Meet The Team
Our Multi-Disciplinary Team
Our multi-disciplinary team of holistic and medical practitioners, coaches, nutritionists, and therapists are on board to support you through this positive change and your growth.

Having treated thousands of patients with addictions in various capacities, the difference in benzo-dependent patients was startlingly clear. Dr. Madhava made it her mission to change the way the medical profession treats benzo dependency, using a functional medicine approach in order to help them achieve a full recovery and ongoing wellness. Since 2017 she has dedicated her career to learning more about the effect of the drug on the body and brain and devising alternate, evidence-based approaches to treating benzo dependency, becoming a prolific benzo withdrawal doctor in the New York/Connecticut area. Dr Madhava is also the leading physician at BrainBodyMedical which treats long term drug and alcohol use and addiction. On the personal side, Dr. Madhava spends much of her free time exercising, exploring spirituality, cooking, traveling and spending time with her family.
Valsa Madhava MD
TAPERING PHYSICIAN
Dr. Madhava has developed her unique and comprehensive outpatient treatment program for those wishing to taper off of benzodiazepines, using a functional medicine approach looking at root causes.

Using a holistic approach, treating the entire body as an ecosystem rather than symptom-based band-aids. Megan specializes in supporting patients being treated for depression and anxiety as well as those looking to become pregnant. Her approach encompasses nutrition as well as lifestyle changes to help you take charge of your own health. Megan has experience with epigenetic modifications using diet and lifestyle.
Megan Pfiffner
FUNCTIONAL NUTRITIONIST M.S., CNS
Megan will do a comprehensive nutritional evaluation.

Christina will help guide your treatment by integrating your psychological, social, and biochemical elements of life balance through the use of your Recovery Road Map. She is the Founder and Director of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition. She has a unique focus on combining mental health coaching (trauma, emotion, addictions) with nutrition (biochemical imbalances). She believes the 3 main drivers of poor mental health and addictive behaviors are: 1) biochemistry (genetics, nutritional status, hormones, blood sugar levels, inflammation), 2) psychological history (trauma, life experiences), 3) spiritual life (spirituality, reaching our full potential).
Christina Veselak
MENTAL HEALTH COACH, LMFT, CN
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Anne is known for her resiliency and problem-solving ability. She is looking forward to helping you on your journey to optimal health and will be available to answer all your questions and help address any issues you may have regarding the services offered in the program. Anne comes to us with a variety of past experiences, having worked as a staff nurse, a medical representative and has run an online business, she is here to help you on your journey to becoming benzo-free.
Khristine Anne Garcia
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ASSISTANT
Anne is known for her resiliency and problem-solving ability. She is looking forward to helping you on your journey to optimal health.
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Karole has also been a benzodiazepine warrior. Right now, she is experienced in working with patients with withdrawal symptoms. She will be joining our team to help patients with the use of nutrition and rest balance.
Karole Romeril
NUTRITION COACH
Karole will help patients with the right nutrition and balanced diet as you go along with the tapering.

He collaborates with Dr. Madhava to taper patients off of benzodiazepine. Dr. Gupta is deeply committed to the well-being of his patients. He takes a thorough and precise approach to his consultations to ensure the best support to every patients' needs.
Awadhesh Gupta, MD
PHYSICIAN
Dr. Gupta is board-certified in internal medicine. He is sensitive to the uniqueness of each patient's situation and adapts his consultations and treatment option appropriately to accommodate individual needs and concerns.

Sandra will be supporting your journey with us and will also be one of the team members doing the comprehensive life domains assessment to provide you with the roadmap for your long-term journey with us. She has extensive experience addressing symptoms and behavior changes associated with benzo dependency and addiction withdrawal. These include insomnia, depression, anxiety, binge eating, and generalized pain. Her unique combined approach to wellness and the use of a wide array of techniques at her disposal allows for a customized care plan based on a client’s specific needs at the moment.
Sandra Schwartz
CERTIFIED LIFE AND INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION COACH, HYPNOTHERAPIST, NLP AND EFT PRACTITIONER
Sandra has extensive knowledge and experience as a life coach.

Sanders has a lot of experience in mental health and patient advocacy. He will be supporting your journey with us and will also be one of the team members doing the Wheel of life assessment to guide you through your long-term journey with us. His mental health coaching background and years of experience have gravitated to how an integrated, systemic approach to treatment can encourage healing, decrease healthcare costs and promote life-long wellness.
Steven Sanders
MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTANT
Steven's role as a mental health consultant will be to support your journey toward a rewarding and nourishing life beyond benzos.

It is very important to make movement a part of our everyday lives because the benefits of moving can help the body heal. Movement enhances our organ health, aids in circulation, and controls our sugar levels. Any level of physical activity increases our resilience to stress, improves our sleep, and enhances our mood. As many patients have told us, those who are moving more are able to tolerate the tapering process much better than those who are not as active.
Find Your Trainer
MOVEMENT SPECIALIST
Movement enhances our overall health. Any level of physical activity increases our resilience to stress, improves our sleep, and enhances our mood.

A clinical pharmacist, consultant, educator, and psychopharmacologist. Dr Gold is actively involved in community-based program development and event planning around mental health and wellness, working in conjunction with various non-profit organizations, public school districts, and legal counsel. His areas of interest include trauma, mood disorders, substance use, LGBTQ health, and psychotropic medication deprescribing, including benzodiazepines, He has published articles and guidelines about such topics, and presents routinely on these subjects throughout the country.
Jeffrey Gold
PSYCHOPHARMACOLGIST, PHARMD, BCPP
Dr. Gold as a psychopharmacologist has assisted many patients wanting to taper off of benzodiazepines.

