Friends & Partners
Below is a sampling of the many therapists and businesses that recommend Ready Set Love® and are helping to spread healthier relationships throughout the world!
JuiceLand
JuiceLand offers ultra-healthy juices, smoothies and to-go snacks and meals to help you stay fit and at your best! Known for their community vibe, JuiceLand offers more than just healthy treats, they also feed your heart and soul through warmth & kindness. JuiceLand is truly unique in its knowledge and practice of ultimate health and nutritious foods. You won’t have to sort through the menu to find something healthy; these are folks who understand optimal health. Check out their awesome 5-day Cleanse Program and one of their 8 locations in Austin and Brooklyn, NYC.
Dave Wofford, MA, LPC
Dave is a psychotherapist, educator, yoga teacher, and inspiring mentor to many high school students. He has a BA in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Psychology and Counseling from Goddard College in Vermont. His thesis explored the overlap and tension between Buddhism and Western psychology. Dave began training in contemplative practice in 1998 and has studied Golden Shield Qigong, Centering Prayer, yoga, and Buddhism. He is particularly interested in how to balance the extraordinary demands of work, family, relationships, and well being. www.davewofford.com.
Soma Vida
Soma Vida offers offer a great community, collaborative workspace and Yoga classes daily. Cultivate mind-body wellness at Soma Vida with access to over 15 unique healing modalities. They help individuals discover the wellness they need to love how they live. Soma Vida offers a schedule of inspiring, personal growth classes and workshops in Austin. Wellness entrepreneurs can join the Soma Vida community and enjoy the many benefits of their holistic workspace. Their ultimate mission is to be the wellness we desire to see in our world. This place is chock-full of heart! Find them at www.somavida.net
Tori Olds, PhD
Dr. Olds is a psychologist in private practice in Austin, TX. She specializes in emotionally attuned psychotherapy with individuals and leads several young adult groups. Tori has many years of training in mindfulness-based practice and has been engaged in her own daily practice for over 12 years. Tori says, “As a therapist, I am honored by the opportunity to help individuals find greater peace, strength, and fulfillment. Often our lives are so busy, there is very little opportunity to stop and discover where support is needed. Taking this time for oneself, whether to reflect on one’s relationships, to work through difficult emotions, or to gain awareness as to one’s behaviors or self-perceptions, can be transformative. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Group Psychotherapy Association. www.deepeddypsychotherapy.com/tori-olds-phd.
Yoga Rx
The studio of A.G. Mohan student Caroline McCarter is a a place to rediscover your body and begin healing tension and tight places. As one of the premier yoga intructors in the world, A.G. Mohan teaches the complete yoga system, which includes emotional and mental healing as well as physical health and fitness. Yoga is a relationship with your body, and ultimately, with your mind and spirit. YogaRx increases balance and strength and prescribes exercises to support you in your overall wellness goals. Through movement, breathing, sound, and journaling techniques, Yoga Therapy can help heal mental, physical and emotional blocks such as anxiety, back pain, arthritis, and depression. www.yoga-rx.com
Matthew Litschi, MA, LPC
Matthew is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice. His passion is using creative and somatic therapies with adults, teens, and couples. Matthew has specialized training in Somatic Experiencing and EMDR models of trauma resolution. He helps his clients bring awareness to the rhythms of their nervous systems and tap into the body’s natural healing capacity.
Matthew is a member of SETI (Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute) and believes in bringing somatic work into couples therapy. After receiving his Masters in Counseling from Texas State University, Matthew’s spent five years with SafePlace Austin, a non-profit dedicated to helping men, women, and children recover from sexual abuse and domestic violence. In addition to being a therapist, Matthew is also a visual artist, and holds a BA in Studio Art from the University of California (Santa Cruz). He is a practitioner of Sandtray Therapy, a hands-on psychological method that engages the right brain and intuitive mind. Matthew appreciates the importance of combining psychological work and spiritual practice. He has an ongoing interest in Ashtanga yoga, centering prayer and other contemplative traditions. LitschiTherapy.com.
Peoples Rx
Peoples Pharmacy was founded in 1980 to provide a personable environment for customers to focus on their health and wellness. The Wellness department of Peoples is among the most knowledgeable and experienced in the country. Their focus is on empowering patients with knowledge to become more proactive in their healthcare. Peoples takes an integrative, holistic approach to healing, seeking to identify potential problems in every aspect of a patient’s life and offering suggestions that supplement and complement western medicine. From patients to doctors and healthcare practitioners, Peoples is a first-stop for healthcare needs. www.PeoplesRx.com
Kor180
Kor180 is one of Austin’s finest fitness studios, prioritizing community, inspiration, and wellness in all ways. They offer cutting-edge Pilates and cycling classes that are both demanding and fun. Owner Maja Kermath personally designed their custom Pilates machines to offer better support and muscle movement for maximum fitness results. Want to not just get super fit but be part of a community of healthy, happy people? This is your place. Every month has a theme to motivate you in an aspect of a full, healthy life. Meet like-minded people and get your fit on. www.kor180.com
Ready Set Love® Academic Advisory Board
Our Advisory Council is comprised of highly skilled experts who support Ready Set Love® programs. They bring a breadth of knowledge on relationship science, lend their professional expertise, and help spread relationship health in their own ways!
Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT
Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, is a clinician, researcher, teacher, author and developer of A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT®). PACT is an integration of neuroscience, arousal regulation, and attachment theory. He has a clinical practice in Calabasas, CA, where he has specialized for the last 15 years in working with couples and individuals who wish to be in relationships.
Dr. Tatkin teaches and supervises first-through-third-year family medicine residents at Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills, CA, and is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. He is on the board of directors of Lifespan Learning Institute and serves as a core member on Relationships First, a nonprofit organization founded by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt.
Dr. Tatkin is the author of:
Your Brain on Love: The Neurobiology of Healthy Relationships, published by Sounds True.
Wired for Love: How Understanding Your Partner’s Brain and Attachment Style Can Help You Defuse Conflict and Build a Secure Relationship, published by New Harbinger.
Love and War in Intimate Relationships: Connection, Disconnection, and Mutual Regulation in Couple Therapy, with coauthor Marion Solomon, available through W. W. Norton’s Interpersonal Neurobiology Series.
Gaea Logan, LPC-S, CGP
Gaea Logan, LPC-S, CGP is the founder and director of the International Center for Mental Health and Human Rights (ICMHHR). She is a nationally recognized expert on mindfulness, a licensed professional counselor and senior clinical supervisor in private practice. As key faculty at ICMHHR she develops curricula and conducts integrative training protocols for mental health workers internationally. Ms. Logan has been on the training faculty of the American Group Psychotherapy Association since 2007. In April 2012, she was grandfathered into the first cohort of the Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training at CCARE.
Ms. Logan has been active in the dialogue between Buddhist psychology, contemplative practice and analytic psychotherapy for over 30 years. She has presented nationally and internationally on the topic of healing trauma, group psychotherapy, compassion, mindful awareness and leadership. Dedicated to humanitarian relief, she has trained health workers in communities facing war and natural disaster as well as refugees. She has served as a Fellow for Psychology Beyond Borders and has been a student of Vajrayana Buddhism since 1976.
Ms. Logan served as an adjunct faculty member in the New College at St Edwards University from 2001- 2007, developing curriculum and teaching courses on spirituality in the helping professions, the role of mindfulness in healing trauma and the neurobiology of compassion. She is co-author of the book Self Regulation for Kids K-12: Strategies for Calming Minds and Behavior.
Carrie Contey, PhD
Carrie Contey is a internationally recognized coach, author, speaker and educator. Carrie earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialty in prenatal and perinatal psychology, and M.Ed. in health education and health promotion. Her work offers a new perspective on human development, parenting, family life and being a healthy, happy, whole human being. She is the co-founder of the Slow Family Living movement and the co-author of CALMS: A Guide To Soothing Your Baby. She has appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, NPR, CBS radio and in many publications including Time, Parenting and The Boston Globe. To learn more please visit carriecontey.com.
Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD
Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, consultant and educator with over 25 years of experience. As a full-time core faculty member at St. Edwards University in Austin, TX, Dr. Meunier teaches graduate coursework in couples and family therapy as well as diversity issues. She has a private clinical and consulting practice where she specializes in couples and family therapy, couples workshops, training and supervision, and organizational consultation. Her passion for working with couples comes from applying scientific research on relationships to help couples repair, rejuvenate, and redirect relationships toward greater satisfaction and commitment.
A native of India, Dr. Meunier has extensive experience with multicultural psychology, including Eastern influences on psychological practice and cross-cultural research on relationships. She leads trips to India to better understand couples from a multicultural perspective, and is organizing an educational exchange between Indian and U.S. graduate students.
