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Our Team

Just Real People. With Real Pain. And Real Purpose.

We're not a corporation. We're a movement built by people who've been through it. Every DAMD coach brings lived experience, professional training, and an unshakeable commitment to helping others dance against their demons.

Lived Experience

Every coach has walked the path of recovery themselves.

Professional Training

CBT, Motivational Interviewing, SMART Recovery, Trauma-Informed Care.

Strong Boundaries

Consistent, professional facilitation without ego or agenda.

Mission-Driven

Turning pain into leadership, addiction into accountability.

Meet the Founder

The Man Behind DAMD

Founder & CEO

Gabriel Chavez

Dancing Against My Demons

I stopped waiting to be rescued—and started dancing against my demons.

I didn't grow up thinking I'd be a recovery coach. I grew up fighting demons I didn't even know had names. Addiction, anger, abandonment, father wounds, failure. I didn't hit rock bottom—I just built a damn house there. And I lived in it until I couldn't breathe anymore.

DAMD Recovery wasn't built in a boardroom—it was built in pain. I created this movement because I couldn't find anything real out there. Every treatment center felt cold. Every group felt fake. Every healing journey felt like a sales pitch.

I didn't need a pamphlet. I needed a purpose. So I stopped waiting to be rescued—and started dancing against my demons. Now I lead others to do the same.

Gabriel Chavez is a specialized recovery coach and founder of DAMD (Dancing Against My Demons)—focused on redefining stigma and delivering physical, mental, and spiritual growth through recovery work. He brings a fitness and coaching background, evidence-informed approaches like CBT practices and motivational interviewing, and lived experience battling mental health and addiction.

My Approach

Direct, human, and real. No lecture energy—just truth-telling and practical tools. We don't sugarcoat. We don't enable. We build leaders through suffering—not followers through comfort.

Los Angeles, CA
Available for 1-on-1 coaching & group facilitation

Specialties

Trauma-Informed RecoveryAccountability & IntegrityRelapse PreventionCBT Skills for RecoveryAnger & Shame WorkMental Health + Addiction

Training & Credentials

  • Specialized Recovery Coach
  • CBT & Motivational Interviewing Trained
  • SMART Recovery Concepts
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Lived Recovery Experience
The Team

Our Facilitators

Elite recovery coaches with lived experience, professional training, and mission alignment.

Facilitator

Moses Ramos

Facilitator — "What's Your Next Move"

Breaking cycles, rebuilding identity, and taking intentional steps toward sustainable recovery.

My name is Moses Ramos, and my work is grounded in lived experience, resilience, and recovery. I was removed from my household at the age of 11 and spent many years navigating instability, trauma, and addiction. By the age of 26, I reached a critical turning point and made the conscious decision to change the direction of my life. That decision led me to California, where I committed myself to healing, accountability, and long-term transformation.

Today, I facilitate structured, purpose-driven conversations through What's Your Next Move, supporting individuals as they develop insight, self-awareness, and practical tools for change. My approach integrates real-world experience, clinical awareness, and spiritual motivation to create a safe and grounded space for reflection, responsibility, and growth.

I am deeply committed to helping individuals break cycles, rebuild identity, and take intentional steps toward stability, purpose, and sustainable recovery.

My Approach

Structured, purpose-driven conversations integrating real-world experience, clinical awareness, and spiritual motivation to create a safe and grounded space for reflection, responsibility, and growth.

Los Angeles, CA
Available for group facilitation

Specialties

Life Transitions & StabilitySelf-Awareness & InsightBreaking CyclesIdentity RebuildingAccountability WorkPurpose-Driven Recovery

Training & Credentials

  • Lived Recovery Experience
  • Trauma-Informed Facilitation
  • Purpose-Driven Coaching
  • Clinical Awareness Training

Group Topics

  • What's Your Next Move
  • Breaking Cycles
  • Building Stability
  • Identity & Purpose
Facilitator

Jimmy Z.

Group Facilitator & Sober Living Operator

I have never woken up wishing I didn't have to go to work. I genuinely love what I does.

Jimmy Z. is a dedicated recovery professional with 11 years of continuous sobriety and a deep passion for helping others rebuild their lives. He currently runs a sober living environment and serves as a group facilitator, where he creates a safe, structured, and honest space for individuals working through substance use recovery.

Jimmy has returned to college later in life, earning multiple degrees and professional certifications, including his CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) credential. His lived experience, combined with formal education, allows him to connect authentically with clients while maintaining strong clinical boundaries and accountability.

One thing Jimmy often says about himself is simple but telling: he has never woken up wishing he didn't have to go to work. He genuinely loves what he does. His work is driven by purpose, compassion, and the belief that long-term recovery is possible when people are supported, challenged, and truly heard.

My Approach

Creating safe, structured, and honest spaces for recovery. Combining lived experience with professional credentials to connect authentically while maintaining strong boundaries and accountability.

