Conflict Resolution Skills for Couples & Counselors

Susan Heitler Ph.D. has been a private practice clinical psychologist in Denver for 30 plus years and has made significant contributions to the theory and practice of psychotherapy. Her primary mission has been to highlight for therapists the importance of becoming expert at conflict resolution. Conflict that is not handled effectively disrupts emotional well-being. People who go to therapy and marriage counseling are looking for help with resolving their conflicts. Conflict resolution alleviates disturbing feelings such as stress, anxiety, depression, and anger, and heals the ruptures in troubled marriages. So therapists need to be experts in all aspects of the process of conflict resolution.

Dr. Heitler first set forth her integrative conflict-focused theory of emotional health, psychopathology and treatment in her 1990 book From Conflict to Resolution. Along with The Angry Couple, a training video that shows Dr. Heitler using her treatment methods with a difficult couple, From Conflict to Resolution has strongly influenced the work of many therapists.

Dr. Heitler's subsequent book, The Power of Two, teaches the skills that lead to marriage success. With her psychologist daughter Abigail Heitler Hirsch Ph.D. she has also co-authored a Power of Two workbook, a Power of Two curriculum guide for teaching marriage skills workshops, and a video, The Win-Win Waltz, that trains therapists who would like to augment their practices by leading marriage skills workshops.

In addition, Power of Two interactive teaching games on the internet now reach thousands of people each week. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. government, therapists are welcome to add these games FOR FREE to their own sites (go to www.poweroftwo.org for instructions).

Dr. Heitler has lectured on her therapy methods nationwide and abroad in Spain, Austria, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Israel and Australia. Her book The Power of Two has been published in foreign language editions in Turkey, Brazil, Israel, Taiwan, and China.

Dr. Heitler is frequently interviewed in magazines such as Fitness, Men's Health, Women's World, and Parenting. Her cases have appeared often in the Ladies Home Journal column "Can This Marriage Be Saved?"

In May, 2004 Dr. Heitler appeared on the CBS Early Show where anchor Harry Smith introduced her as "the most influential person in my life-my therapist," encouraging his viewers similarly to seek therapy when they are distressed and pre-marital counseling when they are contemplating marriage.

Dr. Heitler graduated from Harvard in 1967, earned a masters degree in education at Boston University and then a doctorate in psychology from New York University. She and her husband, married over 35 years, have enjoyed raising four children, now young adults with children of their own.