BIO
Internationally-known clinical psychologist and author Dr. Susan Heitler is currently living in Raanana, Israel. She accepts new clients only for in-person treatment.
Dr. Susan Heitler’s psychotherapy treatment methods
Dr. Heitler’s treatment methods aim to help clients to deal more effectively with the problems in their lives by
1) helping them to understand the factors from their current and also their past experiences that are impacting their current feelings
2) guiding them to solutions to their current challenges
3) coaching them in communication and conflict resolution skills that can facilitate a better future
4) facilitating healing from the past traumas that have continued to impact their current well-being.
5) utilizing visualization techniques for treating depression, anxiety, and anger.
Dr. Heitler demonstrates one of her visualization techniques in the TEDx talk below. For more information on these techniques, see her article on Bump Theory and her book Prescriptions Without Pills.
In addition to her work as a therapist, Dr. Susan Heitler has worn a number of related psychological hats.
- Author of 6 books, multiple audios and videos, and most recently the APA-accredited online couples therapy training course, Effective Couples Therapy.
- Workshops for therapists. Dr. Heitler has presented training workshops for therapists across the US and in Australia, the UAE, Lebanon, Israel, and China. Her workshops teach couple therapy strategies and also innovative treatment techniques for depression, anxiety, anger, and narcissism. Couples therapy graduate school training programs worldwide utilize her Master Therapist video The Angry Couple.
- Blogger with over 26 million reads on her blog on Psychologytoday.com.
- Co–founder of PowerofTwoMarriage one of the very first online marriage help programs.
- Therapy innovator. See From Conflict to Resolution, which presents a conflict-resolution-based integrative therapy map and techniques for treatment effectiveness. Dr. Heitler’s most recent book, Prescriptions Without Pills: For Relief From Depression, Anger, Anxiety and More offers both self-help and new treatment methods for therapists. See the website at PrescriptionsWithoutPills for free videos and handouts.
- TEDx speaker. Dr. Heitler’s TEDx talk (above), which explains how to lift depression without taking medications has received over 26.5 million views,
- Sports psychologist for world-ranked a team of professional doubles-tennis players.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., New York University, ’75; Clinical psychology.
M.Ed., Boston University, ’68; Education of emotionally disturbed children.
B.A., Harvard University, ’67; Major in English.
AWARDS
Chosen to give the keynote address at the 1st Pan-Arab Psychology Conference, Beirut, Lebanon, in October 0f 2015. The address was entitled Conflict Resolution: My Way, No MY Way. Dr. Heitler was invited to give the keynote address in Beirut, Lebanon at the 2015 1st Pan-Arab Psychology Conference.
Selected to present a TEDx talk in Wilmington, DE in 2016. The talk’s youtube.com video, which is on lifting depression, has received over 1,800,000 views.
Selected to demonstrate couples therapy in the Master Therapist 10-part video series produced by Newbridge Communications: The Angry Couple: Conflict Resolution Therapy is used in couples therapy training programs world-wide.
Selected by Denver’s Metro College Department of Psychology to give the Shane Marie Morrow lecture, an annual award given to a most innovative Colorado therapist. Lecture on the psychology of terrorism entitled: Pleased to Kill You.
Fellow, APA, 2013. Fellow, APA Division 29, 2016. Dr. Heitler has been awarded Fellow status from the American Psychological Association and also from Division 29, the Society for Advancement of Psychotherapy, within the APA.
From all the marriage therapists in the US, the editors of the master therapist video series Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Disorders selected Dr. Heitler to demonstrate techniques of couple treatment. Her video from this series, The Angry Couple: Conflict Focused Treatment, has become a staple in marriage therapist training programs.
The editors of the Psychologist Desk Reference selected Dr. Heitler to write the chapter on Treating High Conflict Couples.
Dr. Heitler’s 1997 book The Power of Two (New Harbinger) has been translated for publication in six foreign language editions for readers in China, Taiwan, Israel, Turkey, Brazil and Poland.
Dr. Heitler is frequently interviewed in magazines such as Fitness, Men’s Health, Women’s World, and Parenting. Her cases appeared often in the former Ladies Home Journal column “Can This Marriage Be Saved?”
Denver TV newscasters interview her for perspectives on psychological aspects of current events.
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.” He encouraged his viewers similarly to seek therapy when they feel distressed and to check out pre-marital counseling before they wed.
Dr. Heitler’s blogposts on psychologytoday.com have received over 26.5 million views. Most recently, in addition to writing about marriage and about emotions like depression and anxiety, Dr. Heitler has been focusing on educating the public about parental alienation and about new psychological treatments for chronic pain.
A U.S. Healthy Marriages Initiative grant enabled Dr. Heitler and her associates to produce an interactive online program for teaching marriage communication and conflict resolution skills. Hundreds of couples have benefited from this fun, low-cost, high-impact program for learning the skills for a strong and loving marriage.
FAMILY
Dr. Heitler and her husband of more than 50 years are proud parents of four happily married adult children. They now gratefully enjoy being grandparents of sixteen grandchildren.
BOOKS
Dr. Heitler is best known in the therapy community for bringing understandings of conflict resolution to the professional literature on psychotherapy. In addition Dr. Heitler has also written multiple self-help books for the general public.
- Prescriptions Without Pills: For Relief from Depression, Anger, Anxiety and More offers treatment strategies that can be used by therapists and also as self-help.
- David Decides About Thumbsucking, Dr. Heitler’s first book, helps children end detrimental sucking habits: A story for children: a guide for parents.
