Gottman Referral Network

About

Dr. Bitar earned his master’s degree from Abilene Christian University and Ph.D. in Marriage & Family Therapy from Texas Tech University. During his master’s program, he was awarded an Outstanding Student Award for his academic accomplishments. His dissertation examined effective ways of building the therapeutic alliance in cross-cultural counseling settings.

Dr. Bitar served as the Director of Behavioral Healthcare Services at the Southwest Institute for Addictive Diseases, located at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the topics of substance abuse, cross-cultural counseling, and the integration of mental health care in primary care settings.

As an Assistant Professor at Pfeiffer University, Dr. Bitar earned the United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award for his work in the classroom. He was also promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. Bitar is part of the Gottman Referral Network, a group dedicated to a scientific approach to couple’s therapy, is a Certified Gottman Method Couple Therapist and Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist. He is also a 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work Educator.

He has also completed several trainings in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and has been on several intensive meditation retreats.

He is a member of the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

He is an Approved AAMFT Supervisor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Arizona.

Special populations

Online therapy: NC, SC, TX, & AZ