About Marv

I am a man who wears two hats: therapist and community builder. I dance between my passion for assisting folks in therapy, and for formulating a way to make community work in our rapidly changing world. I lead workshops, lecture, and write books. The center of my work is teaching the art of enhancing relationships. If you were to give me a label it would be psychotherapist and applied anthropologist. I love my life and I love helping others to love theirs.

Originally I started as an engineer and worked on the Apollo moon program. Then I realized I wanted to work with people, not mathematics and widgets and thing that fly. Forty five years ago I switched graduate programs from engineering to Social Work and began my life's work as a teacher and therapist. Since then I have worked with over 10,000 individuals and couples in therapy, students in schools and professionals in organizations. I have studied almost all the contemporary methods of psychology in addition to body work, dance, and drama.

In my work I saw the significance of community to individual happiness that led me to develop a notion I call Personal Village®. For the last decade, I have been presenting this concept and ways of applying it in workshops and in two ground-breaking books: Personal Village®: How to Have People in Your Life by Choice, Not Chance, and The Personal Village® Workbook. These were published in 2004 and 2006. I continue to write and have four additional books at various stages between concept and publication.

This is not a vita, but here is a more detailed list for anyone who wishes to know more about what I'm up to:

• Social Work - graduated from University of Washington with a MSW in Social Work 1966
• Engineering - graduated from Gonzaga University with a BSME 1959
• Hold a LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker) license with the State of Washington
• Certified as a Clinical Social Work Supervisor in the State of Washington
• Hold an ACSW (Academy of Clinical Social Worker) certification with the National Association of Social Workers
• Hold a Board Diplomate in Clinical Social Work
• Worked for a family services agency for 5 years providing psychotherapy, counseling, family services, group therapy and consultation
• Private practice of psychotherapy, consultation, couples and family counseling from 1970 until today
• Co-founder and director at the Group Process Institute
• Seven years study in Bio-energetic Analysis
• Ten years study in Psychodrama
• Advanced studies in group dynamics, psychoanalysis, and psychology
• Studied Gestalt therapy with Fritz Perls and still practice that method
• Studied Family Therapy with Virginia Satir
• Trained in Psychodrama and Group Process with Leon Fine
• Extensive experience on stage as a psychodrama director
• Extended studies in movement therapy and dance, working with dancers and chirographers