Addiction
About Dr Robert Rhoton
Dr Robert Rhoton (PsyD, LPC, DAAETS) is a leading global authority on trauma-informed care, family trauma, and autonomic nervous system regulation. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Arizona Trauma Institute and President of Trauma Institute International, he has spent decades advancing the clinical understanding and treatment of developmental and traumatic stress.
A Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, Dr Rhoton specializes in training mental health professionals to navigate traumagenic family dynamics using compassionate, non-egoic models of care. His clinical leadership spans the supervision of outpatient clinics, intensive substance abuse programs for adolescents, juvenile justice initiatives, and advanced child and family therapeutic services.
Key Clinical Leadership & Achievements:
• Developer of CCTS-A: Dr Rhoton is the architect of the Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist – Addiction (CCTS-A) framework. This groundbreaking approach integrates polyvagal science, ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) research, and harm reduction into a single, clinically actionable structure.
• Academic & Community Advocacy: A retired faculty member with 20 years of tenure in the Behavioral Sciences Department at Ottawa University, he actively consults for community behavioral health agencies. He has also served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
• Salutogenic Approach: He champions an "active ingredients" approach to therapy, focusing on salutogenic (health-promoting) principles that move clinical practice beyond basic symptom management toward building genuine, lasting recovery.
At APBAM 2026, Dr Rhoton brings his immense expertise to the keynote stage and the exclusive CCTS-A intensive training, equipping regional clinicians with practical, evidence-based tools to conceptualize addiction and traumatic stress as linked outcomes of nervous system dysregulation.
A Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, Dr Rhoton specializes in training mental health professionals to navigate traumagenic family dynamics using compassionate, non-egoic models of care. His clinical leadership spans the supervision of outpatient clinics, intensive substance abuse programs for adolescents, juvenile justice initiatives, and advanced child and family therapeutic services.
Key Clinical Leadership & Achievements:
• Developer of CCTS-A: Dr Rhoton is the architect of the Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist – Addiction (CCTS-A) framework. This groundbreaking approach integrates polyvagal science, ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) research, and harm reduction into a single, clinically actionable structure.
• Academic & Community Advocacy: A retired faculty member with 20 years of tenure in the Behavioral Sciences Department at Ottawa University, he actively consults for community behavioral health agencies. He has also served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
• Salutogenic Approach: He champions an "active ingredients" approach to therapy, focusing on salutogenic (health-promoting) principles that move clinical practice beyond basic symptom management toward building genuine, lasting recovery.
At APBAM 2026, Dr Rhoton brings his immense expertise to the keynote stage and the exclusive CCTS-A intensive training, equipping regional clinicians with practical, evidence-based tools to conceptualize addiction and traumatic stress as linked outcomes of nervous system dysregulation.