- From Conflict to Resolution, offers an integrative theory of psychopathology and treatment that has introduced therapists worldwide to the process of win-win conflict resolution. An integrative conceptual framework centering on the core idea of conflict resolution as the key to understanding and treatment of emotional health, psychopathology and psychotherapy, and also the key to peace versus conflict.
- The Power of Two and The Power of Two Workbook, [In Spanish: Poder de Dos], The book and workbook together coach the skills that enable marriage success. Foreign language editions in 6 languages: Polish Turkish, Chinese for Taiwan, Chinese for mainland China (simplified script), Hebrew (Israel), Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazil).
- For therapists who would like to lead Power of Two Marriage Skills Workshops, The power of two leader’s manual: Marriage skills workshops (2023). Heitler, S. and Hirsch, A.. Amazon. Drs. Heitler and Hirsch have put together a complete Leaders Kit with lesson plans for a 12-session 18-hour marriage education program. The workshops teach the skills for sustaining collaborative dialogue and making win-win decisions.The manual includes training materials, marketing suggestions, before and after feedback forms, plus a curriculum guide with detailed lesson plans for 12 90-minute sessions. The multiple interactive exercises in each lesson plan can also be used as stand-alone single-session workshops. Available on amazon.com.
BOOK CHAPTERS
The role of conflict resolution in personal peacefulness (2014). In Sims, Nelson & Puopolo, (Eds.), Personal peacefulness. New York: Springer.
Communication, listening, and conflict-resolution skills. (2010). In Encyclopedia of peace psychology, Dan Christie, (Ed.),
Teaching marriage skills. (2010). Earning a living outside of managed care. In S. Walfish, (Ed.). Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association. Paperback edition.
From conflict to resolution: Building a practice with referrals from divorce lawyers. (2005). In S. Harris, D. C. Ivey, R. A. Bean (Eds.), A Practice That Works: Strategies to complement your stand-alone therapy practice. New York: Routledge.
Conflict resolution and conflict-focused therapy. (2000). In F. Dattilio, F & L Bevilacqua, (Eds.), Comparative treatments of relationship dysfunction. New York: Springer.
Treating high-conflict couples. (1998). In G. Koocher, J. Norcross, & S. Hill, (Eds.), Psychologists’ desk reference. New York: Oxford. Second edition, 2005. Third Edition, 2013.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
J. Kalinka, F. D. Fincham, A. H. Hirsch (2012). A randomized clinical trial of online–biblio relationship education for expectant couples.. J. Family Psychology 26(1), 159–164. [This study, in which I was not an author, evaluates outcomes of the online marriage education program based on my book The power of two].
Combined individual/marriage therapy: A conflict resolution framework and ethical considerations. J. Psychotherapy Integration, 2001.
Power of two marriage skills workshops. The Family Journal, 9(2), April, 2001.
(2000). Power of Two Marriage Skills Workshops emphasize education over treatment. The Louisiana Psychologist, 21( 5).
(1998). Sex revisited. Radcliffe Quarterly, Spring.
(1996). A second adolescence. Radcliffe Quarterly, Fall.
(1995). Resolving conflicts; lifting depression. Treatment Today, Fall, 31.
(1991). with Solomons, C. C. and Melmed, M. H. Calcium citrate for vulvar vestibulitis: A case report. Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 36(12), Dec,.
(1989). Clinical exchange: Gifts. Nolan Saltzman ( Ed.), J. Integrative and Eclectic Psychotherapy, 8(1), 71– 75.
(1988). Curing thumbsucking by the book, Contemporary Pediatrics, May.
(1987). Conflict resolution: A framework for integration. J. Integrative and Eclectic Psychotherapy, 6,3, Brunner Mazel.
(1968). Book reviews in Psychotherapy, Psychologie and J. Integrative & Eclectic Psychotherapy
BLOGS AND WEBSITES
Goodtherapy.org Articles on individual versus couple therapy for marital problems and on conflict resolution in psychotherapy.
PsychologyToday.com Blog, Resolution, Not Conflict at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/resolution-not-conflict. Over 26,000,000 total views. Focuses on marriage and communication skills, narcissism and bpd, managing negative emotions, energy therapy techniques, techniques of psychotherapy and parental alienation syndrome.
PrescriptionsWithoutPills.com Includes videos and handouts on managing negative emotions, building relationship skills, and sustaining well-being.
ResearchGate.net Ethical considerations in individual, couple and family therapy with married clients.
Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (APA Division 29): Bump Theory: A Conceptual Map for Integrative Therapists.
Times of Israel.com Articles on psychological aspects of issues concerning Israel.
WatchPsychotherapy.com shares videos of Dr. Heitler’s therapy techniques, organized by problem area (ie, relationships, depression, anxiety, etc.).
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS
(2006). The win-win waltz: Power of two marriage skills workshops. DVD, with A. Hirsch. Teaches communication and conflict resolution skills.
(1995). The angry couple: Conflict-focused treatment. Video/DVD. New York: Newbridge Communications. Originally published as part of the master therapist video series Assessment & Treatment of Psychological Disorders. Now owned and distributed by www.psychotherapy.net. Demonstrates couples therapy techniques from a conflict-resolution treatment framework.
(1992). Working with couples in conflict, New York: W.W. Norton & Co.,. A two-tape audio for therapy students and professionals. Demonstrates theory and techniques of conflict-resolution marriage therapy.
See the Videos and the Podcasts sections on this website for more of Dr. Heitler’s audio and video presentations.
