Cathy Bloomfield, M.A., MFT
Northern Peninsula

For over twenty years, Cathy Bloomfield has helped clients work through their most challenging problems and realize their potential. Cathy works with couples to explore and identify achievable goals and then helps them to be accountable for achieving those goals. Her warm, friendly style makes her approachable. Her clinical expertise and practical nature keep her work focused on the most important issues you face.

Cathy was originally licensed in Minnesota as a psychologist in 1980, and became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 1992 after moving to California. In addition to working with couples and individuals, Cathy has taught numerous courses and workshops for married, engaged, and committed couples. Cathy has been affiliated with The Couples Institute since the year 2000. She currently has offices in both San Mateo and Belmont, CA.

Contact Cathy at The Couples Institute

Sara Bunce, MA, MFT
Mid-Peninsula

Sara Bunce has a gentle, empathic style that offers safety for challenging feelings and insights. She helps clients look at underlying patterns that may be creating difficulties for themselves individually and in their relationship.

She is enthusiastic about couples work and its potential for helping partners as individuals while relieving problems in the relationship. She observes, “How we behave and communicate in relationship impacts how we feel about ourselves and can challenge or benefit the relationship.”  Sara offers practical tools for communication, intimacy, and conflict resolution.   If needed, Sara also has expertise in helping couples and individuals with divorce and co-parenting issues.  In addition to her couple’s specialty, Sara has experience working with substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.

Sara has served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Recovery Association, a nonprofit agency for drug and alcohol rehabilitation.  She has offices in Menlo Park and San Mateo.

Contact Sara at The Couples Institute

Lori J. Collins, MS, MFT
Mid-Peninsula

Lori provides professional counseling, coaching and education to help couples stay connected, functioning as teammates not opponents. She is passionate about working with couples, and also has a special interest in anxiety disorders. She has trained extensively in cognitive-behavioral techniques for solution-oriented counseling. Clients appreciate her sensible approach and her caring nature.

Focusing on practical solutions for change, Lori instills hope and motivation allowing change to occur one doable step at a time. She is especially adept at helping couples who need help balancing time between their relationships, work and busy schedules.

Lori notes, "I like to balance my counseling work with prevention and education. When couples learn communication skills and relationship skills, they see positive results quickly."

Lori practices in Redwood City. She has been in practice since 1990.

Contact Lori at The Couples Institute.

Barbara Green, MFT
Mid-Peninsula

Barbara is a psychotherapist, lecturer and consultant with more than 30 years of clinical experience working with couples and individuals. Clients appreciate her knowledge and expertise as well as her warm and engaging style. She creates a safe and accepting environment in her office that enables people to be less reactive and more thoughtful and creative in addressing their conflicts.

Barbara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters Degree from Smith College. She is a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work, and a Certified Imago Therapist and Workshop Presenter. She has trained extensively with Dr. Bader of The Couples Institute as well as Dr. Harville Hendrix, founder of the Imago Relationship Therapy Institute, and Dr. Pat Love, author of "Hot Monogamy" and "The Emotional Incest Syndrome." Her office is in Menlo Park

Contact Barbara at The Couples Institute

Susan Scott Hennings, MA, MFT
Southern Bay Area

Susan has extensive experience in couples therapy and the related issues of communication skills, conflict resolution, pre-marital preparation, sexuality, affairs and parenting. She also has a special interest in supporting individuals and couples who face the challenge of a divorce or becoming a blended family.

Her gentle, compassionate style combines effectively with her active, direct approach. She observes, "I listen with a non-judgmental ear, and I’m unafraid to ‘throw the penalty flag’ when couples get off track and mired in their ineffective behaviors.” Susan’s clients benefit from her passion for her work and her commitment to it.

A therapist since 1992, Susan has a private practice in San Jose. She has been affiliated with The Couples Institute since 2000, and has trained with Dr. Bader and Dr. Pearson since 1994. Susan regularly assists at Peter Pearson’s "Coming from Your Heart" weekend workshops and conducts refresher classes for couples who have attended and who wish to review, refine, and practice their skills. A longtime sex educator and popular presenter, Susan also leads workshops on intimacy and sexuality.

In addition to her affiliation with The Couples Institute , Susan Hennings teaches workshops on intimacy and sexuality in the community and at Santa Clara University, where she is an Adjunct Faculty Member. For more information, visit her website www.susanhennings.com

Contact Susan at The Couples Institute

Stacy Lee, MA, MFT Intern
Mid-Peninsula

Stacy Lee, MFT Intern, offers therapy for individuals and couples who wish to work on relationship issues, life transitions, family of origin issues, self-esteem, and a wide range of other personal challenges.  She also works with children and teens dealing with problems at home or school, difficulties with friends and peer influence, experiencing emotional pain or stress, and a number of issues surrounding these formative years.

