About Us

Trudie Atkinson, Founder

Trudie Atkinson, Ph.D., LPC-S (retired OR, LA) was an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Counseling Programs, Xavier University, New Orleans and adjunct professor of counseling, Loyola University New Orleans. She completed a Ph.D. in Counselor Education at the University of Florida and a M.Ed. from DePaul University. Over her counseling career of more than forty years she worked with families, couples and individuals as well as supervising counseling interns. She came up with the original idea that became the foundation for Tandem Therapies.

Kevin A. Fall, Founder

Kevin A. Fall, Ph.D., LPC-S (TX) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology at Texas State University. He is the co-author of several books including Alternative to Domestic Violence, Becoming an Effective Counselor, Theoretical Models of Counseling and Psychotherapy, and Tandem Couples Counseling. For more than 25 years, he has worked with couples and families in his private practice. He is interested in the theory and practice of tandem counseling and specializes in the creation and maintenance of the unique co-leadership relationship within this innovative approach.

Kevin J. Foose, Founder

Kevin J. Foose, M.S. LCMHC (LA, NM & FL teletherapy) is Professor of Practice, Loyola University, New Orleans where he also received his master's degree. He obtained a BA in Psychology from Penn State University. He has worked with individuals, couples and families in his private practice and within community mental health agencies for nearly fifteen years. Currently his private practice focuses on couples and adult relationship concerns. He is a skilled presenter whose national and regional presentations draw large groups of participants. His interests/research agenda include philosophy and counseling, innovative and integrative approaches to therapy, and the impact of economic and technological practices on mental health/human development and counselor education. He works regularly as a tandem therapist and trains clinicians interested in tandem therapy. His most recent effort involves adapting tandem therapy to telehealth platforms.

Talya Hillinger, Administrative Director

Talya Hillinger, MA, LMHC (FL) completed her Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy at Barry University. She worked as a therapist for several agencies and in private practice. Her primary clinical interests now focus more on counselor continuing education and administration of the Institute for Tandem Therapies.

Justin E. Levitov, Founder

Justin E. Levitov, Ph.D., LCMHC (LA, NC, NM, FL Teletherapy) now Professor Emeritus, Counseling Department, Loyola University, New Orleans taught graduate counseling students for over forty years. He is the co-author of the Counseling Experience, Becoming An Effective Counselor and Tandem Couples Counseling. He works with individuals, couples and families in a career spanning more than fifty years. Most recently his work has concentrated on providing tandem counseling to couples, training clinicians to become tandem therapists, and exploring the use of tandem therapy principles in other partner relationships. He is developing seminars with other Institute members to help couples use principles gleaned from tandem therapy to improve their relationships and prepare them for therapy.

Please feel free to contact us through the Institute for Tandem Therapies.