THE BOUGAINVILLA HOUSE, INC.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

Ms. Kelly is responsible for the overall operations of the company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southwestern State University. Ms. Kelly is a senior-level business development and sales executive with a diverse background that includes strategy, new business development, finance and sales leadership, with a proven track record in generating revenue. Ms. Kelly has worked for several Fortune 500 companies during her career and is very involved in her community. She has served on numerous non-profit boards in the community, holding leadership positions and helping them raise much-needed funds. Ms. Kelly served on the Board of The Bougainvilla House Family Therapy Center prior to assuming the role of CEO. Mr. Benson is responsible for the daily operation of The Bougainvilla House, including accounting, finance and administrative compliance. He works closely with the CEO and Clinical Director to strategically plan for the organization’s future, ensuring that The Bougainvilla House is able to provide a valuable service to the community. Mr. Benson received both his bachelor’s degree in management and his Master of Business Administration from Florida State University. He has extensive experience in nonprofit financial management. Ms. Guerrieri has extensive knowledge and experience in the medical field for the past 16 years, bringing a wealth of expertise in all areas of the front office. She strives to help each and every patient to the greatest of her abilities and also strives to go the extra mile. Hara Wachholder is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with the State of Florida and received her Master’s degree in Counseling from Nova Southeastern University in 2014. Hara is passionate about helping others and enjoys being at the forefront of community mental health, where she can inspire others to be the change that they would like to see in the world. Hara focuses on individualized treatment that suits the mind, body and spirit and utilizes the personal strengths of each client. She served as a primary clinician for the Department of Juvenile Justice in a Youth Detention Center as well as a Community Behavioral Health Practitioner for Broward County. She also interned for an addiction recovery center for women. Hara has collaborated with Broward County Schools and The Mental Health Association of Southeast Broward to help advocate and fight against the negative stigma surrounding mental health issues. Hara is grateful to bring her therapeutic approach to The Bougainvilla House, where clients are a part of a community that is centered on compassion, integrity, and commitment. Dr. Pushka is a board certified psychiatrist. He attended medical school in the Ukraine and did his Psychiatry Residency Training and fellowship in adolescent psychiatry at Drexel University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He graduated in 2004. Dr. Pushka is affiliated with Memorial Regional Hospital, Joe De Maggio Hospital and Larkin Hospital and is the Medical Director for the Bougainvilla House Family Therapy Center. Lauren Behr is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). She has helped people overcome many obstacles and or mental health issues in their lives. Lauren uses therapeutic techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, motivational interviewing and solution focused interventions. These work to encourage the person to come to their own solution by educating and being empathetic, but also exploring what may not be functioning in the person's life. Lauren has knowledge in anxiety, depression, substance abuse, anger, grief, PTSD, OCD, etc. Lauren has specialized with working with first responders and addiction which included family therapy. Her goal is to help each person have a better quality of life through building a working relationship. Individuals, schools, nonprofits, small businesses and large corporations all choose Simone because she uses her magnetic personality and beloved sense of humor to solve problems, transform negative or stagnating mindsets and provide relief during some of the most challenging and confusing times of life. Simone is a certified neuro-linguistic programming practitioner with an honorary doctorate degree in divinity. Alongside her master’s in business management and bachelor’s in education from the University of Florida, she is also an active member of the Association for Integrative Psychology. Whether easing the pain of negative memories, sadness and bullying or guiding you step by step through how to manage stress, achieve goals and empower your inner being, Simone helps you to shift your mindset and finally get the results you’ve been searching for. Chris’s expertise lies in understanding and enhancing relationships and the interactional cycles within these relationships as they affect clients own unique lives and journeys. Chris is passionate in the study of trauma; as it relates to therapy, treatment and recovery for individuals, couples, families and communities who have experienced traumatic events, to help them facilitate the process of healing. Chris believes trauma is an important and often under looked aspect of addiction and recovery and has a unique view of trauma, believing it to play an adaptive role in people’s lives. Chris tries to empower clients into learning how to utilize their trauma and lived experiences to overcome addiction and as a means of personal transformation, rather than a diagnosis of symptoms and heartache. For Chris, Addiction is all about gaining control of who you are, multidimensionally; to treat ourselves physically, psychologically, spiritually, mentally and biologically. Addiction is about how you survived, but Recovery is about how you thrive; by focusing on overcoming how you have adapted based on your lived experiences and learning to reintegrate this new version of you…to become the best version of you. Chris has worked with individuals and families in the addiction and mental health field for over 3 years and appreciates each person’s unique story and path in life. He combines a holistic approach with therapeutic models to help clients facilitate change for themselves.