Dr. Patricia Stevens , a retired Counselor Educator, is currently in private practice in Louisville, CO and consults in a variety of venues. Dr. Stevens has published and presented at the local, state, regional, national and international levels in the areas of substance abuse, gender implications in counseling, training counselors, and ethical and legal issues in counseling. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a Mental Health Disaster Relief volunteer for Red Cross and has been honored by her professional organizations and by her university for her teaching, scholarship, service and mentoring of students and staff. Dr. Stevens' professional career in substance abuse issues has included clinical practice as well as research and publications throughout her career.

Robert L. Smith, Ph.D., FPPR , is professor, Chair of the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department, and Doctoral Program Coordinator at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. As a licensed psychologist, he has worked as a private practitioner in addition to serving as the chair of three counselor education programs. He is the author of several books and more than 60 professional articles. He serves as the Executive Director, and was one of the founders of, the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors. He is also the founder of the National Credentialing Academy for Family Therapists. His research interests include the efficacy of treatment modalities in individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and substance abuse counseling. He is a Diplomate-Fellow in Psychopharmacology with the International College of Prescribing Psychologists. Dr. Smith is an international lecturer. He is currently involved in the development and implementation of graduate programs in counseling and psychology in Latin America.