Gary Blanchard began working in the addictions field in 1998. He got a Master's in Addiction Counseling from Vermont College of Norwich University in 2002. His clinical experience and training led him to explore the current state of addiction treatment to determine better ways to help people in the recovery process. Gary's work blends the 12-step approach of Alcoholics Anonymous with elements of Jack Trimpey's Rational Recovery; he has also been influenced by Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Carl Rogers' Positive Psychology, and by writings of others including Dianne Doyle Pita and Dennis Thombs.

Gary Blanchard is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor who has presented at national conferences, including the AATOD conference, NAADAC conference, and NACD conference as well as the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders. He was named 2014 Counselor of the Year by the Massachusetts Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors.