John Van Epp
John Van Epp, PhD in Counseling/Psychology, has a background that includes:
• Clinical Counselor in his retired 25-year private practice
• instructor of military chaplains for 15 years
• adjunct professor of marriage and family coursework
• founding pastor of a nondenominational church
• consultant for military suicidology laboratory
From this rich experience, Dr. Van Epp has developed evidenced-based relationship programs about healthy dating, marriage, parenting, military resilience, and relationship counseling. All his programs utilize his innovative Relationship Attachment Model (RAM). The first program, How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk or Jerkette, has published research validating the effectiveness of this approach in both military and emerging adult populations. This program provided the research basis of the book, and like all Love Thinks programs, comes in one of three formats: teach-out-of-the-box certification courses, plug-n-play discussion group courses, and online courses— both Christian and community (or non-faith) versions.
Dr. Van Epp has trained and certified more than 10,000 instructors from all fifty states and ten countries who have taught these programs to more than a million from settings including the military, social agencies, healthy relationship coalitions, jails and prisons, intimate-partner violence shelters, singles organizations, high schools, universities and colleges, churches and faith-based organizations.
Dr. Van Epp and his relationship programs were awarded the Smart Marriage Impact Award in 2008 and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Psychology Today, O-Magazine, and Cosmopolitan; and he has appeared on the CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, and Focus on the Family.
John has an M.A. in Pastoral Counseling and Psychology, and a second M.A. in History, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychology. He has been happily married for thirty-nine years and is the proud father of two daughters. You can contact John at info@lovethinks.com or his websites LoveThinks.com, MyLoveThinks.com, and HealthyRelationshipGoals.com.
