Meet the Team

Dr. Matthew Paley is a licensed physician in the states of California and Texas. He completed his residency in general psychiatry at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. He received a doctorate of osteopathic medicine from Touro University of California and a bachelor’s degree in public health from James Madison University. His clinical scope of work is varied, however, he has particular interests in addiction, reproductive psychiatry, and treatment-resistant depression. Additionally, he has published clinical work and has experience teaching medical residents and medical students alike. When not at work Dr. Paley enjoys camping and hiking, cooking, and exercising.

Ruth MacQuarrie, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist, serves as Medical Director with extensive experience in pain management, detoxification, and the care of individuals with substance use disorders. She holds a medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her anesthesiology residency at UCSF. Dr. MacQuarrie has practiced across anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and primary care, demonstrating calm, steady leadership and sound clinical judgment in complex, high-acuity settings. Renowned for her collaborative and compassionate approach, she builds warm, trusting relationships with patients and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, effective, and patient-centered care. A former Olympic athlete, Dr. MacQuarrie remains deeply committed to clinical excellence, patient safety, and compassionate treatment.

With over a decade of professional experience in the addiction and mental health field—and more than 35 years of personal dedication to helping individuals on the path to recovery—Eileen Nichols brings a deep well of knowledge, compassion, and commitment to her role as Executive Director of Creekside Recovery.

Eileen has supported individuals across every level of care, from detox to long-term therapeutic support, using her extensive network of resources to guide clients and their families through the complexities of recovery. Her approach is grounded in empathy and practicality, always focused on creating real solutions and offering renewed hope to those who may have lost their way.

Passionate about making recovery accessible, Eileen believes that no one is beyond help and that lasting change is possible with the right support. At Creekside Recovery, she leads with heart, vision, and the unwavering belief that healing can begin at any moment.

An East Bay native, Kate Hunter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who brings a deep connection to her community and a passion for helping others to her role as Program Manager at Creekside Recovery. With years of experience in the mental health and substance use fields, she has worked across a range of care settings, including inpatient psychiatry, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient services, individual therapy, and long-term residential care. This diverse background has equipped her with a holistic and practical understanding of how to support meaningful and lasting recovery from substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges.

Kate earned her Master’s degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Adult Mental Health and Wellness from the University of Southern California, where she refined her expertise in evidence-based practices and person-centered care. Her journey into the mental health and substance use fields began with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Science from St. Mary’s College of California, where she gained a unique interdisciplinary foundation in biology, psychology, kinesiology, and chemistry. This education helped shape her holistic approach to care and a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of physical and mental health.

At Creekside Recovery, Kate takes pride in fostering a safe, supportive environment where residents feel empowered to heal and grow. She leads a dedicated team committed to providing personalized care that meets the unique needs of each individual, particularly those navigating the challenges of substance use recovery.

Outside of work, Kate enjoys camping in Northern California’s beautiful mountains and beaches, hosting craft nights with close friends, and writing poetry that reflects her experiences and passions. She also loves finding ways to give back to the community that shaped her, strengthening the bonds that make the East Bay such a special place to call home.

Simone brings both professional expertise and lived experience to addiction treatment. With years of hands on experience in detox and behavioral health operations, Simone oversees daily operations, staff coordination, admissions support, client care systems, and program development across multiple facilities.

Known for her compassionate leadership style and ability to thrive in high-pressure environments, Simone specializes in creating safe, structured, and client-centered treatment environments. Her work focuses on improving operational flow, supporting clinical and medical teams, strengthening interdepartmental communication, and ensuring clients receive quality care from intake through discharge planning.

Simone’s background in recovery gives her a unique perspective and deep understanding of the challenges clients and families face during early sobriety. She is passionate about helping individuals access appropriate levels of care and has built strong relationships throughout the recovery community, including detox centers, residential programs, mental health providers, sober living environments, interventionists, and aftercare professionals.

In addition to operations leadership, Simone is actively involved in treatment placement and recovery advocacy. She is known for her resourcefulness, industry knowledge, and ability to connect individuals with treatment options that suit their clinical, financial, and personal needs. Her leadership philosophy centers around empathy, accountability, teamwork, and creating environments where both clients and staff feel supported. Simone believes recovery is possible for everyone and is dedicated to helping people navigate some of the most difficult and transformative moments of their lives with dignity and compassion.

Christopher Lewis brings over 30 years of dedicated service in the substance use disorder field, including 14 years with the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). As the Chief of Licensing and Certification for the last four years of his tenure, he played a pivotal role in developing regulations, policies, and application processes that shaped the current landscape of substance abuse treatment licensing and certification. His experience spans over 1,000 onsite visits, Drug Medi-Cal targeted reviews, and the creation of key regulatory documents still in use today.

