North Bay Woman

52 NORTH BAY WOMAN | F A L L 2 0 1 6 By Karen Hart L ouise McCallion has a natural instinct for business, and when she sees an opportunity to make a change for the better, her inclination is to take charge and turn her vision into reality. "My passion is always to build from scratch," McCallion says. That passion led to the development of a luxury rehabilitation center in Novato. While most rehabilitation facilities serve as behavioral modification programs, Reflections operates as a dual-diagnosis facility. Understanding what is driving the drinking or drug use is key so that treatment and the healing process can begin, says McCallion, chief executive officer and executive director. Clients come from all walks of life — students, attorneys, musicians, celebrities. According to McCallion, high-level executives sometimes medicate behind the scenes to manage stress. "Most CEOs feel like they're holding the world on their shoulders, and if they crack, everything falls apart. They have to keep up an image," she explains. McCallion moved to California from Scotland in 1994 as part of an assignment with Sun Microsystems. She loved the California lifestyle and decided to stay. Eventually, she left the high-tech industry to become a notable force in real estate, running her own real estate development company and developing projects in San Francisco and Hawaii. Then life took an unexpected turn. In 2008, she experienced some traumatic events in her personal life, which led her to seek professional help. During a course of intensive individual psychotherapy, she also addressed issues from childhood, which were resurfacing. Her experience resulted in a positive transformation, and McCallion considered a career change. "I wanted to give back, and enrolled in a university to become a therapist. However, I quickly realized I wouldn't be a good fit for that emotionally demanding role. I'd make a lousy therapist," she says, pausing to smile. As part of a school project, she began researching the world of drug and alcohol treatment, support options and discovered a niche for a different approach to rehabilitation. According to McCallion, the mental health of patients was completely missing in the pursuit of rehabilitation. "General rehabilitation does not address problems such as major anxiety, depression, undiagnosed or untreated bi-polar disorder, or borderline personality disorder," she explains. As a result, most people who've completed a rehabilitation How Louise McCallion, founder of Reflections, transformed the approach to rehabilitation Holiday Stress can trigger a relapse " " The holiday season presents some particular problems for those in recovery – Matt Blagys, PhD. Reflections pool area and surrounding grounds in Novato. – Photo provided by Reflections 52 NORTH BAY WOMAN | F A L L 2 0 1 6 By Karen Hart L ouise McCallion has a natural instinct for business, and when she sees an opportunity to make a change for the better, her inclination is to take charge and turn her vision into reality. "My passion is always to build from scratch," McCallion says. That passion led to the development of a luxury rehabilitation center in Novato. While most rehabilitation facilities serve as behavioral modifi cation programs, Refl ections operates as a dual-diagnosis facility. Understanding what is driving the drinking or drug use is key so that treatment and the healing process can begin, says McCallion, chief executive offi cer and executive director. Clients come from all walks of life — students, attorneys, musicians, celebrities. According to McCallion, high-level executives sometimes medicate behind the scenes to manage stress. "Most CEOs feel like they're holding the world on their shoulders, and if they crack, everything falls apart. They have to keep up an image," she explains. McCallion moved to California from Scotland in 1994 as part of an assignment with Sun Microsystems. She loved the California lifestyle and decided to stay. Eventually, she left the high-tech industry to become a notable force in real estate, running her own real estate development company and developing projects in San Francisco and Hawaii. Then life took an unexpected turn. In 2008, she experienced some traumatic events in her personal life, which led her to seek professional help. During a course of intensive individual psychotherapy, she also addressed issues from childhood, which were resurfacing. Her experience resulted in a positive transformation, and McCallion considered a career change. "I wanted to give back, and enrolled in a university to become a therapist. However, I quickly realized I wouldn't be a good fi t for that emotionally demanding role. I'd make a lousy therapist," she says, pausing to smile. As part of a school project, she began researching the world of drug and alcohol treatment, support options and discovered a niche for a different approach to rehabilitation. According to McCallion, the mental health of patients was completely missing in the pursuit of rehabilitation. "General rehabilitation does not address problems such as major anxiety, depression, undiagnosed or untreated bi-polar disorder, or borderline personality disorder," she explains. As a result, most people who've completed a rehabilitation How Louise McCallion, founder of Reflections, transformed the approach to rehabilitation Holiday Stress can trigger a relapse " " The holiday season presents some particular problems for those in recovery – Matt Blagys, PhD. Refl ections pool area and surrounding grounds in Novato. – Photo provided by Refl ections

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