Archives: Authors

Eliana Gil, Ph.D., RPT-S, ATR is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Registered Art Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist best known for her groundbreaking clinical work and research with children, teens and families impacted by trauma and abuse. As founder and senior clinical consultant of the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery and Education in Fairfax, Virginia, she continues a lifelong commitment to therapy, training, consultation and education in the areas of play therapy, post-traumatic play, family therapy and relational treatments including Circle of Security, Theraplay and Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model. Widely published in the areas of Play, Art and Family Therapy for both the professional and lay audience, Dr. Gil is best known for her research and writing on trauma. Her most recent book is Post-Traumatic Play: What Clinicians Should Know (2017, Guilford Press).

Dr. Elias Aboujaoude is a psychiatrist at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he is Director of the Impulse Control Disorders Clinic. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, on NBC, and elsewhere. His most recent book is Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the e-Personality.

Elise M. Howard, MA, has worked with children and families since 2012 in in-home therapy programs, school settings, a residential unit, and community mental health offices in Massachusetts, Florida, and the U.K. Howard is a proud military spouse who has personal experience adapting to the variations in mental health laws, services, and procedures from one state to another. In her spare time, Howard enjoys reading, exploring local museums, and practicing yoga.

Ellen Pulleyblank Coffey, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in family and community practice in Berkeley, California. She specializes in working with families facing illness. She consults for local community agencies and is a member of the Kosovar Family Professional Education Collaboration developing mental health services in Kosovo. She is part of a group of AFTNC members establishing a postgraduate program in Family and Community Practice. You may contact her at: 510-849-1608 or by email: Ellen@Pulleyblank.com

Ellen Young, MSW, CCLS, is a new grad of San Diego State University's School of Social Work. Ellen worked as a Child Life Specialist at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA before returning to graduate school for her master's degree. While in graduate school, Ellen discovered her passion for medical social work, specifically with hospice and palliative care. Ellen is currently living in New Orleans, Louisiana, and hopes to continue working in the healthcare field, helping patients and families cope with stress related to trauma, illness, and end-of-life care. Ellen can be reached at eoyoung1@gmail.com.

For more than 20 years, Ellyn Bader has helped couples transform their relationships. She is widely recognized as an expert in couples therapy training. Ellyn and her husband, Dr. Peter Pearson, are creators of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, and directors of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California.

Ellyn and Peter are the authors of In Quest of the Mythical Mate: A Developmental Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment in Couples Therapy. Written in 1988, this book is still used in graduate schools and training programs across the country, and is in its 15th printing. The California Association of Marital & Family Therapists awarded the book the Clark Vincent Award for its outstanding contribution to the field of marital therapy. Their latest book, Tell Me No Lies, presents a fascinating account of the lies partners tell each other and ultimately, how to face the truth and build a loving marriage.

After years of training couples therapists at workshops and conferences around the world, Ellyn has recently created innovative, practical training programs for therapists using conference calls and the internet. For more information on Ellyn's training, please visit www.couplesinstitutetraining.com/developmentalmodel.