Sara Appelbaum, LCSW (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma treatment. Her understanding of the deep connections between psychology, biology, and behavior began during her undergraduate studies in neuroscience at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and served as the foundation for her clinical training at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare. For over a decade, Sara has provided therapy in community mental health agencies across the Bay Area focused on serving individuals with high and complex mental health needs. Despite working with seemingly separate and distinct groups – Veterans at the Palo Alto VA, undersupported new mothers in residential care in Oakland, elders in greater Alameda County – she recognized the common threads that traumatic wounding can have on the human experience. Humbling as well as inspirational, her experiences reinforced her belief in the importance of somatically inclusive trauma treatment as a frontline therapeutic intervention and standard of care, and led her to expand her existing expertise in PTSD and complex PTSD (cPTSD) with training in both EMDR and Brainspotting and broadening her work to include children and teens.

Sara identifies first as a peer in recovery and second as a seasoned clinician dedicated to facilitating meaningful change for her clients. She brings a down-to-earth therapeutic style rooted in kindness, collaboration, humor, and honesty, and aims to provide therapy that feels like having coffee with a dedicated friend. Proudly born and raised in the East Bay, she frequently finds comfort and renewal in the region’s rich food, culture, and natural beauty in her free time.

While growing up in the Midwest, Beth found yoga, the first practice that invited her deeply into her body. This early glimpse into somatic awareness became the foundation of both her personal recovery journey and her life’s calling to guide others toward body-based healing.

Drawing from her extensive training in Yoga Therapy (her first love), Mindfulness Meditation, Somatic Trauma Therapy, and Embodied Movement, Beth helps clients reconnect to internal safety, break free from restrictive patterns, and create lives of authentic purpose. She is thrilled to be sharing her multimodal somatic approach to recovery with the Creekside community via monthly somatic groups and 1:1 sessions.

Outside of local residential and outpatient treatment programs, Beth supports folks through her private practice and her work with Resilient Recovery, offering monthly somatic recovery circles to the wider community (Oakland, SF, and online). If you’re interested in learning more about Beth and her work, you can do so here.

Steph Peek is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and the founder & executive director of Rusty Halo Foundation, a therapeutic program that partners with residential treatment centers to provide equine-assisted psychotherapy, experiential learning, and trauma-informed care for at-risk and system-impacted youth.

After a 25+ year leadership career in the construction industry, Steph left the corporate world to follow a powerful calling rooted in personal experience and service. In 2014, she rode a horse for the first time—and the emotional grounding and peace she felt during that ride sparked a transformative shift. Recognizing the therapeutic potential of horses, she immersed herself in clinical training and never looked back.

Steph holds a Master’s in Social Work (MSW), a Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC), and is certified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy through EAGALA as well as CEIP-MH. She integrates expressive arts, energy psychology, and somatic work into sessions, offering a highly relational, strengths-based approach that resonates deeply with youth who have experienced complex trauma.

Her work centers on building trust, emotional regulation, and self-worth through meaningful human-animal connection—helping young people heal in a way that is engaging, grounded, and profoundly impactful.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Justin has had lifelong exposure to the realities of addiction, giving him a deep and compassionate understanding of those affected by it. He brings a calm, non-judgmental presence to the facility, with a strong commitment to supporting every client he encounters. Justin earned his B.S. in Exercise Physiology from CSU Chico and has worked in the medical field since 2018. He joined Heartwood as a nurse in 2020 and has served as Nursing Compliance Manager since 2023. In this role, he focused on training, educating, and supporting the nursing team to ensure the highest standard of care.

Marisa is a self-taught chef at Creekside Recovery whose strong foundation comes from family tradition and independent study. She is passionate about creating simple, nourishing meals that help people feel comfortable, cared for, and supported during recovery.

Mandy, a lively English Springer Spaniel, was born in a small Irish town known for its exceptional breeders. From a young age, her keen sense of smell and boundless energy made her a perfect candidate for specialized training.

In the states she quickly excelled in training: learning to detect guns and bombs as well as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and xanax, she has an exceptional ability to detect with unmatched precision.

Certified at just 15 months, Mandy is known for her accurate detection and her specific response- a firm sit and focused stare. She has participated in many successful sweeps, earning a reputation for her reliability. She has both professionalism and a personality to love.

When she’s not keeping facilities, homes and businesses safe, Mandy enjoys California sunshine, running on the beach and playing with her favorite toys. Mandy proves time and time again that a small dog from a distant land can make a big difference in this world.