Beyond education and licensure which all therapist have, I believe that the "person of the therapist" is critically important to the outcomes achieved by the couple in therapy. In fact, one of the most important things to know about your therapist is their ongoing training and professional experiences beyond grad school.  As you can see below, I take my personal training seriously, developing my "personhood of the therapist".  When therapists say they have extensive experience, it is often a vague concept. Below, I outline my experience in transformational, experiential, systemic couples therapy.

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Books Written and Educational Background

• Author of the book: "Unwelcome Guest: Intrusive Thoughts, Rumination, and the Complexities of Healing After Infidelity (2027).

• Author of the book "Managing the Aftermath of Infidelity: A Sequential Guide for Couples and Therapists (2021).

• Author of the book "Creating an Effective Couples Therapy Practice" (2017).

• Author of Bullying, Suicide, and Homicide: Understanding, Assessing, and Preventing Threats to Self and Others for Victims of Bullying (2011).

• Obtained a Doctorate and Masters degree in counseling (2009, 2004).

 

My Professional Training Experiences:

• 2026 Couples Therapy Conference: October, 2026. San Fransisco, California

Themes of the conference included differentiation in intimate relationship, attachment injuries, infidelity and healing.

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• Understanding Narcissism - From Healthy to Disordered:  January 2025. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

This was a two-day conference to explore aspects of grandiosity and vulnerability that makes up healthy and disordered narcissism.

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• Systemic Family Therapy Conference: November, 2024, Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, Florida

This 4-day conference focused on The Crisis Management Phase of Affair Recovery, Perinatal Mental Health Basics: It’s Not Just the Baby Blues, Emergent Love Model, an Antidote to Love Confusion, Discernment Counseling for Couples on the Brink of Divorce.

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• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: January 2024, Montego Bay, Jamaica

The 4-Day intensive retreat focused on the critical ACT skills. I apply these for couples who are struggling with the emotional turmoil of discovery and disclosure of infidelity. 

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• Counseling and Technology: Innovation or Invasion: January 2024, American Association of State Boards, Tucson, Arizona

I attended this 3-day conference of the American Association of State Boards as one of two voting delegates representing the state of Ohio. 

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• Treating Couples - Surmounting Challenges: December 2023, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts  

This conference series took on a variety of different topics, with several focused on experiential process including Emotion Focused Therapy and Attachment Theory.

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• Treating Couples Conference: October 2022, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

This conference series took on a variety of different topics, including the use of self and the therapist and the importance of "signature themes" the therapist can work on outside of the therapy session, so that the therapist can learn about their own issues and work on them.

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• Internal Family Systems Clinical (IFS) Lab:  August though September 2022, Cincinnati, Ohio.

I led this clinical lab with other clinicians to develop skills in the IFS Model. The training include four, 3-hour sessions of clinical work with "live supervised therapy".

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• Internal Family Systems Model: April 2022, Cincinnatil Ohio. Two-day Conference.

The model helps therapists support their clients in healing trauma though understanding their internal experience.

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• International Human Learning Resource Network Annual Conference: November 2020, Los Angeles, California.  

This non-traditional conference is experiential, creating opportunities for personal growth of the clinician. The conference has an international scope and it fosters intimate connections with other professionals from other countries.

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• Sex, Sexuality and Gender Conference, November 2019 Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Healthy sexuality is essential to the wellness and vibrancy of intimate relationships.

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• Deconstructing Shame: A Gestalt Approach: October 2019, Cleveland, Ohio.

Completed this weekend experiential workshop on shame. Deconstructing our shame response is paramount to creating intimacy, particularly for couples in troubled relationships and those experiencing infidelity. When we lack awareness of our shame, we become less available in our ability to be in relational contact with our partner.

 

• Satir Growth Model of Transformational Systemic Therapy:  Juy 2019, University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

This retreat focused on gaining clarity about our own thought processes and feelings, which are crucial elements in improving our communication skills and increasing intimacy with others. It is also important for therapists to know self to engage couples in healthy ways.

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• Treating Couples Conference:  November 2018, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

The focus this year was on using brain science to work with couples, treating traumatized couples and working with couples "that hate each other and the therapist".

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• Satir International Trainers Certification Program: 2018, Satir Institute of the Pacific, Vancouver, Canada (2018).

This 7-day intensive, residential training program retreat focused on effective leadership in training other therapists to use the Satir model.

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• Treating Couples Conference: December 2017, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. 

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• Use of Self in Family Therapy: 2017, Satir Institute of the Pacific, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, Canada

Completed this 7-day intensive, residential training program. Beautiful country, beautiful people, beautiful personal experience of self.

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• Transformational Systemic Therapy: 2017,  Satir Institute of the Pacific, in Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Completed this 10-day intensive, residential training program. Fantastic personal and professional experience.

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• Completed a year-long, post-graduate clinical training in Milan Systemic Marriage and Family Therapy in Cincinnati Ohio (2006).​ One of the most impactful aspects of my training.

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Other Professional Experience:

• Counseling Professor at Xavier University (2010 to 2022).

• CEO and owner of Waybridge Counseling (2004-present).

• CEO and owner of Relationship Centers of Indiana (2026-Present).

• Chair of the Professional Standards Committee for the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapists Board (2018-2021).

• Appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a board member and committee member of the Professional Standards Committee for counselors (2020-Present).

• Appointed by Governor John Kasich to the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a board member and committee member of the Professional Standards Committee for counselors (2017-2020).

• Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association for 4 years, President for 1 year and an executive board member for 13 years (2002-2015).

• 2011 Outstanding Alumnus Award, University of Cincinnati (Doctorate Program), Presented at the 4th Annual Ecological Counseling Conference.