Milestone Recovery Team

Tara was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, a small city in northern Canada. Tara previously worked in the non-profit sector, offering outreach services and trauma therapy in remote northern communities. Before relocating to Phoenix, Tara earned her master’s in counselling psychology and worked as a Domestic Violence Outreach therapist, providing trauma therapy to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as well as Substance Abuse Therapist at an Indigenous residential treatment center. Tara is passionate about trauma healing, and specializes in EMDR, CBT, DBT, ACT, and DBR to assist clients with trauma processing and healing. Before relocating, Tara also ran her own part-time private practice, specializing in trauma treatment with the focus on providing EMDR therapy. Tara’s passion lies within working with individuals who have experienced trauma and struggle with substance abuse.

“My goal as a therapist is to help you explore and identify the life experiences that are negatively impacting your daily functioning. Therapy should go beyond coping; I want clients to be thriving”.

Cat is a Licensed Associate Counselor currently working toward her independent licensure. She has been in the mental health field since 2008, bringing extensive experience with both the Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) population and general mental health, allowing for experience with individuals of all ages facing a wide range of mental health and addiction challenges.

With a diverse background in the field, Cat understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. She is committed to tailoring treatment to each individual and helping clients build on their unique strengths to create meaningful and lasting change.

“Every person’s treatment is like their own language. Once we learn it, we uncover their strength—together.”

Michael has been in the behavioral health field for over 10 years and is passionate about supporting others on their healing journey, drawing from his own experience in long-term recovery from substance abuse. He holds a BA in Human Behavior from Northern Arizona University, is a certified in Peer recovery Support Specialist, and has over three years of experience facilitating group therapy. Michael’s approach focuses on holistic care—integrating body, mind, and soul—while utilizing evidence-based modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). With extensive training in working with clients facing a wide range of mental health conditions, Michael strives to create a compassionate space where individuals feel empowered to grow and thrive.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Arizona State University, he is a certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, and is currently a second-year law student, bringing a unique blend of academic knowledge and practical insight to the behavioral health field. With several years of professional experience in mental health and substance use treatment—as well as lived experience in recovery—Richard is deeply committed to supporting individuals on their journey to wellness. Passionate about helping others find hope and healing, Richard draws on both clinical understanding and personal resilience to guide and empower those navigating recovery.

Jonathan was born and raised on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Prior to working in the behavioral health field, Jonathan worked for San Carlos Apache Health Care and has had a passion for helping induvial who struggle with substance use due to his own traumas and life experiences. Jonathan is a Milestone Alumni who successfully completed our program and is over a year sober. Jonathan brings lived experience to our program, something that is highly valued and respected by our clientele. Jonathan is a huge advocate for mental health and trauma recovery and continues to share his personal experiences to assist clients in their recovery.

Jonathan has received certifications in Peer Recovery Support Specialist, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Trauma Informed Coaching, Motivational Interviewing for Peer Support, as well as Crisis Prevention Intervention. Jonathan is passionate about continuing to grow and advance in the behavioral health field.

Born in Cuba, John’s family escaped from the Castro regime and came to America as refugees in 1961. Raised in Little Havana in Miami FL, John came to the Valley of the Sun in 1985. As a child refugee, he understands the implications trauma has on one’s life. He brings years of business acumen to Milestone Recovery and is passionate about the population he serves. John spent 20 years in corporate America and has been a lifelong entrepreneur. He believes in outside-of-the-box thinking as well as a collaborative and inclusive work environment. John embraces a holistic approach to recovery. He is trained as a Recovery Certified Peer Support Specialist to better connect with his clients and brings a boots-on-the-ground attitude to his work.

Born in Ohio, Lynn has been a resident of Phx for the past 39 years. With an extensive background in Business and Marketing, she co-founded Milestone Recovery with her husband and business partner John Cabezas. Addiction has touched her and her family’s lives in very personal and tragic ways over the past 20 years. Her vision was to create a treatment facility that focused on treating trauma along with addiction to create a holistic experience for the patient. Lynn strongly believes unresolved past trauma prevents full recovery and leaves a greater risk of relapse. She and her husband John, strive to provide a safe and supportive environment for clients to heal their past, recover from addiction, and create productive and fulfilling lives.

Luna was born in February of 2022 and came to Milestone Recovery at 8 weeks of age. Luna was born with a genetic defect and is blind in her left eye. However, this disability has not held this resilient girl back. She began her extensive training at six months and Luna earned her Certified Therapy Dog designation in Dec. 2023. She is an integral part of Milestone Recovery and assists our clients by helping to improve rapport with their counselor, reducing anxiety, and increasing the chances of successful treatment recovery.