Ron L. Deal

RON L. DEAL is a marriage and family therapist with more than 15 published resources, an international conference speaker specializing in marriage enrichment and stepfamily education, and a podcaster who frequently appears in the national media. Ron’s latest book, coauthored with his wife Nan and family therapists Dr. Terry and Sharon Hargrave, is designed for all couples. The Mindful Marriage: Create Your Best Relationship Through Understanding and Managing Yourself is based on the clinically proven principles of Restoration Therapy used around the world. The book integrates attachment theory, neurological brain science, and principles of interpersonal relationships to empower healthy couples and highly distressed couples alike to overcome what sabotages peace, emotional safety, and trust in relationships and build a strong, intimate relationship. In addition, Ron is one of the most widely read and referenced authors on blended families with nine published books. His bestselling books include Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (coauthored with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman) and The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family. His latest book designed for engaged and pre-engaged couples is Preparing to Blend: The Couple's Guide to Becoming a Smart Stepfamily. Ron is founder and president of Smart Stepfamilies™ and director of FamilyLife Blended®, a division of FamilyLife®. He is author and presenter of the most widely used video series for blended family couples, The Smart Stepfamily Small Group Resource DVD and Participant Guide (8-session video series). He is a member of the Stepfamily Expert Council for the National Stepfamily Resource Center and is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional counselor. Ron’s work with stepfamilies has been published/quoted by various publications and news outlets throughout the world. He and his wife, Nan, are popular conference speakers, have been featured in various video series, and lead a support group for parents who have lost a child. Married since 1986, the Deals have three sons, a daughter-in-law, one grandson, and a Golden Retriever and live in Little Rock, Arkansas.