Advisory Board Member
Candy Finnigan
Candy Finnigan is a nationally recognized addiction specialist and interventionist. She received her Certificate in Alcohol-Drug Counseling Skills and her Certificate in Alcohol-Drug Abuse Studies from UCLA in 1993. Internships were done at Cedars-Sinai Hospital where she worked in Addiction Services and C.P.C. Westwood Hospital. She was certified in Sex Addiction by Dr. Patrick Carnes in 1997 and attended Post Induction training with Pia Mellody, R.N., in 1997 at the Meadows. She received her intervention training in 1991, from Dr. Vernon Johnson, when intervention was relatively new. In 2001 she was trained in Systemic Family Intervention. She has enjoyed professional relationships with many treatment centers nationally and internationally. Candy also completed co-dependency training with well-known author and authority on co-dependency and it's role in addiction and alcoholism treatment, Pia Mellody. She has done extensive workshop training in the fields of dual diagnosis and psychiatric treatments and other process addictions.
Candy has been involved in all areas of recovery for over 28 years, not only as an interventionist, but also in relapse prevention, holding a certificate in the Gorski method, having been trained 1996 by Terence Gorski. Additionally, she has extensive experience in assessment, placement, and aftercare treatment. She has been a group facilitator for many years, with both adults and adolescents. Candy did work with the students at Beverly Hills High School as a drug and alcohol specialist/counselor for 11 years, acting as facilitator of the "Sober Lunch" program… She is a Certified Master Addiction Counselor III and a Board Registered Interventionist II. She belongs to the Association of Intervention Specialists and is a Certified Intervention Professional.
Personally in recovery for over 29 years, Candy states, "I was inspired to go into this work because I saw that as a recovering woman, I might be able to connect with suffering people in a way that others couldn't," she says. "It's not just my work, it's my life." Candy has been married for 46 years. She and her husband Mike have two grown children: son, Kelly, and daughter, Bridget.
Co-founder of the acclaimed MAP (Musicians Assistance Program or Musicares), Candy continues to educate and facilitate through a variety of efforts in the recovery community. Currently, she is one of the featured interventionists on the acclaimed A&E series "INTERVENTION." The show has been widely praised since 2004 as a groundbreaking example of how reality television and therapeutic efforts can be combined. Critics and viewers agree that this show is riveting, positive and educational TV. The show has been recognized for it's commitment to raising public awareness of the epidemic of alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as other mental health issues. Ms. Finnigan and the show were honored with four Prism Awards. The show ran for thirteen seasons. "INTERVENTION" enjoyed an audience of 2.4 million viewers weekly, and was the winner of an Emmy in 2009.
Candy continues to be active in the recovery community as a mentor and lecture speaker. It has been her experience, across the board, that the nature of addictions and interventions are a daunting task each family faces.
Candy's book, When Enough is Enough, was published by Penguin/Avery in April 2008. The book is about helping loved ones with the process of Intervention. It is available at major bookstores and amazon.com.