Background
Rabbi Mark Rotenberg, CADC, CPC, MJE, DD, is a Spiritual Advisor supporting clients at RECO Island during medical detox. His role at the earliest phase of care is to offer psycho-spiritual grounding while the medical piece stabilizes the client’s body.
Mark has 25+ years in the recovery field, including 18 focused on psycho-spiritual therapy. His training path includes UCLA’s Addiction Counselor program and Rabbinic ordination at the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, following a 15-year first career in Arts and Design.
Approach
At RECO Island, Rabbi Mark meets clients at the beginning of what may be a long journey. He introduces the spiritual dimension of 12-step work in a way that does not require religious belief, only openness. His practice is anchored in ancient and modern spiritual disciplines, translated into a form that works during acute early recovery.
He often works with the family members of detox clients as well, orienting them to the spiritual and emotional realities of the early days of sobriety so the family can hold their loved one through this vulnerable window.
Education & Credentials
Ordained Rabbi, Academy for Jewish Religion (Los Angeles); UCLA Addiction Counselor Certificate; B.A. Design, San Jose State University. Credentialed as CADC, CPC, MJE, and DD.
What to Expect
Clients at RECO Island working with Rabbi Mark find a calm, grounded presence during a physically and emotionally raw time. His work plants the seeds of the spiritual practice that many carry with them into residential and outpatient care.
