Robert "Bobby" Kahaly, RADT
Physical Empowerment Director
Tree House Recovery, Costa Mesa, California
Updated: 10/15/2026
Robert “Bobby” Kahaly, RADT, is the Physical Empowerment Director at Tree House Recovery in Costa Mesa, California, where he leads the fitness-based physical modalities at the center of the program. He is a former Tree House client. He joined the staff on April 23, 2024, and rose to director of the department that once helped him get sober.
He is a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician in California (RADT, CCAPP #R1514290723, originally issued July 14, 2023) and has completed the coursework, practicum, and supervised work hours for the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) credential. He is now awaiting final examination approval.
What to expect when working with Robert
“Clients can expect a fair but firm approach to the Tree House standard. I meet people where they’re at, regardless of experience, sober time, where they come from, or who they are. I’m here before the clients arrive and usually after they leave. I work out with the guys, I run with the guys, and I’m in the ocean with them no matter the water temperature.
When I came through this program as a client, I needed to see that it was working in my clinicians’ lives before I could buy into it. That’s what I try to give back. Showing up is half the battle, and today showing up is my superpower. Hard things are going to happen either way. You get to choose your hard.”
How Robert lives the work
Robert’s work is built on the same fitness-based lifestyle Tree House teaches, and he lives it. In recovery since March 2022, he races ultramarathons, including three 100-mile finishes, surfs, and gets in the ocean year-round. He is at Tree House before clients arrive and trains, runs, and swims alongside them: the same structure, challenge, and community he builds into the program.
Lived experience
Robert is in long-term recovery from substance use disorder, with a sobriety date of March 22, 2022. He came to California from New York for treatment without family, housing, or contacts on the West Coast, and completed the Tree House program as a client. His personal recovery is lived experience. It is distinct from the professional credentials listed below. He uses it to model, alongside clients every day, the fitness-based lifestyle Tree House teaches.
Robert’s path to Tree House
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (February 2009 – October 2015)
Robert enlisted on February 23, 2009. He completed recruit training at Parris Island and the School of Infantry in the summer of 2009. He served with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, in Garden City, New York, advancing from ammunition carrier to gunner to squad leader in the 81mm mortar platoon. In the summer of 2010 he deployed to Mozambique for a multinational training mission, instructing host-nation forces in small-unit tactics, weapons handling, field medicine, land navigation, night-vision operations, and live-fire ranges. He was licensed to operate the Humvee and the 7-ton tactical truck. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal (E-4) in October 2015.
Union building trades (2010 – 2022)
- 2010 – 2011: Apprentice, Roofers Local 8, New York City (through the Helmets to Hardhats veterans program)
- 2011 – 2015: Glaziers Local 1087, installing curtain-wall glass, storefronts, and skylights on Manhattan high-rises
- 2015 – 2020: Gas distribution for National Grid, on lines beneath New York City streets and the East River
- 2021 – 2022: Apprentice, Ironworkers Local 416, Los Angeles, placing reinforcing steel on a new terminal at LAX and on overnight subway tunnel work beneath Beverly Hills
Addiction treatment (2023 – present)
- 2023 – 2024: Admissions, business development, and group facilitation in addiction treatment
- April 23, 2024: Joined Tree House Recovery, leading physical modality groups
- Current role: Physical Empowerment Director
Credentials & licensure
- RADT (Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician), registration #R1514290723, CCAPP Credentialing, originally issued July 14, 2023; current term valid through July 14, 2027; ethics status: In Compliance. Verify on the CCAPP registry
- CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor), candidate. Education, practicum, and supervised hours complete; awaiting examination approval.
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer, in progress
- HIPAA privacy and security training, completed
- Clinical supervision: Robert Mo, Clinical Program Director
Education & training
- College of Staten Island (CUNY), liberal arts coursework, 2010
- U.S. Marine Corps recruit training, Parris Island, SC, 2009
- U.S. Marine Corps School of Infantry, 2009
Program focus
- Fitness-based physical modalities in addiction treatment, including the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and action-based therapy (ABIT)
- Adaptive exercise programming for injuries and physical limitations
- Endurance training as a recovery practice
- Peer modeling and accountability
Populations Robert works with most closely
- Military service members and veterans
- Union members and skilled tradespeople
- Endurance and competitive athletes
- Older adult men
- Clients relocating from the East Coast for treatment
Professional presence
Common questions
Is Robert Kahaly licensed?
Robert is a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician (RADT) in California, registered with CCAPP Credentialing (#R1514290723). He has completed the education, practicum, and supervised-hours requirements for the CADC and is awaiting examination approval. He is not a licensed therapist. He works under the clinical supervision of Robert Mo, Clinical Program Director.
Does Robert have personal experience with addiction recovery?
Yes. Robert is in long-term recovery and is a former Tree House Recovery client.
Did Robert serve in the military?
Yes. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 2009 to 2015 with 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, and was honorably discharged as a Corporal.
What does the Physical Empowerment Director do at Tree House Recovery?
He leads the program’s fitness-based physical modalities, including strength training, running, ocean work, and outdoor activities. He adapts each session for clients’ injuries and physical limitations so everyone can participate.
Can clients with injuries or physical limitations participate?
Yes. Robert’s team adapts every movement to the individual, using modifications from an injury reference the department maintains, so clients with injuries can still train.