David S. Shepard, Ph.D., has been practicing as a counselor in the Los Angeles area for more than two decades, working with a full range of issues including adjustment problems, relationship issues, struggles with substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. His particular specialty is in gender-sensitive couples therapy--incorporating scholarship on the socialization experiences of both men and women to ensure that both sexes are equally comfortable in and get maximum benefit from couples work. Prior to his counseling career, David worked as a screenwriter in the film and television industry, where he specialized in children's animation. He is also Associate Professor… of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton, where he does research in counselor education, the relationship of counseling theory to clinical practice, gender issues in counseling, and the uses of film in teaching counseling.