john sommers-flanagan Ph.d.

John Sommers-Flanagan is a professor of counseling at the University of Montana, a clinical psychologist, and author or coauthor of over 100 publications, including nine books and many professional training videos. His books, co-written with his wife Rita, include Clinical Interviewing, Tough Kids, Cool Counseling, and Suicide Assessment and Treatment Planning: A Strengths-Based Approach. He has published articles or commentaries in the New England Journal of Medicine, American Psychologist, Professional Psychology, and the Journal of Counseling and Development. In 2018, he produced a three-part, 7.5-hour suicide assessment and treatment training video for mental health professionals with Psychotherapy.net. John’s current work primarily involves promoting an evidence-informed strengths-based learning model designed to grow student and teacher strengths, skills, resources, and virtues, rather than growing more mental disorders (which we have enough of). In his wild and precious spare time, John loves to run (slowly), dance (poorly), laugh (loudly) and produce home-made family music videos. You can learn more about John and Rita’s latest venture, the Montana Happiness Project, at https://montanahappinessproject.com/