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.
Anthony is the co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of No Matter What Recovery, and in this role oversees directors and managers in the day-to-day operations of the treatment center.
Following his graduation from the University of Arizona, Anthony launched a career as a television news reporter, working in Tampa, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix. His focus was covering live breaking news and news of the day, oftentimes reporting on government and political races. He left TV news in 2008, and started working in Public Relations and community outreach, as well as published a highly acclaimed blog on the newly-built Phoenix light rail and his car-free experience. During this moment, he found his passion and voice in being a cheerleader for our local communities.
Following his time in Phoenix, Anthony returned back home to Los Angeles and worked in city government, where he had a front row seat to some of LA’s historic events and neighborhood improvements. In his role, Anthony’s focus was serving as the LGBTQ+ liaison for the council offices he represented. A personal highlight for him: working alongside transgender community leaders to implement a Midnight Stroll along Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, conducting outreach and providing resources to sex workers and unhoused individuals in need of services. The program was so successful that it expanded to other areas of the city.
Throughout his entire career, Anthony has had the honor and privilege of sharing the stories that shape our communities and country. This provided him with a unique perspective, positive outlook, and deep understanding of the people, places, and culture that contribute to the colorful fabric of our lives.
Anthony has several years sober, and enjoys his service commitments in the recovery community. Helping others, giving back, and mentoring are at the heart of his spirit.
Anthony is a native Angeleno, and lives with his husband Paulo and their three pups in the Valley. In his spare time, Anthony relishes traveling the world and experiencing new adventures, exploring the food scene in Los Angeles, and seeing live concerts and theater any chance he gets.
Jessica Steinman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA License #93349) and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT #2415) who works with individual adults, couples, and families.
Jessica has vast knowledge of many facets of mental health issues, however her passion for addiction has been a focus of hers for more than a decade, especially with Sex and Love Addiction and Sexualized Drug Use.
Along with working as the Chief Clinical Officer with No Matter What Recovery, she has a thriving private practice and works as a consulting therapist and facilitator for Seeking Integrity, a program for male sex addicts and betrayed partners. Previously, Jessica spent seven years as a Clinical Director for other substance abuse treatment centers where she created and curated all their levels of care.
Jessica received her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, and trained at The Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills as well as Teen Line in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Jessica spent the early years of her career trajectory working in the entertainment and events industries. From this, she gained a sensitivity and deep understanding of the experiences and challenges that professionals, especially artists, struggle with while maintaining healthy and balanced lifestyles.
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.
Robert comes to the No Matter What Recovery family with more than two decades of clinical experience, bringing both depth and heart to our inpatient program in Mid-City Los Angeles. In addition to his Marriage and Family Therapy License, Robert is also a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT). He has dedicated his career to helping individuals and families navigate recovery, healing, and personal transformation
Robert has worked with a diverse range of individuals – from adults to adolescents, and has a particular passion on working with LGBTQIA+ individuals and veterans. His trauma-informed, affirming, and grounded therapeutic style helps clients rebuild their lives in alignment with their values, strengths, and goals.
As a CSAT, Robert provides specialized expertise for clients struggling with chemsex and sexualized drug use, offering nuanced clinical support that bridges the transition from detox to ongoing outpatient care.
Robert is originally from the Midwest and has lived in the Los Angeles area since he was a teenager(23 years). He and his wife have a spirited toddler together and coparent a creative teen, and in their spare time they love to enjoy the cinema and spending time with close friends.
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.
Thomas Allen is the Program Manager at No Matter What Recovery Detox in Los Angeles, where he oversees program elements, Behavioral Health Technicians, and the nursing team across detox and residential levels of care.
Thomas’s primary role is to provide compassion, support, and guidance to individuals -particularly within the LGBTQ+ community- who are navigating early recovery from addiction and mental health challenges. With extensive experience in case management, his focus is developing individual treatment plans, offering supportive counseling, and coordinating access to specialized resources.
Thomas recently graduated from the Addictions Training Institute and is on track to receive his CADC-I accreditation. He is dedicated to helping clients build resilience, self-efficacy, and a strong foundation for lasting recovery.
California-born and Arizona-raised, Thomas enjoys fitness, outdoor adventures, creative expression, and spending quality time with loved ones.
