Our Staff

William Steiniger, Ph.D., L.P.C., Managing Director, is an addictions specialist and Certified Professional Counselor with over 29 years experience in the field of counseling / psychology. With a Masters Degree and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Dr. Steiniger is trained in a variety of methods, including NLP, Core Transformation, Transactional Analysis, and the Release Technique. He was Founder and Director of National Career and Life Institute and has helped more than 4,000 clients with career and life planning. He has also served as court-appointed Special Master / Family Court Advisor and Psychotherapist for the Superior Court of Arizona in Phoenix since 1994. Dr. Steiniger is listed in Who's Who of Professionals.

Robin W. Knox, M.C., L.I.S.A.C., Clinical Director, has a Master of Counseling Degree from Arizona State University and is a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor with over 35 years experience in the field of addictions. He has been involved in the start-up and development of several of the most successful addictions treatment, intervention and prevention programs in Arizona, California and Oregon. Having worked in a wide range of therapeutic environments and with varied populations, he brings an eclectic and seasoned practicality to the service of treating addiction disorders. He has been trained in Psychodrama, Gestalt Therapy, NLP and EMDR, and is certified in Clinical Hypnosis and Alchemical Hypnotherapy

Anne Cunningham, M.C., C.P.C., Assistant Director, was Founder and Director of the Verde Valley Sanctuary, a domestic violence shelter in Northern Arizona. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and a Chemical Dependency Certification. Cunningham has provided individual and group counseling to adolescents, adults and women in a variety of settings including crisis intervention. Her expertise encompasses dysfunctional family dynamics and treatment for abuse / trauma, attention deficit disorder, behavioral problems and self-esteem issues.

Rob Armstead, Ph.D., M.Ed., BrainWorks Director, received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Washington. He has 30 years experience as a psychotherapist in the field of addictions. He has provided services to the courts, federal and state probation departments, universities and schools, nursing homes, businesses, private groups, doctors, and churches. He participated in the individual, group, and family therapy components of the program. He performed individual, family, and group psychotherapy with multi-ethnic US and Spanish speaking children, adolescents and adults with full range of dysfunction including adjustment reactions, character disorders, addictions, borderline personality, and psychoses.

Lester Adler, M.D., M.D.(H), Consulting Physician, is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is also a licensed homeopathic physician. Dr. Adler has been practicing complementary medicine for more than 18 years and is director of the Sedona Center for Complementary Medicine.

Jennifer Bethune, R.N., Clinical Administrator, is a member of the American Holistic Nurses Association, with 12 years in the field of nursing. She has worked in the areas of women’s health, geriatrics, rehabilitation and behavioral health. She has extensively studied the healing modalities of therapeutic movement, bodywork, and natural nutrition. She is certified in Integrative Yoga Therapy and has taught Hatha Yoga for over 12 years.

Kellyn Boileau, M.S.W., Admissions Director, has a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from the University of Kansas in Lawrence Kansas and a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from Washburn University in Topeka Kansas. She worked in the field of physical rehabilitation as a medical social worker. She is is currently working toward certification in Addictions Counseling and professional licensure in Clinical Social Work.

Diane Goulder Steiniger, MCIS, Business Director, has a Bachelor of Comparative Religions Degree and a Master of Computer and Business Degree. She has studied and implemented holistic healing methods for 25 years and co-founded Desert Canyon Treatment Center with Dr. William Steiniger and Anne Cunningham in 1998. She is trained and certified in the Holistic and Rapid Transformation (HART) technique, a process that allows accelerated and profound healing of core issues, created by internationally-recognized author and lecturer Helene Rothschild, MFCC.

The Staff at Desert Canyon also includes chemical-dependency counselors, professional therapists and behavioral health technicians. All counseling staff are at least master's level therapists with a variety of certifications in their appropriate fields. Other specialists provide a variety of additional services to enhance the depth and range of healing and growth that are provided in the program.