Meet the Trainers

All phone numbers are US phone numbers, unless otherwise stated. If calling from outside of the US, please dial 001 first.

Yvonne Agazarian, Ed.D., CGP, DFAGPA, FAPA, is the developer of a theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice and the founder of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute. She lives in Philadelphia and teaches and consults internationally. In 1997 she received the Group Psychologist of the Year award from the American Psychological Association ``for her involvement in research, publication, teaching and training. She exemplifies the finest in scholarship in the discipline of psychology she has contributed to expanding our knowledge of the boundaries between clinical and social psychology ... Her considerable body of work illustrates the highest blend of creativity and learning.''

Email: agazarian@aol.com, phone: (215) 561-7428

Rich Armington, LCSW, is a licensed social worker with a strong interest in working with diverse populations. He began his practice of psychotherapy at the University of Texas at Austin’s Counseling and Mental Health Center and entered into private practice in Austin in 1989. He works with individuals, groups, couples, and couples' groups. His commitment to including a body orientation in his work found a natural home when he began training in SCT in 1991. A licensed SCT practitioner, he currently leads foundation and intermediate level SCT training groups as well as SCT therapy groups.

Email: armington@gmail.com, phone: (512) 440-8910

Claudia Byram, Ph.D., CGP, has worked since 1980 as a clinician and trainer. She began work with Yvonne Agazarian in the early 80s, and has developed as a clinician and trainer as Systems-Centered therapy developed. Currently, she is a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner with a clinical practice in Philadelphia. She leads Systems-Centered training events as well as communications training and consultation in the SAVI (System for Analyzing Verbal Interaction) model.

Email: claudia.byram@verizon.net, phone: (215) 561-0341

Frances Carter, MSS, LSW, CGP, is a Licensed Social Worker, living and working in the Philadelphia area. She maintains a clinical and consulting practice working with individuals, couples, groups and organizations. Fran is a founding member of Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, a current Board Member and System Mentor. She continues to be interested in the development of training, curriculum and research and has contributed her time to these work groups within SCTRI. She is a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and a senior trainer, leading workshops, ongoing training and consultation groups and intensive training blocks throughout the US and Europe. She is also a principle in SAVI Communications and the SAVI Network where she works with others to develop training in the SAVI approach to communication. She brings to all her work the energy and creativity of her early background as artist.

Email: carter2229@aol.com, phone: (215) 988-9523

Susan Cassano, Ph.D., CGP, has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 30 years. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in clinical psychology. She has been a licensed psychologist in private practice and a Certified Group Psychotherapist in Austin, Texas since 1976. As a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, she serves as senior staff for the Austin Weekend Workshops, co-leads a training group and a supervision group, and consults to mental health organizations.

Email: susancassano@sbcglobal.net, phone: (512) 327-4170

Erika Ekedal, MSc, is a licensed psychologist and organizational consultant who trains leaders and coaches, counsels individuals and groups, and manages change in organizations. She teaches leadership and OD at Karolinska Institutet, is a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, and chairperson of the newly formed Swedish SCT Association, Svenska SCT-föreningen.

Email: erika.ekedal@humannature.se, phone: +46 8 795 4350

Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, FAPA, is a psychologist in private practice in Atlanta and works for Emory University School of Medicine where she coordinates group psychotherapy training. She is the Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, which was recognized with the 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. She trains, supervises and consults in the practice of SCT in the USA and Europe and leads ongoing training groups for therapists and consultants in Atlanta, San Francisco and Amsterdam. She co-authored the texts Autobiography of a Theory, SCT in Action, and Systems-Centered Therapy: Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families & Groups with Yvonne Agazarian and was recently awarded the Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy by the Group Psychotherapy Foundation for her work in editing (with Paul Cox) the special issue of the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy on “Neurobiology and Interpersonal Systems: Groups, Couples and Beyond.”

Email: sgantt@systemscentered.com, phone: (404) 261-5559 x1

Dorothy Gibbons, MSS, LCSW, is a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. She is in private practice in Philadelphia, PA. She works with individuals, groups, and couples. She also works as an organizational consultant to a social service agency in Philadelphia. Ms. Gibbons is the former Director of the Adolescent Sex Offender Unit at the Joseph J. Peters Institute in Philadelphia and has extensive experience working with both victims and offenders of sexual abuse. She is on the Board of Directors of the Systems-CenteredÒ Training and Research Institute. She is also a graduate of the Gestalt Therapy Training Institute in Philadelphia.

Email: dorothygibbons2@yahoo.com, phone: (267) 307-8428

Ray Haddock qualified in medicine in 1982, trained in Psychiatry then in Psychotherapy in Leeds (UK). He qualified as a Member of the Institute of Group Analysis in 1993. He became a Licensed SCT practitioner in November 2009. He leads SCT training groups in London UK , Stockholm Sweden (to June 2009) and co led the intermediate experiential group at the 2009and 2010 SCT annual conference. He is also staff member on the annual SCT training in York, leading the Intermediate skills training and annual winter workshop in Stockholm until January 2009. He was appointed Consultant Psychotherapist in Sheffield (UK) in 1993 and became Director of and developed the Specialist Psychotherapy Service until 2000 when he became Associate Medical Director. In 2001 he took on responsibility for developing a Systemic Psychotherapy service. He is now clinical lead for the Personality disorder team. Clinically he uses SCT in individual and group therapy and uses the theory of Living Human Systems in his day to day organisational work and leadership. He is lead for developing the personality disorder service and implementing the National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines for treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder in Sheffield Health and Social Care Foundation Trust.