Los Angeles, CA
Available for group facilitation

Specialties

Sober Living ManagementGroup FacilitationClinical BoundariesLong-Term Recovery SupportStructured AccountabilityCompassionate Challenge

Training & Credentials

  • CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor)
  • Multiple College Degrees
  • 11 Years Continuous Sobriety
  • Lived Recovery Experience

Group Topics

  • Long-Term Recovery
  • Structured Living
  • Clinical Boundaries
  • Accountability in Recovery
Facilitator

Zachary McMahon

Group Facilitator & Behavioral Health Technician

Empathy, evidence-based practice, and commitment to helping individuals build skills for long-term recovery.

Zachary McMahon is a dedicated Group Facilitator with specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the science of addiction and withdrawal on the brain. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he brings both professional expertise and lived experience to his work, with two years in sustained recovery.

In addition to facilitating groups, Zachary works full time as a Behavioral Health Technician in a detox setting, where he supports clients through the earliest and most vulnerable stages of treatment. His approach is grounded in empathy, evidence-based practice, and a commitment to helping individuals build the skills needed for long-term recovery.

My Approach

Grounded in empathy, evidence-based practice, and commitment to helping individuals build practical skills for long-term recovery. Supporting clients through the most vulnerable stages of treatment.

Los Angeles, CA
Available for group facilitation

Specialties

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyAddiction NeuroscienceDetox SupportEarly RecoveryEvidence-Based PracticeWithdrawal Management

Training & Credentials

  • CBT Trained
  • Addiction & Withdrawal Science
  • Behavioral Health Technician
  • 2 Years Sustained Recovery
  • Lived Recovery Experience

Group Topics

  • CBT Skills for Recovery
  • Understanding Addiction & the Brain
  • Early Recovery Support
  • Managing Withdrawal
Facilitator

Nazeli

Group Facilitator & Yoga Instructor

Creating spaces where people can slow down, reconnect, and build real-life skills for sustainable change.

Nazeli is a facilitator and yoga instructor who creates spaces where people can slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and build real-life skills for sustainable change. With a background in recovery support and group facilitation, she blends mindfulness, movement, and practical tools to help individuals develop awareness, emotional regulation, and self-trust.

Nazeli's approach is trauma-informed, inclusive, and deeply human. Rather than focusing on perfection or performance, her work centers on curiosity, self-compassion, and meeting people exactly where they are. Whether guiding a yoga class or facilitating a group, she emphasizes safety, choice, and the understanding that healing and growth happen in small, consistent moments.

Drawing from yoga, somatic awareness, and evidence-based recovery principles, Nazeli supports clients in strengthening their relationship with themselves—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Her work is grounded in the belief that the body holds valuable information, and learning to listen to it can create lasting change both on and off the mat.

Nazeli is passionate about helping people reconnect with their inner resilience and build lives that feel more stable, intentional, and aligned.

My Approach

Trauma-informed, inclusive, and deeply human. Centering on curiosity, self-compassion, and meeting people exactly where they are. Emphasizing safety, choice, and small consistent moments of healing.

Los Angeles, CA
Available for group facilitation and yoga instruction

Specialties

Yoga & MovementSomatic AwarenessTrauma-Informed CareMindfulness PracticesEmotional RegulationBody-Mind Connection

Training & Credentials

  • Certified Yoga Instructor
  • Trauma-Informed Facilitation
  • Somatic Awareness Training
  • Evidence-Based Recovery Principles
  • Group Facilitation

Group Topics

  • Mindfulness & Recovery
  • Somatic Awareness
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Body-Based Healing
  • Yoga for Recovery
Facilitator

Taylor

SUDRC-Certified Recovery Professional

Replacing old, unhealthy patterns with positive, life-affirming habits through compassion and lived experience.

Taylor is a SUDRC-certified recovery professional dedicated to helping individuals replace old, unhealthy patterns with positive, life-affirming habits. They bring a compassionate, trauma-informed approach rooted in lived experience, empathy, and hope.

By fostering positive energy, relatability, and genuine connection, Taylor supports healing, personal growth, and long-term recovery—helping others build healthier, more meaningful lives.

My Approach

Compassionate, trauma-informed approach rooted in lived experience, empathy, and hope. Fostering positive energy, relatability, and genuine connection to support healing and personal growth.

Los Angeles, CA
Available for group facilitation

Specialties

Pattern InterruptionHabit FormationTrauma-Informed RecoveryPositive PsychologyRelational SupportLong-Term Recovery

Training & Credentials

  • SUDRC Certified
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Lived Recovery Experience
  • Compassionate Recovery Support

Group Topics

  • Breaking Old Patterns
  • Building Healthy Habits
  • Trauma-Informed Recovery
  • Positive Growth Mindset
Join the Movement

Want to Become a DAMD Coach?

We're looking for facilitators with lived experience, professional training, and a fire to help others transform their pain into purpose. If that's you, we want to hear from you.