Dr. Meunier has been a certified Gottman Couples Therapist and a certified Gottman Workshop Leader since 2006. She offers the “Art and Science of Love” weekend workshop for couples twice a year in Austin and partners up with other workshop leaders to offer it in other cities. As an approved professional trainer for the Gottman Institute, Vagdevi has presented to professional and lay audiences in the US, Canada, and India including the American Psychological Association, Texas Psychological Association, and Smart Marriages. Dr. Meunier 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.
As a presenter and teacher, Dr. Meunier combines her personal, clinical and academic experience with a personable and dynamic style. She likes to blend stories with clinical information in a way that helps audiences grasp complex ideas with ease. Audiences also appreciate her ability to integrate Eastern and Western philosophies and her focus on bringing compassion, empathy, and a holistic understanding to an approach to wellness. For more information, visit www.drvagdevi.com
Gail Allen
Gail Allen is an acclaimed family consultant, life balance coach, educational consultant, international speaker and parent educator. Gail is the co-founder of For Kids’ Sake, a child and parenting coaching and educational resource in Austin, TX. She provides warm and compassionate sessions and workshops that facilitate healthy parenting and work/life balance. With over 40 years of professional experience, Gail also walks the talk in her sacred role as a mother and grandmother, and to everyone who has the benefit of being in her gentle and profound presence.
Ian M Crooks, M.D.
Ian M Crooks, M.D. provides compassionate and intelligent care to his patients. He is a board-certified psychiatrist who attended medical school at University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, VT. Dr. Crooks completed his residency training at UT Southwestern-Austin, where he served as chief resident. He is active in research and was awarded a grant from Seton Hospitals to examine ways to better clarify the diagnosis of patients presenting to University Medical Center Brackenridge. He provides psychiatric care for student-athletes with UT Athletics in Austin and is the attending psychiatrist at an eating disorder clinic. In addition to being a physician, Dr. Crooks is also a musician, a classical singer, and past founder and director of an 80-voice community chorus. He is married to Cindy Couch, a choral conductor. Dr. Crooks focuses on psychotherapy as well as psychopharmacology and has a private practice in Austin, TX. He can be reached at 512-454-7741.
Sunny Lansdale, PhD, LPC-S
Dr. Lansdale is an expert in the areas of attachment, family therapy and the emotional repercussions of trauma. She is a psychologist with over 30 years in private practice, prior to which she worked in hospital and educational settings. Dr. Lansdale is a graduate of The University of Texas and The Fielding Institute, and for decades she has trained in the latest approaches to health and well being including EMDR, Systems Centered Therapy and Somatic Experiencing. Dr. Lansdale is a popular professor of human development and family systems at the St Edward’s University Masters of Counseling program and dedicates a portion of her practice to the supervision of therapists seeking licensure. Dr. Lansdale has presented at many local, state, and national conferences. She has a large family with 11 grandchildren and resides in the country outside of Austin, TX.
James Maynard, M.D.
James Maynard, M.D. is a Board Certified Psychiatrist in private practice in Austin since 1988. He attended medical school and residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and then completed two year fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Family and Marriage Counseling in Austin, Texas. He has also specialized in the treatment of addictions since 1988, having been the medical director of addiction services for Charter Hospital, CPC Hospital, and then Saint David’s Hospital. He currently serves on, and has been the past chairman for the Travis County Physicians Health and Rehabilitation Committee. His wife, Cynthia Treglia, is a Masters level acupuncturist and Certified Life Coach in private practice. Dr. Maynard enjoys bicycle riding and restoring antique cars as his pastimes. He can be reached at 512-343-6067.
Renée Peterson Trudeau
Renée Peterson Trudeau is an internationally-recognized life balance coach, speaker and president of Career Strategists, a 15 year-old award-winning coaching/consulting firm dedicated to helping professionals worldwide successfully navigate their career path. Her corporate clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Dell, Ernst & Young, AMD and IBM and national conferences and organizations. Trudeau has been creating and speaking at transformational women’s events for more than 20 years and is on faculty at the prestigious Kripalu Yoga & Wellness Center and Omega Institute. A sought after life balance expert, Trudeau’s work has been featured in the New York Times, US News and World Report, Good Housekeeping, Working Mother, AARP and more. She is the author of the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life and Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life. Thousands of women in ten countries around the globe are facilitating and participating in Trudeau’s award-winning Personal Renewal Program for mothers. www.ReneeTrudeau.com