Leigh Kolodny-Kraft is the Founder and Executive Director of The Kraft Group, centrally located in Florham Park, New Jersey. Leigh began her career working with adolescents dealing with mental health and addiction issues and later transitioned to working with individuals dealing with trauma on multiple levels. Leigh has experience working both inpatient and outpatient levels of care, giving her a deep understanding of industry best practices. She has experience working with, directing, and creating programs for gang youth, multiple forensic issues, critical incident stress and crisis intervention for first responders and the military, juvenile sex offenders, and all forms of addiction and mental health. Leigh has excelled in and been honored through National Awards and considered a Subject Matter Expert for her work in trauma and addiction.

Additionally, Leigh was personally trained by Dr. Patrick Carnes, leader in the Sex Addiction field, to achieve her certification in Sex Addiction. She has since been mentored by other leaders in the field of sex addiction. Leigh was awarded the distinguished credential of a supervisory role for other seeking certification in the field of Sex Addiction (CSAT-S). She trains all of her staff at The Kraft Group in Sex Addiction and incorporates the trauma informed methodology for the entire group practice. Leigh strives to provide the most collaborative and nurturing environment not only for her clients but for the entire staff at The Kraft Group.

Leigh is a solution-focused addictions and trauma therapist who treats the person, not the diagnosis. Her customized, integrated approach provides clients support and practical feedback to help them effectively address personal challenges. With over 24 years experience as a therapist, Leigh counsels her clients with empathy, compassion, and the understanding that there is more to each person than a diagnosis, an addiction, or a past trauma.

Often addiction is a symptom of another life issue. Individuals with addiction and codependency issues often come to treatment feeling powerless and as if their lives are out of control. Leigh works with each individual to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing. Through this process, clients are able to address the underlying issues driving substance use or other destructive behaviors. Leigh motivates and helps each client develop the confidence and skills to carry out change in a non-threatening way. Leigh knows there is a difference between teaching clients skills and coping tools and motivating a client to actually utilize them. She integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. She hopes to eliminate the difficulty that can arise when multiple providers in different offices or multiple providers treating members of the same family try to work together as a team.

Leigh Kolodny-Kraft advocates for choice in treatment and an individualized approach, recognizing that one size does not fit all, particularly in addiction therapy, codependency therapy, and residential treatment. Many fall through the cracks after intensive outpatient therapy or hospitalization, resulting in preventable relapses. For these clients, Leigh uses a variety of approaches, from the 12 Step approach, SMART (Self Management and Recovery Training) Recovery System, and the teachings of Refuge Recovery from the work of Noah Levine. A graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, Leigh specializes in Trauma, Addictions, and Codependency. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Supervisor, Certified Gambling Counselor, and Certified Step Family Therapist. She is also a SAP certified to conduct substance abuse evaluations for the Department of Transportation.

HER AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND TRAINING INCLUDE:

• Trauma

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Dual diagnosis/co-occurring disorders

• Anxiety and depression

• Crisis intervention and anger management

• Issues surrounding substance abuse and chemical dependency, including:

  • Parent/child conflict due to addiction

  • Adult child of an alcoholic issues

  • Prescription drug dependence and pain management

  • Comprehensive and/or court-mandated substance abuse evaluations

  • Drug Abuse Urinalysis Testing (Instant and Lab Based)

  • Alternatives to traditional intensive outpatient programs (individualized intensive therapy customized according to individual and family needs)

• Addictions

  • Drug & alcohol addictions

  • Sex addiction

  • Love addiction

  • Gambling addiction

  • Intimacy disorders

• Step Family Therapy (Certified Step Family Therapist)

• Customized individually-based intensive therapy for the Upper Level Executive or high profile client who cannot attend traditional Intensive Outpatient Programs or meetings

• Recovery Coaching

• Adolescent issues

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder

A private practitioner working with a broad spectrum of client needs, Leigh established The Kraft Group after she saw a need for quality, evidence-based, and customized treatment for individuals and their families. Leigh has been asked to speak at multiple conferences and has been a guest on radio shows sharing her knowledge in the field of addictions. She was awarded the National Mel Shulstad 2017 Professional of The Year Award and the 2014 Lora Roe Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Counselor of the Year by NAADAC, the National Association for Addiction Professionals.