WAAT was formed in 2001. Six women gathered for lunch once a month with the purpose of sharing experience, support and knowledge in the field of addiction. The lunch meeting turned into a breakfast meeting and soon there were more and more women coming together for a common purpose.
WAAT is a membership organization of professional women in the field of addiction. Our membership is comprised of Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Specialists, Interventionists, Life Coaches, Sober Living Owners, Treatment Center Owners, Marketers and more. Meetings are held monthly. WAAT offers a variety of speakers every other month, alternating with networking meetings. Topics range from new information about addiction treatment to business management. CEUs are offered for licensed MFTs and LCSWs in good membership standing. Professional development hours are available for CADCs.
Individual and Corporate Memberships are available. Membership begins on the 1st of the month you join and is renewed on the first of that month the following year.
Individual Membership Pricing:
Corporate Membership:
Benefits of membership include: 1) Privileges to the "Members Only" section of our website, which includes a listing in our resource directory, access to the resource directory, and our membership directory, 2) informative speaker presentations, 3) CEUs or professional development hours, 4) networking, 5) and the opportunity to meet top women in the addiction field discuss the trends and issues that we face on a daily basis.
WAAT has a volunteer executive board of directors who meet quarterly. Each chapter has volunteer officers who provide support for their chapter.
Dr. Deborah Sweet, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, specializes in helping people recover from a variety of traumas, addictions and life issues. Many people suffer from some form of childhood trauma, which take place over time, or shock traumas which are disturbing incidents which happen quickly but have lasting effects. Three interrelated areas that are frequently affected by trauma are a sense of choice, a sense of safety and a sense of self. The past affects the present. Though talk therapy is essential, it doesn't always resolve symptoms of unresolved trauma. Deborah is certified in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing and Brainspotting in addition to using CBT, 12 Step and Buddhist recovery models.
She also incorporates concepts from Internal Family Systems and Scott D. Miller (International Center for Clinical Excellence). Additionally, her extensive experience includes working with a wide array of addictive disorders including drug, alcohol and spending addictions. Her approach is designed to identify, access, and build upon each person's capacity for internal resourcing and resilience, encouraging each person to grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
She is currently Co-chair for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women's Association for Addiction Treatment (WAAT), an active member of CPA, LACPA, Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute and EMDRIA. In addition to her extensive clinical experience, Deborah has been part of the recovery community consistently since 1987 and has a background in the music and film businesses. She has offices in West Hollywood and Studio City.