Claudia Black is the clinical architect of the Claudia Black Center at The Meadows Treatment Center, where she works with young adults ages 18–26 who are struggling with unresolved emotional trauma, addiction, or co-occurring disorders. In this role, she collaborates closely with the executive and clinical directors and their teams to assess and enhance program quality. She is frequently on-site, engaging directly with clients and their families. In addition, she serves as a Senior Fellow and has been a clinical consultant at The Meadows Treatment Center in Arizona since 1998.

Since the 1970s, Dr. Black’s work has focused on the impact of addiction on both children and adults. She was the first to identify and name the dysfunctional family rules: Don’t Talk, Don’t Trust, Don’t Feel. She broke new ground by openly addressing physical and sexual abuse within the context of addictive family systems. Her innovative use of art therapy in group settings with young children established a model that has influenced children’s programs for more than four decades.

Dr. Black has also contributed significantly to the understanding of delayed stress, emotional trauma, the child’s denial process, and the phenomenon of “looking good” children—those who appear well-adjusted despite growing up in dysfunctional environments. Her work helped define the concept and language surrounding “Adult Children of Addiction.”

A prolific author, Dr. Black has written more than 20 books that provide both a foundation for individuals seeking recovery and a comprehensive resource for professionals in the field. Over the course of her career, she has presented to diverse audiences, including military academies, prison systems, medical schools, universities, and mental health and addiction programs. Her work spans internationally, with experience in countries such as Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, Iceland, Germany, England, and Canada.

Today, she continues to develop and teach models of intervention and treatment addressing unresolved trauma, family violence, multiple addictions, relapse, anger, depression, and women’s issues. Her writings and teachings are widely regarded as foundational in the field of addiction recovery.

Dr. Black is one of the original founders and serves on the Advisory Board of the National Association for Children of Addiction, as well as on the Advisory Council of Eluna Foundation, which developed Camp Mariposa—a program supporting children affected by addiction.

She has been featured in numerous professional journals and media outlets, and participates in radio, webinars, podcasts, and virtual conferences worldwide.

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Black has received numerous national honors, including the Marty Mann Award, the SECAD Award, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Educator of the Year Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington School of Social Work, the Robert Rehmar Addiction Professional Award, the Father Martin Professional Excellence Award, the NAADAC Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Society of Addiction Medicine Media Award, the Conway Hunter Award, and the 2025 Michael Ford Journalism Award.

Dr. Black holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia Pacific University, a Master’s degree in Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare from the University of Washington.