Prior to this internship, Stacy worked with a variety of clients at JFK Community Counseling Center and Advent Group Ministries, as well as facilitating mandated groups for teens involved with drugs, alcohol, and gangs.  

Stacy earned her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2008 and is now under the supervision of Ellyn Bader, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Co-Director of The Couples Institute.  This top-notch supervision and training ensures that her clients receive excellent care.  Stacy offers sliding scale fees which are considerably less than others at The Couples Institute. She is available days, evenings, and Saturdays in Menlo Park.

Contact Stacy at The Couples Institute

Robert Solley, Ph.D.
San Francisco

Working together with you, Robert creates a safe environment in which to move towards the relationship you and your partner would like to have.  With an active yet empathic style, he will intervene to correct unhelpful patterns and contribute tools and perspective towards making things sustainably better.

Robert believes that a central key to successful relationships is what he calls differentiated emotional attunement.  He explains that this is a fancy term for being able to know your own thoughts and feelings at multiple levels, while also being able to understand, empathize with and reflect another person’s thoughts and feelings. Through Robert’s attunement to both of you, and by teaching you how to attune to each other, you can begin to heal emotional stumbling blocks.  Through these experiences vicious cycles turn into virtuous cycles, allowing your relationship to progressively improve.

Robert earned his Ph.D. in 1988.  In addition to specializing in couples therapy, Robert is a neuropsychologist.  His experience in formal assessment gives him a clarity of focus on the essential aspects for change.

Contact Robert at The Couples Institute. 

Russell Wilkie, MA, LMFT
Southern Bay Area  

Russell Wilkie has counseled couples and families with difficult psychological challenges since he started his career working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital in 1986. Many therapists lack confidence and experience around issues of chemical dependency, violence, and crisis intervention. But Russell is equipped and experienced in these matters, as well as more common concerns such as communication, transition and fulfillment. He is also experienced in multicultural therapy, having worked in two different organizations for American Indians.

"Relationships and how we communicate are the two most important things in our lives. I am totally committed to improving communication and relationships.  I believe communication is more at the core of quality relationships than digging into our deep, dark, past issues."

Russell demonstrates his commitment to the field with community service, which includes a current appointment as President to the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists of Santa Clara Valley (CAMFT-SCV). He is also a member of the Goodparents, Inc. Professional Advisory Board and trained instructor for all of Goodparents programs. 

Russell's practice is in Campbell.

Contact Russell at The Couples Institute.

Peter Klein, Ph.D., MFT
Mid-Peninsula

Peter Klein is a licensed clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist in Menlo Park. His clients appreciate his clinical expertise and his careful attention to detail, since both contribute to their overall positive experience and results. His active style helps clients uncover underlying causes of their difficulties. In addition to his specialty with couples, he conducts long-term dynamic therapy with individuals.

Dr. Klein has extensive experience providing psychotherapy for couples and individual adults, as well as training and supervising psychotherapists. He is a Consulting Associate Professor at Stanford University and a Clinical Supervisor for the San Mateo County Psychiatric Residency Program. He has been in private practice for over 20 years and affiliated with The Couples Institute since 1991.

Contact Peter at The Couples Institute

Michelle Wangler, MA, MFT
Mid-Peninsula  

Michelle actively and skillfully helps repair ineffective communication dynamics-- a major cause of distress. She explains, "I observe where the communication goes off track, and I intervene with corrective tools. The couples experience effective ways to discuss topics that have perhaps never been discussed, or that have previously only led to frustration or resentful compliances." Michelle also helps individuals with relationship challenges. She says, "If you are feeling unhappy or confused about what to do in your relationship, there are many tools that can bring relief, whether your partner is present or not. And if you are in therapy as a couple, results can be seen more rapidly when you also receive support individually."

In addition to relationships, Michelle also helps people increase self-esteem, get clear about life direction and goals, and navigate rocky transitions. Her clients appreciate her wisdom, insight, and the expertise she's gained from years of learning from some of the leading experts in the world.

Michelle has been employed at The Couples Institute since 2002, where she received the training to become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She co-facilitates a group for single women who seek solutions to dating or relationship difficulties, and also provides Enneagram consultations. She sees clients evenings and weekdays in her Menlo Park office.

Contact Michelle at The Couples Institute.