John Brendler, MSW, ACSW, is a nationally and internationally known family therapist and teacher of family therapy widely recognized for his expertise in working with difficult problems with individuals, families, and couples. He is a co-author of Madness, Chaos, and Violence: Therapy with Families at the Brink (Harper Collins, 1991) and author of numerous articles on therapy with families overwhelmed with dangerous symptoms and caught in destructive patterns. He is the former Director of the Family Hospitalization Program of the Child and Family Inpatient Service at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center and Associate Clinical Director of the Child and Family Inpatient Service at PCGC where he worked for 17 years. He has consulted to schools, psychiatric hospitals, residential and day treatment facilities, substance abuse programs, outpatient mental health clinics, and business organizations. He is the founder of Building Bridges, a multi-disciplinary healing context in Media, Pa, where he works with families, couples, groups, and individuals in his private practice. He conducts supervision groups and training with professionals of diverse disciplines working with families.