Speaker Region: Texas

*NOT Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Dr. Faith Drew is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and LPC Supervisor in Texas and has been providing individual and couples therapy nearly 20 years. She earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Abilene Christian University and her Doctoral degree from Texas Tech University.

She is the former EAP Director of a private Employee Assistance Program where she managed clinical operations, led a team of clinicians and support staff, and consulted on critical incident responses.
She spent time in academia, helping to create a Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s Program and earn the COAMFTE Accreditation designation. In addition, she helped establish the on-site training clinic, which provided therapy at a reduced cost for the community.

Currently, she co-owns two private practices with offices in North Carolina and Arizona with her husband, and fellow Certified Gottman Therapist, Dr. George Bitar, LMFT. In addition to running operations and managing a team for both Connect Couples Therapy, PLLC, specializing in couples therapy, and In Session Psychotherapy, PLLC, specializing in working with individuals using EMDR, she co-presents The Art & Science of Love Weekend Workshop for Couples with her husband and offers couples intensives at her office in Arizona.

She believes in promoting and modeling vulnerability and growth and uses an evidence-based method to improve clinical skills called Deliberate Practice. She values the use of recorded sessions and regularly watches sessions and reviews performance skills – the best musicians, artists, Olympians, and athletes must watch their performance and practice before their main event. She believes as clinicians, we should too.

She has been married for 19-years and is a mom to a 5-year-year old daughter and 10-year-old Westie. She loves traveling, is a foodie-at-heart, can speak Spanish and is learning French.

You can contact Faith directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

Vagdevi has over 30 years of experience as a therapist, consultant, and educator. Vagdevi has been a certified Gottman Couples Therapist and workshop leader since 2006. She offers the “Art and Science of Love” weekend workshop for couples, developed by Dr. John Gottman, in Austin and in other cities in the US. A Master professional trainer for the Gottman Institute, Vagdevi has presented to professional and lay audiences in the US, Canada, and India. Vagdevi incorporates mindfulness, neurobiology, and positive psychology into her presentations on relationships, and has published a book chapter on Positive Couple Relationships from evidence based research around the world and several articles on the Gottman method of couples therapy.

Vagdevi is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Relationships, a community counseling, training, and outreach center that specializes in promoting flourishing relationships in all spheres based on best practices in relationship science. The Center for Relationships has a research program called Love across Cultures, which looks at committed and intimate relationships in different cultures as well as inter-cultural relationships. The outreach and education programs at the center include couples intensives and retreats, groups, and community forums on healthy relationships, conflict management, trust recovery, and parenting.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. She has a private clinical and consulting practice in Austin where she specializes in couples and family therapy, couples workshops, training and supervision, and organizational consultation. A native of India, Vagdevi has extensive experience with multicultural psychology, especially eastern influences on psychological practice, and cross-cultural research on relationships. She has over 25 years of experience as a therapist, consultant, and educator and has been full-time core faculty in the Master of Arts in Counseling program at St. Edwards since 2004 where she teaches primarily marriage and family therapy courses.

Her primary clinical expertise is as a Certified Gottman Therapist and a certified Gottman Trainer Workshop Leader. She offers the Art & Science of Love workshop for couples twice a year in Austin and has joined other workshop leaders to offer this workshop for couples in other cities. She is also an approved professional trainer and consultant with The Gottman Institute and has presented nationally and internationally on the Gottman Method including Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 trainings around the US and Canada.

“I have learned much under the guidance of Dr. Vagdevi Meunier who is an exceptional relationship therapist and consultant.”

“I absolutely enjoyed working with Dr. Vagdevi, she is amazing!! “

You can contact Vagdevi directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

As a clinician, Mary Beth’s passion is to aid couples in healing their relationships and spreading the Gottman message. She offers four modalities of Gottman Method™ Couples Therapy:  Couples counseling, marathon therapy, The Art & Science of Love Weekend Workshops and premarital counseling.  She has an interest in working with clients with LGBT concerns, Emotion Coaching skills for parents, women’s issues and couples affected by affairs. She also trains mental health clinicians in Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Gottman Method, and serves as a consultant for therapists pursuing certification.