Email: rayhad@doctors.org.uk, phone: +44 114 271 6894

Robert Hartford, MSW, LICSW, LCSW, CSW, is a licensed psychotherapist in Washington DC, California and New York. He is currently in private practice working with individuals, couples, and groups in both short and long term therapy.He also works with executives in leadership development and coaching and with organizations to develop techniques for identifying and lessening restraining forces to system development.He has advanced post-masters level training with the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute since 1998. In addition to current private practice work, Robert is collaborating with George Washington University Hospital with the Chair of the Department of Clinical Management and Leadership Development. He was the Co-Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute International Conference in Boston, MA. Other experience and positions held include Mental Health Practitioner with the County of Marin, California, a Mental Health consultant to the San Francisco Unified School District where he developed and supervised the intern training program. He received his training at San Francisco General Hospital Ward 7B for lesbian, gay, transgender and HIV, in-patient psychiatric patients and Kaiser Department of Psychiatry. He has worked with the sexual minority populations at the Valley Aids Project, Stop Aids Project, San Francisco, Continuum HIV services, Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives, and the Aids Information Network. He also has experience working in organizational and personnel development. Robert is committed to working with community and to help people make choices that get them closer to living the life they want.

Email: robert@roberthartford.com, phone: (202) 412-0253

Holly Johnson, M.Ed., ADTR, LCMHC became a Licensed Systems Centered® Practitioner in 2007. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Education/Dance Movement Therapy from Antioch University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts. She is a Registered Dance Therapist. She has thirty years of clinical experience which includes private practice, twenty years on staff in community mental health facilities, including West Central Behavioral Health Dartmouth Hitchcock. She was a creative arts therapist and addictions counselor for three years at The Spring Center in Brattleboro VT., a women’s trauma treatment center. In addition to her private practice she provides creative arts groups for the developmentally disabled at Pathways, Co-leader for the New England Systems-Centered® Training Group, and provides consultation and trainings to agencies.

Email: hollyjo@valley.net, phone: (802) 546-3006

Nina Klebanoff, ED.M, LCSW, CGP, Licensed SCT practitioner, has been a psychotherapist for twenty nine years. Nina works in Manhattan and works with individuals, groups, couples and couples groups. In addition she leads an ongoing SCT training group. Nina also does organizational consulting and ongoing staff development and individual consultations for psychotherapists and OD professionals. Nina specializes in working with creative artists and therapists. She has taught group psychotherapy as an adjunct faculty at NYU School of Social Work and is particularly interested in training and consultation groups. She has newly re-joined the SCTRI Board in the role as Treasurer and is developing workshops for therapists in dealing with financial issues that have to do with maintaining a practice as well as the issues that directly impact the therapeutic relationship.

Email: nkleb@mac.com, phone: (212) 315-1675

Susan Arnold Lange, Ph.D., licensed Psychologist and System-Centered Practitioner, provides systems-centered training, consultation and clinical services. Throughout her 25 years of facilitating change, relationship, career and spiritual development have been the areas of consistent focus. Consulting with health care delivery systems, faith-based communities, and yoga studios for employee and volunteer development, she has designed and presented communications workshops on topics including effective listening, conflict management, and career strategies. Studying and training with Dr. Agazarian since 1991, she integrates systems thinking to these areas as she works in both Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Texas.

Email: slangephd@att.net, phone: (817) 745-4612

Joy Luther, LCSW, is in clinical private practice in Austin, Texas. She is a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and Trainer in SCT, and leads ongoing training groups in Austin and in Seattle. She has over thirty years experience as a psychotherapist with individuals, couples and groups and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute.

Email: joyluthersoffice@gmail.com, phone: (512) 343-9609

Richard M. O'Neill, Ph.D., FAClinP, CGP is Associate Professor and Director of SCT Training at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He is a former President of the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA). His successful NYSPA presidential initiative -- affiliating with a national labor union to deal with managed care – was featured on the front-page of the New York Times. He has 240+ television appearances and a weekly radio segment on psychology, and a 1976 Student Academy Award for the documentary What The Notes Say. As Research Director Emeritas and a licensed member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, his work focuses now on SCT consulting, training, and research with systems from individuals and partners to therapy and work groups.

Email: oneillr@upstate.edu, phone: (315) 464-3120

Heather B. Twomey, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist practicing in North Carolina. She serves as program coordinator for adult inpatient services at Dorothea Dix Hospital where she provides a broad range of psychological services in addition to supervising pre-doctoral psychology interns and conducting group psychotherapy training. She qualified for her Systems-Centered Practitioner license in 2007. In private practice she works as a licensed SCT practitioner in systems-centered group and individual therapy.

Email: heather.twomey@gmail.com, phone: (919) 862-4922

Sven-Erik Viskari, BA, is a licensed psychologist and psychotherapist who also works with team building, group development and coaching of leaders. He is on the faculty of Gothenburg University, department of psychology, working with the clinical training of becoming psychologists. Has for more than 20 years also worked in private practice with a mix of clinical and OD work. He is also a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and a member of the Board of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute.

Email: sven-erik.viskari@telia.com