Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy

Susan M. Johnson, EdD, is Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Ottawa Couple and Family Institute, Ottawa, Canada. Widely published, she is the main proponent of emotionally focused couple and family therapy, which she teaches extensively in North America and internationally. In 2005, she received the Distinguished Contribution to Family Systems Research Award from the American Family Therapy Academy. The website for Dr. Johnson's work is www.eft.ca. Valerie E. Whiffen, PhD, Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, has published widely in the area of depression, particularly focusing on women's depression. In recent publications, she has explored an attachment theory-based understanding of depression that co-occurs with marital distress. Dr. Whiffen teaches graduate courses in adult psychopathology and interpersonal theory, and supervises the clinical work of practicum students and interns in the American Psychological Association-accredited clinical psychology program at the University of Ottawa. She is a registered clinical psychologist and maintains a private practice specializing in the treatment of depression and marital distress.