Dr David Nesenoff

DD, MA | CEO

David is a cofounder of Tikvah Lake Recovery and likely the first person you will speak to when you finally decide to make one of the most important calls of your life. David takes the time to get to know each person and each family in depth, so that he can guarantee that Tikvah Lake is a match.

David’s experience as an addiction and personal counselor spans more than 30 years. Having seen what doesn’t work in communities where addiction was a problem, David opened the doors of Tikvah Lake and in 2017, together with his son Adam.

At Tikvah Lake, clients receive as much one-on-one therapy as they need – something that David believes is one of the most important reasons why no one has ever relapsed at Tikvah Lake, and why those who have gone through the program succeed once they return to their lives. In his experience, he has found that it is in individual therapy that people can uncover what caused their addiction and learn new techniques that will empower them to stay sober after they’ve completed the program.

One of the important features David has implemented is future care. Tikvah Lake Recovery offers an unprecedented continuity of care: simply put, you can continue to speak to your therapist at Tikvah Lake after you’ve finished the program. David decided to do this because he believes that everyone who comes to Tikvah Lake has made a life-changing commitment – and we partner up with you in your recovery by following through on that commitment. During the program, we make sure that you don’t fall – and with future care, we make sure you don’t stumble.

As an owner in this family-owned business, David is always accessible to his clients and accommodating to the unique needs of each guest: for one, if a person wants religion to be a part of their recovery journey, David encourages it – and Tikvah Lake Recovery has seen clients practice all major religions. Same goes for using technology and having visitors – David encourages clients to stay in touch with loved ones and continue working on their businesses, so that their journey to sobriety does not put their lives on hold.

As an inspirational and motivational speaker, David has given talks across the US, as well as in the UK, Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Canada. He has also lectured at Yale, Oxford, UCLA and other world-class universities. Dedicated to helping others, David counseled families who lost loved ones in the immediate aftermath of 9/11; he has implemented and taught behavior modification in the New York court systems; he was the keynote speaker at a New York State Governor’s Summit and an intervention consultant for the Civil Rights Monitor’s Office of the US Department of Justice for one of the largest consent decrees in US history.

David holds a BA degree in Behavioral and Industrial Psychology and Communications from Yeshiva University, and an MA and Doctorate from JTSA. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren, as well as on creative pursuits such as composing music and filmmaking. An involved reader and a less-than-perfect golfer, he believes that finding the humor in life is the best way to live it.