Paulo is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and now calls Los Angeles his home.
In addition to being the Chief Executive Officer of No Matter What Recovery, Paulo works as a sober companion and is part of a team that conducts interventions with a focus on adults and adolescents. Paulo has years of experience managing operations, client care, and crisis intervention and management in the sober living, detox, residential, and treatment space.
Furthering his career, Paulo is currently working on his Bachelors in Behavioral Health with an emphasis on trauma at Grand Canyon University.
Paulo understands the importance of consistency and patience in the early stages of behavioral health treatment, whether that is a focus on mental health challenges or substance dependency.
Helping others is his passion, and he strives to make recovery for every client as impactful as possible while helping to instill healthy habits in an affirming, safe, and caring environment.
Paulo has eight years sober and is active in the Los Angeles recovery community: he serves as the Executive Secretary on the Los Angeles Crystal Meth Anonymous Convention committee, as well as holds several service positions in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA).
Recognizing the need to be of service in other areas of his life, Paulo rides on a sober cycling team called the ‘Trudging Buddies.’ This group participates in the AIDS LifeCycle — a 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. No Matter What Recovery is also a proud sponsor of the Trudging Buddies and Aids Life Cycle.
Additionally, Paulo is also involved in Best in Drag Show which is a fundraising initiative for The Alliance for Housing and Healing which raises funds for Aids Project Los Angeles. This initiative allocates funding for the unhoused in Los
Angeles who have an HIV or AIDS diagnosis.
Paulo and his husband, Anthony, have three fur babies — Nando, Decatur, and Jazz. Through sobriety, Paulo has had the gift of repairing his relationship with his family and loves to visit them in New Orleans as often as possible.
In his free time, Paulo enjoys anything athletic or fitness-related, traveling, spending time with his friends, dining out, cooking at home, and binge-watching his favorite television shows.
Paulo and Anthony, along with their team, have created a program that offers affirming and inclusive treatment for people that identify as part of the LGBTQ community, and the No Matter What Recovery culture which creates a safe space for queer individuals and allies to have a safe place to start the healing process.
Dr. Eric Chaghouri is our Medical Director at No Matter What Recovery.
Dr Chaghouri is a 2007 graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned his B. A. in Biology with Summa Cum Laude honors. While at UCLA, he helped the men’s varsity volleyball team earn a National Championship in 2006. He was named the UCLA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2007.
He earned his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine in 2011. He completed his internship training in 2008 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the remaining three years of residency in general adult psychiatry at the Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center. He served as the Chief Resident in psychiatric emergency services during his fourth year of residency. He also served as Resident Clinical Instructor and Volunteer Faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at the Keck School of Medicine.
After completing residency, Dr. Chaghouri accepted a fellowship position in forensic psychiatry at the prestigious USC Institute of Psychiatry and Law. His scholarly activities included publishing in Legal Digest and presenting research findings at the Keck School of Medicine annual conference.
Since completing his forensic psychiatry fellowship, he has established a successful and thriving practice in Southern California, focusing on treatment of co-occurring psychiatric and addictive disorders. He has developed a strong clinical team of practitioners who share similar goals and philosophies regarding psychiatric treatment, including providing cutting-edge interventional treatments for psychiatric conditions. He works in an array of capacities with attorneys, courts, and other parties in actual or potential litigation. He also has extensive experience consulting and providing opinions on psychiatric issues for major television networks. Dr. Chaghouri’s interests include addiction medicine, substance use disorders, forensic psychiatry, medical ethics, psychological autopsy, gender wellness, and evidence-based treatment of psychiatric conditions.
Eric is a Native Angeleno and identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community. He loves to travel to visit his family roots in Lebanon, and in his spare time enjoys playing beach volleyball, exercising/working out, and spending time with family.
Gabby Estrada is the Operations Manager for No Matter What Recovery Detox. Prior to joining the team, Gabby served as the Sober Living Regional Manager for No Matter What Recovery Residences. Gabby has several years of experience in management and assistant management roles in both substance abuse/mental health treatment and the travel and tourism industry.
As a nonbinary trans queer person, Gabby understands the difficulties and complexities of life that make the LGBTQ+ community so much more susceptible to substance abuse and mental health issues. After years of hiding her true self in her using, Gabby openly shares about her life experiences and her recovery. She strives to create a sober environment where all can feel safe to be their authentic selves without fear of being disrespected or shamed for who they are or what they did in their past.
Gabby is a Latinx Native Angeleno and identifies as non-binary trans. In her free time, she enjoys going out to eat, working on her fitness goals, reading books, binge-watching TV shows, and going to concerts. She is an active member in AA, CMA, HA, and NA meetings across the LA area and has found fulfillment in helping others who still struggle.
John is our Clinical Therapist at No Matter What Recovery Detox and has been involved in substance abuse treatment for the past 10+ years. He overcame his own issues with substance abuse years ago and decided to commit to a career in helping others.
John received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Hunter College of the City University of New York. After receiving a certified alcohol and drug counselor certification from UCLA, John became a member of the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP). John completed a Masters of Clinical Psychology from Antioch University.
John has a deep understanding of the root cause of substance abuse and is trained in EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and DBT.
In his free time, John enjoys spending time with his daughter, music, and aviation.
