About Blaise

Blaise’s journey in recovery began in January 1997 when he went to Cottonwood Treatment Center in Tucson, Arizona. Blaise thanks his mother who led the way in breaking generations of Alcoholism and Addiction in the Rastello family when she went into treatment in 1976 and was sober for 12 years before she died and now there are three generations of sobriety in the Rastello family. After 15 years of recovery Blaise was given the opportunity to teach 12 step and relapse prevention classes in a residential treatment center in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2012, which led to his path to become an addiction counselor and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Blaise has experience working in addiction treatment, including working with co-existing mental illness disorders.

Blaise has a passion and a natural ability to work with and relate to individuals, couples and families suffering from addiction and/or the effects of addiction. Addiction is a family disease that has both willing and unwilling participants. Blaise believes that anyone can recover from addiction if they have a little willingness and the ability to become teachable. Many times individuals who suffer from addiction have underlying traumas (physical, emotional and/or developmental) that need to be treated in the recovery process to maximize successful recovery and minimize relapse. Blaise is a trauma-informed practitioner.

Blaise has been in partnership with Annie Rastello since December 31, 1976. They are the proud parents of three sons, three granddaughters and a grandson. Blaise has seven siblings and enjoys spending time with both his immediate and extended family. Blaise and Anne have lived in beautiful places all their lives starting in Northern Arizona where they met in college, the Rocky Mountains, the Arizona-Sonora desert. Blaise was born on the coast of Southern California and grew up in San Pedro. Blaise and Anne are currently living on the coast in Baja California near San Diego.

Education
Masters in Social Work
Western New Mexico University, 2017

Masters in Business Administration
University of Phoenix, 1991

Bachelor of Science (Telecommunications)
Northern Arizona University, 1978

Licenses
Licensed Addiction Counselor
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Additional Training
Trauma Informed Practitioner 2017

Professional Activities and Memberships
National Association of Addiction Professionals
Colorado Association of Addiction Professionals
National Association of Social Workers