery is not a linear process. Her work experiences have shown her the value of treating addiction and mental health simultaneously. Melanie values presenting recovery options to individuals, as she believes there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. “I believe that people are deserving of support, compassion, and respect, wherever they are on the recovery spectrum,” says Melanie. “I have gained insight into the impact that environment has on addiction, and value Red Oak’s approach to including the family in the recovery process.” As a Primary Therapist at Red Oak Recovery®, Melanie uses a person centered, strengths based, relational approach with her clients. She is trained in Dialectical Behavior therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Melanie is collaborative, supportive, curious, and loves to learn. Melanie considers Washington, DC her hometown. She loves visiting family and friends there and traveling with her fiancé to his hometown of Miami. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys painting, hiking, practicing yoga, spending time outside, exploring new places, spending time with friends, trying new restaurants and new recipes at home. She looks forward to exploring and experiencing all that Asheville and the surrounding area has to offer!
Charlie Dennis, MA, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS-I
Primary Therapist
Charlie completed his Bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010 and began his clinical career working as a field guide in wilderness therapy in Utah, providing services for adolescents and emerging adults experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. In 2014 he moved back to Chicago to attend graduate school. He earned an MA in Clinical Psychology within a psychodynamically-oriented degree program and a post-graduate certificate in Mindfulness in Psychotherapy. During his graduate training his year-long clinical internship was at the Northern Illinois Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, a community-based provider of substance-related and mental health services, including court referrals from within the county and State criminal justice system. After Charlie completed a year of doctoral work in the PsyD at Roosevelt University, he went a different direction and moved to North Carolina in 2017. Since then, Charlie worked at a prominent residential treatment center as lead counselor. His clinical work focused on specialized services for emerging adults and major professionals (medicine, law, etc.). His recent interests have included a focus on leadership techniques, styles, and application, as well as dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and 12 Step facilitation. Charlie holds an MA in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS), and currently a Clinical Supervisor Intern (CCS-I).
Fiona Abrams, LCMHC-A, LCAS
Primary Therapist
Born and raised in Upstate New York, Fiona has long felt a deep connection with nature and its therapeutic power. After completing her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Vassar College, Fiona followed her passion for ecotherapy with a move to the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina to work as a wilderness field guide in a dual-diagnosis treatment program. Her clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings has largely focused on supporting adolescents and emerging adults develop a sense of identity and establish holistic, sustainable recovery. Fiona holds her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Appalachian State University with a certificate in Addictions Counseling. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor-Associate and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist-Associate. As a Primary Therapist at Red Oak Recovery®, Fiona takes an individualized, collaborative, and trauma-responsive approach with her clients. When not at work, Fiona spends as much time as she can outdoors. She enjoys hiking, camping, creating art, practicing and teaching yoga, reading, and connecting with loved ones.
Erika Swiger, MSW, LCSW, LCAS-A
Family Therapist
Erika was born and raised in Asheville. She is returning to the Blue Ridge mountains after eight years in New England where she graduated with an MSW from Boston College School of Social Work in 2017. For the past four years Erika has lived in Vermont and gained experience working in schools with adolescents and their families struggling with mental health and environmental challenges. Erika also has experience as a mental health crisis clinician working with clients of all ages in acute distress to mitigate risk, maintain safety, and move towards resolution. Erika is passionate about supporting families in healing and reconnecting with each other. She is excited to collaborate with families and clients as they engage meaningfully in their recovery centered family work and create new patterns of interaction grounded in love, mutual respect, attunement, and joy. Erika brings a trauma responsive and client centered approach to her work; she believes in the inherent worth of every person and maintains unconditional positive regard for her clients. Outside of work you can find Erika enjoying the outdoors with her husband and dog, curled up on the couch reading with her cat, or anywhere with live music. She enjoys yoga, contra dancing, spending quality time with friends and family, and gardening.
David Wilder, MA, LCMHC-A, LCAS
Milieu Therapist
David has been a member of the Red Oak Recovery® team since 2016. Over the years he has served as a recovery guide, and clinical case manager, and is currently a Milieu Therapist. He supports clients in various ways, including program orientation and assessment, group facilitation, individual counseling, 12-step education, relapse prevention, and discharge planning. He can often be found roaming the campus with his therapy dog Evelyn. David is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate as well as a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist. He received a BA in Communications from the College of Charleston and more recently received a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Asheville. Originally from Columbia, SC he has now called Asheville, NC home for nearly a decade. While growing up he spent many a weekend backpacking and camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains and finds the abundance of natural beauty and open spaces to be inspirational and healing. He is grateful to have settled in western North Carolina where he is frequently able to hike, bike, enjoy live music, and camp with his partner and four-legged friend.
Breana ‘Bre’ Moser
Bio Coming Soon!
Dr. Carlyn Daubs, PhD, LP
Psychologist
Carlyn joined Red Oak Recovery® after obtaining her MS and PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas. Prior to joining the Red Oak Recovery® team, Dr. Daubs treated children, adolescents, and families at many different therapeutic settings, including a community mental health clinic, university counseling centers, an adventure program, and a therapeutic boarding school. In addition to Dr. Daubs’ extensive clinical and assessment experience, she has also built and designed therapeutic programming for residential facilities for adolescents and their families. Her research interests include family systems, parent-child attachment, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, comorbid disorders, addiction processes, romantic attachment, and coping styles. In her spare time Dr. Daubs enjoys running, reading, and traveling.