In both her career as a dietitian and therapist, Mary Beth has written and contributed to numerous articles in both professional and lay publications. She has been a featured speaker at local, state and national events. Media appearances include YouTube videos, local television news interviews, continuing education videos, and a segment on Prime Time Texas. Mary Beth’s has an engaging speaking style that infuses humor, warmth and personal stories.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Mary Beth is passionate about the Gottman Method and has built a successful therapy practice around it. She loves seeing couples heal their relationships through counseling and marathon therapy, as well as The Art & Science of Love workshops, which she teaches four times per year. Mary Beth stays busy by conducting Gottman Trainer workshops at all levels, as well as working on an Emotion Coaching project for TGI. To stay connected to the Gottman community she roves at The Art & Science of Love workshops in Seattle, and has built a strong network of colleagues and friends. In short, Mary Beth believes in the Gottman Method and loves what she does.

In addition to being a Licensed Professional Counselor, Mary Beth has worked for many years as a dietitian, often blending her two specialty areas. Her background is varied with clinical experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings, teaching at Texas A & M University and managing a graduate level internship program, and working with unique populations including domestic violence and LGBT. Mary Beth’s style in working with clients and students alike is straightforward, collaborative and compassionate. She has not forgotten what it is like to be a consultee struggling to get videotapes, so she can offer plenty of empathy, advice and humor to keep that process going smoothly.

Mary Beth is happily married with a teenage son, retired racing greyhound, and the sweetest Australian Shepherd on the planet. She is a nature junkie and loves to hike, run, garden, eat healthfully and travel to scenic destinations.

You can contact Mary Beth directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.

In addition to being the Clinical Director at The Gottman Institute, Dr. Cole is also a Level 3 Trainer. He offers all levels of training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy for therapists throughout the United States. He also serves as a consultant for therapists completing their final training in Gottman Method.

Dr. Cole has authored a number of workshops including: The Unique Challenges of Second Marriages, Ethics in Couples Therapy, Domestic Violence and Law Enforcement and Living as God’s Family: Relationship Enhancement for Congregations and has presented to a wide range of audiences including, The American Association of Pastoral Counselors and the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As an ordained Lutheran Pastor and Native American, Dr. Cole has served on the Board of Directors of the Oaks Indian Center where he helped design programs for staff training and family restoration. As approved presenters for The Gottman Institute, the Coles present The Art and Science of Love Workshop to couples three times a year.

Highly experienced as a speaker, Dr. Cole is known for his humor and down to earth approach. People find his conversational, energetic style engaging and easy to follow. He has appeared as a guest on U.S. local and national television programs. He has appeared in numerous publications on behalf of the Gottman Institute including: Cosmopolitan, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health and Reader’s Digest. Most recently he co-authored 3 articles for the Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy with Dr. John Gottman and Carrie Cole.

Bringing help to couples has been a long standing goal for Don’s work, but until he learned and began to use the Gottman Method he found himself frustrated more often than not. The research based theory and techniques give me a sense of confidence even when dealing with highly conflicted or emotionally distant couples. Don has also been personally enriched by his ongoing participation with The Gottman Institute. He is a frequent rover at Art & Science of Love workshops in Seattle and also presents that workshop to couples in Texas.

Don is a Trainer in the Gottman Method and has had the privilege of helping other therapists learn the theories and techniques from which he has benefitted so much. Don’s experience with his consultant was warm, accepting and challenging and was an essential part of his being truly able to integrate and use the Gottman Method. As a consultant Don seeks to bring that same helpful approach to others.

“Thank you deeply to my consultant, Don Cole, for all the guidance, patience, and especially the way he corrected me without knocking me down.”

You can contact Don directly to learn about his pricing and more through his Gottman Referral Network profile here.

Dr. Carrie Cole trains other therapists in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy by conducting Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 trainings yearly. She is also a consultant for the certification program. She has led The Art and Science of Love weekend workshop for couples multiple times a year in Houston since 2008. Carrie was a presenter at the 2008 Gottman Annual Conference, the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2012, and appeared as a guest on the Debra Duncan Show in Houston, TX. In addition to leading workshops and training other therapists, Carrie has co-authored a number of workshops including: The Unique Challenges of Second Marriages, Ethics in Couples Therapy and Living as God’s Family: Relationship Enhancement for Congregations. She has been interviewed and quoted in several newspapers and magazines including The Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Real Simple, Women’s Health, Woman’s World, Verily Magazine, Catster Magazine and ME Magazine.

