In the service of enhancing the quality of the lives of  individuals, families and even organizations, the hard work of countless researchers continues to reveal a rich variety of ways to relieve depression and anxiety, to improve relationships, to support families, and to provide time-tested and innovative solutions to the psychological, emotional, and interpersonal challenges people face in the twenty-first century.

But perhaps the richest source and testing ground of the ideas, methods, and strategies that can be of practical help to so many, lies in those who are in the front lines:  the Practitioners who offer their best in schools, private practice settings, clinics, hospitals, and so many other settings.  Marriage and Family Counselors, Social Workers, Nurses, a wide variety of Physicians and other medical professionals, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Chemical Dependency Counselors and others,  offer the experience and expertise they have acquired.  But they also are in the position to discover and learn , on a daily basis, what works, what doesn't, and what new ideas may bring even more exciting innovations in the future.

The Institute is intended to be a resource, and a meeting place for these professionals.  It is dedicated to the enhancement of therapeutic practice, through the acknowledgement and sharing of the contributions of dedicated therapists.

Dr. Chitwood is a licensed Psychologist.  He maintains a private practice in Sacramento, California.  He offers a wide variety of psychotherapeutic and assessment services, with specialties in group therapy, clinical hypnosis, and stress reduction.  He has a particular interest in the acknowledgement and utilization of the experience of practitioners, and the integration of the wisdom of various psychotherapeutic orientations.