Mike became a Certified Gottman Relationship Therapist in 2005. Since that time, he has led all 3 levels of Gottman trainings at The University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration’s Professional Development Program. He has also presented Chicago area Gottman Art and Science of Love Workshops, at least twice per year, since 2007. Mike founded The Chicago Relationship Center in 2014, which offers Gottman trainings and workshops, and has produced workshops led by Dan Wile, PhD.

Mike has taught at the doctorate level for over a decade. He was an affiliate professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is currently a visiting instructor at The Institute for Clinical Social Work. He has taught couple therapy, psychopathology, international intervention, and trauma and attachment disorders. His other areas of clinical expertise include the emotional aspects of attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities.

Mike’s international training efforts have focused on Sri Lanka. Since the tsunami of 2004, he has traveled to Sri Lanka twice per year (21 times to date) to teach Sinhalese and Tamil lay counselors courses on basic counseling skills. He received Fulbright Specialist grants for his work in 2010, 2014, and 2015. He was one of the first Gottman therapists to lead Gottman trainings in a foreign country, and made presentations on his international training efforts at Gottman Conferences.

In additional, Mike has made presentations on The Gottman Method in the Chicago area at the Northshore University Health System’s Grand rounds, The Center on Halsted, and Illinois Psychological Association’s annual conference,  and other area hospitals and agencies.

His publications include “Dyslexia and the Life Course”, a feature article summarizing his research in the Journal of Learning Disabilities.

His teaching style is very collaborative. He hopes to help participants master the Gottman Method in a relaxed atmosphere, where they feel comfortable discussing concepts and sharing case examples.

*Accepting New Consultees*

Mike has over twenty years of experience as a clinical consultant. He enjoys working with Consultees who work with challenging situations. He approaches clinical work with a realistic and thoughtful perspective, hoping to connect with clients and couples in an empathetic and sensitive manner. Mike attempts to help his Consultees achieve these same goals, using the Gottman Method. In addition, Mike helps Consultees identify and pursue goals for professional growth and development. He particularly enjoys trying to blend or integrate the Gottman Method with other theories, such as psychoanalytic approaches and Emotion Focused Therapy.