Course Instructors

Dan Allender

Dr. Dan B. Allender has pioneered a unique and innovative approach to trauma and abuse therapy over the past 30 years.

Dr. Allender earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University and, in addition to his many speaking events, currently serves as Professor of Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School. Dan is the author of The Wounded Heart and The Healing Path and has co-authored several books with Dr. Tremper Longman.

Voddie Baucham

Voddie Baucham is a husband, father, former pastor, author, professor, conference speaker, and church planter. He currently serves as Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. Dr. Baucham holds a number of degrees: BA in Christianity/BA in Sociology, M.Div., D.Min.and additional post-graduate study at the University of Oxford, England. Voddie and his wife, Bridget have been married since 1989. They have nine children.

Rob Bugh

Rob Bugh is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, received his Masters of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was the Senior Pastor at Wheaton Bible Church in West Chicago, Illinois for 20 years. Rob also serves as the chairman of the board of Greater Europe Mission.

Rob and Rhonda serve on the FamilyLife Blended advisory board.

Dave Bondeson

Dave Bondeson serves as the Pastor of Family Ministries at Woodlands Church in Plover, WI. Dave leads children's and parenting ministries and is the founder of the Parent's Summit, a national parenting conference. He blogs and contributes at parentssummit.com. He and his wife have four children, ages 2-14, and are a blended family. If he's not reading or writing in his free time, he's rooting for Wisconsin sports teams.

Gary Chapman

Gary Chapman–author, speaker, and counselor–has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages® series and the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, that air on more than 400 stations.

Ron Deal

Ron L. Deal, LMFT, LPC is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on stepfamilies. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, conference speaker, and podcast host. He is the author of Building Love Together in Blended Families with Dr. Gary Chapman, The Smart Stepfamily, and Preparing to Blend.

He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Kevin and Jennifer Ellers

Kevin Ellers, D. Min. has extensive training and experience in crisis response, disasters, chaplaincy, pastoral ministries, marriage and family therapy, and social services. Jennifer Ellers, M.A. is a professional counselor, life coach, crisis response trainer, author and speaker. Kevin and Jennifer together have authored several books including The First 48 Hours; Grief Following Trauma; Understanding Suicide; and Spiritual and Psychological First Aid.

Shaunti Feldhahn

Shaunti received her graduate degree from Harvard University and was an analyst on Wall Street before unexpectedly becoming a social researcher, best-selling author, and popular speaker.

Today, she applies her analytical skills to investigating eye-opening, life-changing truths about relationships at home and in the workplace. Her groundbreaking research-based books, such as For Women Only, have sold more than 3 million copies in 25 languages and are widely read in homes, counseling centers, and corporations worldwide. She co-hosts FamilyLife's Married with Benefits™ podcast.

Brian Goins

Brian and his wife Jen love building into families and eating great food together. They have three children who all want to move to Montana.

Brian serves as VP of Content Development at FamilyLife, speaks regularly at FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways, and co-hosts FamilyLife's Married with Benefits™ podcast. He is also the executive producer on an adolescent-focused documentary series called Brain, Heart, World (brainheartworld.org) aimed at helping change the conversation about pornography in our country and has written Playing Hurt: A Guy's Strategy for a Winning Marriage.

Gayla Grace

Gayla Grace is a writer, speaker, and coach on stepfamily life and is passionate about equipping blended families. She holds a master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling and serves on staff with FamilyLife Blended®. Gayla and her husband, Randy, have been married since 1995 in a “his, hers, and ours” family. She is the mom to three and stepmom to two young adults.

Mike and Jayna Haney

Mike and Jayna Haney established The Bridge Across for Stepfamilies and Single Parents, providing coaching & education and teaching classes to stepfamily couples and single parents. Jayna has a private Marriage and Family Therapy practice focusing on areas that include specialized work with stepfamilies and single parent families. Mike is an international energy executive and mediator. Mike and Jayna have been married since 2001, each bringing two young children from previous marriages.

D.A. and Elicia Horton

D. A. and Elicia Horton have been married for over 15 years. D. A. is working on his PhD in Applied Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Elicia has master’s degrees in Religious Studies and Organizational Development from Calvary Theological Seminary. They teach and serve together at Reach Fellowship, a church plant in North Long Beach, CA, and have been blessed to counsel couples jointly for over 10 years.

Bob Lepine

Radio and podcast listeners know Bob Lepine as the former co-host of FamilyLife Today^®, FamilyLife's nationally syndicated radio program. He is the author of Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage That Honors God and The Christian Husband. Bob is the on air announcer for “Truth for Life '' with Alistair Begg and also serves on the Board of Directors for National Religious Broadcasters. Since 2008 he has served as an elder and teaching pastor at Redeemer Community Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Bob and his wife, Mary Ann have been married since 1979 and have five children and nine grandchildren

Scott and Vanessa Martindale

Scott and Vanessa Martindale are the founders of Blended Kingdom Families—a ministry to blended families. Vanessa is a registered nurse and graduate student pursuing a Masters Degree as a Marriage and Family therapist. Scott holds a bachelors degree in psychology, a Masters Degree in Counseling and Human Development, and is currently an LPC that specializes in blended families, marriage and pre-marriage with over 13 years of experience. Married for over 6 years, Scott and Vanessa are a blended family with four sons.

Bob and his wife, Mary Ann have five children and nine grandchildren.

Jeff Parziale

Jeff Parziale, Ph.D. is passionate about equipping today’s families for life and empowering churches to effectively minister to families. The challenges of working through the issues of remarriage and stepfamily life led he and his wife, Judi, to start InStep Ministries.

Jeff is a family pastor, author, and counselor with thirty years of counseling and ministry experience. Jeff and Judi have been married for over twenty years; each bringing three children into the marriage.

Rubel Shelly

Rubel Shelly, Ph.D. has spent his life in Christ-focused ministry through preaching, teaching, and writing. Shelly served 27 years with Family of God at Woodmont Hills. He has served as Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Rochester College, President of Rochester College, and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. Shelly currently teaches at Lipscomb and is an associate member of Interim Ministry Partners.

One of his recent publications is Divorce & Remarriage: A Redemptive Theology.

Dr. Juli Slattery

Dr. Juli Slattery is a widely known clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and broadcast media professional. She's the president and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy and hosts a podcast called Java With Juli.

She has authored eight books, including 25 Questions You're Afraid to Ask About Love, Sex, and Intimacy, and Finding the Hero In Your Husband.

She and her husband, Mike, have been married since 1994, have three sons, and live in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Ed Uszynski

Dr. Ed Uszynski currently serves as Senior Content Strategist for FamilyLife. He and his wife Amy regularly speak at FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways, and since 1992 have worked in various roles with Athletes in Action, primarily training staff and ministering to college and professional athletes.

Dr. Usynski has an M.A. and M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He and Amy have four children and live in Xenia, OH. Follow him on Twitter @Uszynski32.

Dave and Ann Wilson

Dave and Ann are co-hosts of the FamilyLife Today® podcast. They have been featured speakers at FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway since 1993 as well as their own marriage conferences across the country.

Dave is a graduate of the International School of Theology, where he received a Master of Divinity degree, and he and Ann are cofounders of Kensington Church. The Wilsons live in the Detroit area and have three grown sons.