Archives: Authors

For more than 20 years, Ellyn Bader, PhD and Peter Pearson, PhD have been helping couples resolve issues and create strong, loving relationships. They are considered by many to be the preeminent experts in couples therapy training in the world today. They are creators of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, and directors of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California. Their model teaches you how to diagnose, intervene and significantly help troubled relationships.

Ellyn and Peter are the authors of the classic text, In Quest of the Mythical Mate: A Developmental Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment in Couples Therapy. The California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists awarded the book the Clark Vincent Award for its outstanding contribution to the field of marital therapy.

Ellyn and Peter maintain an active lecture and workshop schedule for both couples and professionals. Ellyn served as president of the International Transactional Analysis Association, and spent eight years on the Clinical Faculty at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Peter is a Consulting Associate Professor at Stanford University.

Ellyn and Peter are unusual among couples therapists in that they are a couple themselves, and have confronted many of the challenges that they write and speak about. Best of all, Ellyn and Peter still run a thriving private practice, so the knowledge you learn here is what is working today.

Elyssa B. Smith PhD, RPT-S, is the owner and founder of The Inner Canvas Collective, a private psychotherapy and training practice focused on family-based play therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, clinical training, and supervision. www.innercanvascollective.com 

Emily T. Troscianko, PhD is a researcher and writer. She has a BA in French and German, and a masters and doctorate in German literature, all from the University of Oxford, England. She has held a Junior Research Fellowship at St John’s College, Oxford, and a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship at The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH).

Emma J. Smith, LPC (she/her) is a licensed professional counselor and President of Unicorn Health Care, LLC., a boutique practice located in Washington, DC. Emma specializes in treating sexual trauma, and other concerns related to gender identity and sexuality. She is a licensed to practice in Texas, Virginia, DC and Maryland, and holds certifications in clinical trauma and transgender healthcare. She has over a decade of experience in advocacy, particularly in sexual assault victim services and LGBTQ+ equality. She has served on several boards including the Pride Community Center Executive Board, Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) Military Advisory Council, and Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) Advisory Board. 

ERIC MAISEL, PhD, is the author of more than fifty books and a noted thought leader in the movement known as critical psychology. His books include Overcoming Your Difficult Family, Rethinking Depression, The Future of Mental Health, Helping Survivors of Authoritarian Parents, Siblings and Partners, Humane Helping, Helping Parents of Diagnosed, Distressed and Different Children (Routledge, 2019) and Unleashing the Artist Within (Dover, 2019). Dr. Maisel is a retired family therapist, active creativity coach, and critical psychology advocate. He writes the Rethinking Mental Health blog for Psychology Today, provides keynotes for organizations like the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry, and lectures and delivers workshops nationally and internationally. Eric's latest book (April, 2023) is The Coach's Way: The Art and Practice of Powerful Coaching in Any Field. Eric Maisel has created a new creativity coaching certificate and diploma program that may interest you. 

Erica Anderson, PhD, is a psychology professor at the University of California San Francisco where she specializes in behavioral pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology. Anderson is also part of UCSF's medical staff, assisting in both the greater Benioff Children's Hospital and UCSF's Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic where she works with trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth and their families. During her Swedish television career, Anderson became the first openly transgender character on prime time television starring in All for Sverige (Everything for Sweden), for which she was nominated for two GayGala Awards including Trans Person of the Year. She is President Elect of USPATH (United States affiliate of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health) President of the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society (NCGPS) and Chairperson, Joan's House Shelter. Dr. Anderson holds a master’s degree in theology.

Erik Sween is a psychologist with 15 years of experience training student therapists. He has worked in private practice, community mental health, college counseling, and family medicine settings. His interests include Narrative Psychology and Meaning-Centered Therapy. He maintains a private practice and teaches part-time at the University of Denver.

Diane Kjos, PhD, now retired, was a professor at Governors State University in Illinois for 22 years, and past-President of both the Illinois Counseling Association and the National Career Development Association. She is co-author with John Carlson of two textbooks, Theories of Family Therapy and Becoming an Effective Therapist, and co-host of the video series Psychotherapy with the Experts, Family Therapy with the Experts and Brief Therapy Inside-out.