As a public speaker Carrie is warmly dynamic and provides an engaging experience for her audience. The information that she presents is practical and helpful for a variety of audiences. Her primary goal is always to leave her audience with a sense of hope and optimism about the most important thing in life, which is having positive relationships with others. Through her presentations, Carrie frequently demonstrates humanism by having the courage to demonstrate how she has worked through her own conflicts in her relationships with others. For more information, explore her website.

*Not Accepting Certification Candidates*

Dr. Carrie Cole has been drawn to John Gottman’s research since graduate school, as her greatest joy is working with couples. Carrie and her husband opened the Center for Relationship Wellness in 2006 with the intention of specializing in couple relationships using Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Her own consultation process was very helpful in her development and confidence. The interventions are powerful and helpful to couples, and they provide guidance and clarity for the therapist. Carrie’s goal is to help Consultees gain confidence in the use of Gottman Method Couples Therapy in a safe, supportive, collaborative environment.

Carrie has been a supervisor in the State of Texas for over 10 years and loves helping colleagues develop and achieve their professional dreams. I believe in giving feedback in a thoughtful, empathic, and relational way. In addition to being a consultant for The Gottman Institute, she is an approved Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Trainer, and an Art & Science of Love Workshop Leader. Carrie also does Marathon therapy with couples.

Alysha graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Women’s Studies and earned a Masters of Social Work from the University of Utah. Alysha began her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Her experience in the human service field spans twenty plus years and includes directing a homeless shelter in the Washington DC area and working with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in various settings. A successful private practice in Salt Lake City, Utah set the stage for her current work. After moving to Texas she worked at Family Time Crisis and Counseling Center and became a Social Work Supervisor for students and interns. In 2007, she co-founded what is now known as Couples Counseling and Psychotherapy Associates, a thriving practice that serves Kingwood, Texas and surrounding communities.

Alysha is passionate about helping couples heal from betrayals, enhance their friendships, manage conflict, and create shared meaning in their lives. She has been drawn to John Gottman’s work since the early days of her practice. It was a dream realized to become a Certified Gottman Therapist. She offers four modalities of Gottman Method™ Couples Therapy: Couples counseling, Marathon therapy, the Art & Science of Love Weekend Workshops, and Premarital counseling. Since becoming certified, she has advanced further to become a Level 3 Trainer, now offering all levels of Gottman Method Couples Therapy training to clinicians and provides consultation for therapists working toward certification.

The teaching and public speaking opportunities offered to her through her workshops, training, and consultation have provided her great satisfaction. She is passionate about helping others have the tools they need to have deeply satisfying relationships. She is dynamic and warm in her presentation, providing real-life examples so others know they can apply the skills to their lives as well.

*Accepting New Certification Candidates*

Alysha entered the human service field in the early 1990s. As she entered private practice, Alysha was quickly introduced to the Gottman Method in her search for a means to better serve clients struggling in their relationships. Becoming certified has helped her build skills essential to aiding couples heal from years of hurt and betrayal. To Alysha, enabling more therapists to be trained in the Gottman Method is vital.

Alysha feels driven to do as much as she possibly can in order to help couples as well as therapists seeking to help couples. She is an Art & Science of Love Couples Weekend Workshop presenter and a Level 1, 2 and 3 Trainer. She also provides marathon therapy. Alysha and her colleague, Mary Beth George, have built a practice dedicated to training clinicians and treating couples. She is grateful to be a part of a community of therapists that are devoted to helping couples and she appreciates being able to stay connected with the Gottman Institute and other Certified Gottman Therapists by regularly roving at the Seattle Art & Science of Love Couples Weekend Workshops.

Her advice in getting certified: Jump into the material! Alysha was certified quickly because she immersed myself into the Gottman Method. As a Social Work supervisor, she enjoys helping professionals hone their skills. She would love to help you get certified so you can be a part of this enthusiastic community of therapists, grow your practice confidently and truly help couples heal.

You can contact Alysha directly to learn about her consultation pricing and more through her Gottman Referral Network profile here.