New York Post
· collected 2026-09-24 · by Bernie Zilio, Nate Grant, Teresa Roca
Dr. Reza Nabavi, the founder and owner of the “rehab” where Presley Gerber died of a suspected overdose, once had his psychology license denied over his criminal past involving drugs and a minor, Page Six has exclusively learned.
asserted
Page → die → drugs
We can confirm that in February 2002 — two years before he obtained his Ph.D in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology — Nabavi, now 50, was arrested after Oakland Police Department officers found him asleep in a car in an area known for “frequent narcotic and prostitution activity.”
asserted
him → confirm → activity
Nabavi, who was 25 at the time, was with a 15-year-old girl, who told responding officers she did not know him very well and was under the influence of methamphetamine, per official documents.
asserted
she → tell → documents
After a search of Nabavi’s vehicle, the officers said they found meth, marijuana, a hunting knife, a handgun and ammunition.
asserted
they → say → meth
In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 36 months of probation.
uncertain
Nabavi → plead → probation
Later that month, we can confirm he was arrested again for possessing narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia after getting caught agreeing to sell meth to an informant.
asserted
he → confirm → informant
Upon searching his person, officers said they found meth, a glass meth pipe and marijuana.
asserted
they → search → meth
In June 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and was once again sentenced to 36 months of probation.
asserted
Nabavi → plead → probation
In September 2004, he submitted to the California Board of Psychology an application for registration as a psychologist.
asserted
he → submit → psychologist
According to official documents, the application was denied later that month due to the conviction of a crime, the conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications and practice of a psychologist, the use of a controlled substance and unprofessional conduct.
uncertain
application → accord → substance
We can confirm that Nabavi was eventually able to register as a psychological assistant in January 2006.
asserted
Nabavi → confirm → January
The following month, however, that registration was revoked but stayed — with “stayed” meaning the revocation would not go into effect unless Nabavi did not comply with specific probationary terms and conditions for five years, per the California Board of Psychology.
asserted
Nabavi → revoke → Psychology
Those probationary terms and conditions included submitting to a psychological evaluation, notifying his employer of his probation, being monitored weekly by a California-licensed psychologist, entering a drug and alcohol abuse recovery program, committing to ongoing treatment and submitting to random drug and alcohol testing, per official documents.
asserted
terms → include → documents
After another denial in May 2005, we can confirm that Nabavi was finally able to register as a psychologist in December 2006 in compliance with the terms and conditions of his probation.
uncertain
Nabavi → confirm → probation
The California Board of Psychology — which granted Nabavi an early termination of his probation in May 2008 — currently lists his license expiration date as June 30, 2028.
uncertain
which → grant → June
Nabavi went on to serve as the director of family services at the since-closed, celebrity-frequented rehab center Promises Malibu from June 2006 to May 2011.
uncertain
Nabavi → go → May
Two years later, he opened the halfway house Resolutions Living (RL) in Santa Monica, California, where the 27-year-old son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber died on Sunday.
asserted
son → open → Sunday
Nabavi is the founder and owner of RL as well as the founder and executive director of Resolutions Therapeutic Services (RTS), a clinical outpatient treatment provider claiming to offer partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP) and outpatient program (OP) services.
asserted
Nabavi → claim → program
It operates out of an office building in Santa Monica, and participants are encouraged to continue their recovery at RL.
asserted
participants → operate → RL
The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner, which has not yet released Presley’s cause of death, listed his place of death as a “rehabilitation facility.”
asserted
which → release → facility
But RL — a $7.7 million three-story home with “breathtaking views of the local mountains and ocean,” located in a “prestigious” residential neighborhood — is not a “licensed substance use disorder residential treatment facility,” according to a rep for the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
uncertain
RL → locate → Services
The rep explained to us, “Based on publicly available information, the program appears to operate as a sober living environment or recovery residence, which is not licensed by DHCS and therefore not subject to state licensure requirements.”
asserted
which → explain → requirements
The facility’s website seems to have updated much of its wording and scrubbed its entire “staff page” in the days following Presley’s death.
asserted
website → seem → death
RL’s website previously stated via its now-defunct FAQ page that individuals without sufficient clean time for its outpatient programs are referred elsewhere to be “medically supervised for their detoxification phase under 24-hour nursing care.”
asserted
individuals → state → care
It’s unclear whether Presley was medically evaluated at the time of his admission to RL.
uncertain
Presley → ’ → RL
Reps for Nabavi, RL and the Gerber-Crawford family did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
asserted
Reps → respond → comment
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
asserted
you → care → HELP
Conversation
Your voice matters.
asserted
voice → matter → ?
Discussions are moderated for civility.
asserted
Discussions → moderate → civility