Our Board of Directors
Patrick Carnes
Founder
Dr. Patrick Carnes is the founder and primary architect of Gentle Path at The Meadows. With more than 30 years in the sexual addiction treatment field, he has been a major contributor to the advancement of sexual addiction treatment and research authoring over thirty books on the subject. He also pioneered the founding of IITAP, a program for certifying sex addiction therapists. His professional organization memberships include: the American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders; the American Psychological Association; the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors; the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health; the National Council on Family Relations; and the American Foundation for Addiction Research.
Timothy D. Stein
Board Chair
Tim Stein is a co-founder of Willow Tree Counseling which is an outpatient treatment center for sexual addiction, partner betrayal, and trauma. With over a decade of experience in the sexual addiction, partner betrayal, and trauma fields, Tim is a significant contributor to the treatment community and frequently presents at national conferences. He co-hosts the podcast Conversations on Sex, Addiction, and Relationships, produced the online video series Introduction to Sex Addiction and Partner Betrayal, and is the author of Gifts of Recovery: Daily Meditations for Men and Women in Recovery from Sex Addiction. Tim’s professional affiliations include The International Institute for Addiction and Trauma Professionals, The Association of Partners of Sex Addiction Trauma Professionals and The American Foundation for Addiction Research.
Terry Crews
Board Member
Author, action-movie hero, sitcom star, children’s book illustrator, advertising pitchman, playable video game character, talent show host, high-end furniture designer, and human rights activist. Crews released his memoir, Tough: My Journey to True Power on April 26, 2022, via Penguin Random House. In it, Crews chronicles the story of how he went from being a six-year-old boy with a goofy, toothless smile to being utterly selfish and angry, to a man who can finally acknowledge his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and use his experiences to help motivate those around him. In 2021, Terry and his wife, Rebecca King Crews, released an exclusive Audible STRONGER TOGETHER sharing the staggering ups and downs of their relationship and how they weathered the myriad crises that have rocked their marriage.
A true definition of success, Crews’ life off-screen is as exciting and dynamic as his public persona. Crews is the caring husband of more than 30 years to wife Rebecca and proud father of five. For his dedication in helping these organizations, he was awarded the UN Global Generation Award at the UN headquarters and continues to be honored by numerous organizations for his tireless advocacy in helping to combat sexual harassment and abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking.
Christopher Gulde
Board Member
Christopher Gulde, MD is a Board Certified Addiction Medicine Physician, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, and Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Gulde practiced as a Board Certified Pediatrician for 25 years in San Antonio before returning to graduate school in 2015 to obtain his Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He has worked in a counseling practice with his wife since 2018, focused exclusively on treating individuals and relationships impacted by compulsive sexual behaviors. Dr. Gulde completed a Fellowship in Addiction Medicine in 2022 at Tulane University School of Medicine, and is currently a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Gulde and his wife of 35 years, Karen, have 5 adult sons and 2 grandsons. They enjoy traveling, sailing and spending time on the Texas coast in their spare time.
Janie Lacy
Board Member
Dr. Janie Lacy is the Founder & CEO of Life Counseling Solutions, a renowned trauma psychotherapist and entrepreneur with an unwavering passion for helping individuals overcome life’s most challenging obstacles. As the visionary behind the transformative Woman Redeemed program, Dr. Lacy offers a lifeline to women seeking to reclaim their lives from the grips of relationship trauma.
Dr. Lacy’s exceptional work has not gone unnoticed. She has been featured on countless television programs such as CNN’s Headline News, Good Morning America, Court TV, TMZ Live and UK’s Channel 5 documentary Winners and Losers, and is the expert therapist for TLC’s The Last Resort, sharing her invaluable insights with global audiences. Dr. Lacy shares her passion for her work in her podcast show, Let’s Talk About It with Janie Lacy, and her TEDx Talk, Breaking the Chain of Unhealthy Relationships.
Chris Cordaro
Board Member
Chris Cordaro is retired Partner, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of RegentAtlantic, New Jersey’s largest independent wealth management firm. Over his 35 year career he was instrumental in building RegentAtlantic into one of the top independent advisory firms in the country. He has been a regular guest on CNBC, Bloomberg Business, Nightly Business Report, and is quoted regularly in media, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Chris has been named numerous times as on of the Top 100 Independent Advisor by Barron’s. In addition to a BS in Economics, an MS in Financial Planning, and an MBA in Finance, he holds Chartered Financial Analyst® certificates.
Chris has been an active member of the AFAR Leadership Group since 2016..
Stephanie Emde
Board Member
Stephanie Emde is a dedicated clinical leader specializing in addiction treatment, with a primary focus on sex addiction. She has served as the Clinical Director at Gentle Path at The Meadows for three years, where she oversees comprehensive treatment programs for individuals struggling with various addictions. Stephanie is highly trained in evidence-based and trauma-informed therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through The Beck Institute, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) through EMDRIA, Certified Sex Addiction Therapy (CSAT) through IITAP, and Post-Induction Therapy (PIT) through The Meadows.
Dr. Emde holds a Doctorate in Clinical Forensic Psychology (PsyD) and continues to advocate for innovative, research-driven approaches in addiction and mental health treatment.
AFAR creates lasting solutions for all addictions.
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