Biography
Nelson L. Hadler has been providing clinical services to adolescents, adults and families for over twenty-five years. Nelson’s focus has been substance abuse disorders and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. He has used his extensive experience from both inpatient and outpatient treatment settings to develop and implement comprehensive treatment programs.
Nelson received his Associates Degree in Humanities/Social Science from the County College of Morris in 1979. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Rutgers College in 1981, and became a Certified Alcoholism Counselor in 1986. He earned his Master’s Degree in Social Work from The Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work in 1993 and subsequently became licensed as a clinical social worker. He is an NASW certified clinical supervisor. Nelson has since pursued licensure as a clinical alcohol and drug counselor, obtained in 2010. More recently he received certification as a clinical supervisor by the New Jersey Certification Board.
Until a few years ago, Nelson served as the Executive Director of Treatment Dynamics, a state-licensed facility that has served the local area for over twenty years. He also opened Treatment Dynamics North located in Newton, NJ in 2006. Treatment Dynamics was purchased by Summit Behavioral Health (SBH) in 2014. Treatment Dynamics offered dual diagnostic treatment for adults, adolescents and their families with access to an on-staff psychiatrist.
Nelson has been a groundbreaker in the Morris County NJ area in the field of addiction treatment. He designed, implemented and oversaw the Northeast Recovery Network Treatment Center in Morristown, NJ in the early 90’s. He was also instrumental in the growth of Treatment Dynamics, implementing one of the first adolescent intensive outpatient (IOP) drug and alcohol treatment programs in the area. Treatment Dynamics offered an Early Intervention Program. This program addressed adolescent substance abuse and focused on societal, familial, academic and psychiatric causes of abuse. The Early Intervention Program was separate and distinct from the Adolescent IOP, which treated the more severely involved adolescent and was based on twelve step philosophy. Since assuming ownership, Nelson championed the growth of Treatment Dynamics by integrating the use of behavioral, cognitive, family systems and psychodynamic approaches, which focus on the individual needs of the patient and the family. Emphasis was placed on helping the individual re-integrate into the community, home and workplace.
​
After selling Treatment Dynamics, Nelson continued to work with the new owners as their Regional Clinical Director helping to expand and improve their treatment programs. Nelson moved on to become the Executive Director of Advanced Health and Education and helped to enhance the services of this premier treatment facility.
After leaving Advanced Nelson focused on building his private practice in Morris and Sussex Counties and provided consulting services to treatment facilities, consulting with various entities and providing clinical supervision.
Nelson moved to Florida in 2020 and is currently the Clinical director of Pearl Recovery as well as a clinical staff member at Calusa Recovery. Nelson is actively practicing psychotherapy at has FT Myers location.
Nelson speaks regularly to students, faculties, parents and colleagues about the identification, prevention and treatment of substance abuse as well as various clinical topics, including the treatment of co-occurring disorders, medically assisted treatment, family therapy and treatment delivery modalities.