Salvatore Di Liello is a Board-Certified Naturopathic Doctor with a concentration in Homeopathic Medicine and Board-Certified American Association of Drugless Practitioners. He is the founder of Naturale Solutions a holistic center providing health consultations, lectures, Biomagnetism, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Reiki sessions. Salvatore is a Certified Addiction Recovery Nutrition Coach Level 2 from the Academy for Addiction & Mental Health Nutrition. He is currently working with a non-profit organization in North Eastern Ohio offering Nutrition Assisted Treatment (N.A.T.) emphasizing proper nutrition, amino acids therapy, and other natural supplements for clients in recovery. Salvatore will bring his vast skill set and knowledge to address anxiety and sleep issues. He is well versed in the use of amino acids for neurotransmitter balancing and will also use homeopathic and herbal remedies.
Salvatore Di Liello
NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR
Salvatore will bring his vast skill set and knowledge to address anxiety and sleep issues. He is well versed in the use of amino acids for neurotransmitter balancing and will also use homeopathic and herbal remedies.

Education on how the body works to balance the ups and downs of tapering is key for dealing with symptoms of fatigue, cravings, insomnia, better focus, and moods, to empower those in recovery to navigate this challenging time of transition. Some of the key components of Frances’ services are teaching the power of nutrition, the use of supplements, and how it is critical for supporting and replenishing the body and brain with the vital nutrients needed to ease the recovery process. Through diet, supplements, and lifestyle modification, those in recovery will learn simple and effective ways to create energy, balance their moods, have better sleep, and improve focus as they create their new life and thrive.
Frances Holmes
CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST, CNC, FNLP
Frances will be doing a full nutritional evaluation.
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David fought his way back to full health after a 10-year dependence on a high dose of benzodiazepine. He is now a benzo recovery coach providing assessment, education, support, and recovery coaching to those suffering from benzo dependence withdrawal. His coaching style is informed by CBT, DBT & Mindfulness Training.
David Powers
BENZODIAPZEPINE RECOVERY COACH
David has lived experience with the benzodiazepine tapering process.

Jean Muldoon has been a Registered Nurse for 44 years, living in Maui for the last 35 years, and recently relocated back to New York City. Jean has been working as Director of Nursing in an Outpatient Substance Abuse Clinic. She is very experienced in working with patients with withdrawal symptoms, using yoga, and meditation. She will be joining our team to help patients with the use of amino acids for neurotransmitter balancing and use her skills with meditation and yoga.
Jean Muldoon
REGISTERED NURSE
Jean will be joining our team to help patients with the use of amino acids for neurotransmitter balancing and use her skills with meditation and yoga.

She provides treatments for a wide variety of disorders using yogic techniques, acupressure, diet plan, naturopathy, meditation, etc., to eradicate the root cause of diseases.
Anita Madhava
Certified Yoga Instructor
Ms. Anita is a yoga instructor at Nirmala Yoga, an elite institute of Yoga for holistic health.
Direct physician access
Physician access is one of the greatest benefits of this practice. Dr Valsa Madhava is committed to providing you with complete and ongoing support throughout the taper process. You will have Dr. Madhava’s cell phone number and will be able to easily communicate with her.
Benzo support coach
The Benzo taper support coach will be your guide during your taper journey with us. They will check in with you frequently and meet with you weekly to help you with the day-to-day practicalities of your taper, allay any fears that you are experiencing, and will be constant support as your life changes.
Nutritionists
Early and continuing nutritional change is the key to not only a safe and effective benzo taper, but also needed for repairing the brain via dietary changes and the use of supplements that can potentially alleviate the many symptoms you are experiencing, even while still taking your benzos, preparing for the taper, throughout the taper and for years after cessation of benzo use.
Mobility/Fitness
Movement specialists can help you with a range of functional improvements, from deep breathing exercises to yoga, or specific exercises that are suitable at your stage of recovery.
Psychological evaluation
Psychological evaluation: The specialist, as a clinically licensed mental health professional, will conduct a mental health assessment to identify areas that may need higher levels of assessments and/or treatments are required outside the team's scope of services/expertise
Life coach
The life coach will do assessments of a variety of life domains, such as social connectedness, lifestyle behaviors, stress and resilience, emotional health, physical health, meaning and purpose, sense of self, finances.
Psycho-pharmacologist
With his expertise in psychiatric medications and in de-prescribing, he will be able to assist Dr. Madhava and you in the tapering journey.
Benzo Recovery Coaches
Having traveled their own path to recovery, a recovery coach can share their taper experiences with you and support you as needed.
Administrative Support Staff
They will help you with scheduling appointments and be available to support communications with you and our team members. They will help you understand the requirements for the specialized testing of urine, saliva, blood, hair, and stool.
We want to get to know you better. We will perform extensive assessments through interviews, questionnaires, and various lab tests to establish your starting point.
We want to get to know you better. We will perform extensive assessments through interviews, questionnaires, and various lab tests to establish your starting point.
We want to get to know you better. We will perform extensive assessments through interviews, questionnaires, and various lab tests to establish your starting point.