As the semester comes to a close, so does a 25-year relationship between the ISU Couple and Family Therapy program and the ISU community, as well as the Ames community. As a former doctoral student and now the program director for the final year of its existence, on behalf of the Couple and Family Therapy program, I wish to offer my sincerest thanks the Government of the Student Body for its wonderful support over the years.

Our program, which has graduated well more than 100 doctoral and master-level mental health clinicians, scholars and agency/governmental directors, could not have existed without the GSB’s unwavering support. You made it possible for us to serve thousands of individuals, couples and families in need of service without regard to income or presenting concern for 25 years. On behalf of our current and former faculty and students … thank you.

I also would like to thank the administration of Iowa State for its support over the past 25 years and hope the program added to the proud tradition of Iowa’s land-grant university mission. A special thank-you to former ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, whose direct and personal support of the program was appreciated by all associated within the program. My thanks also to the department of human development and family studies who hosted and supported the program over the years and helped educate our students to become top-notch clinicians to the people of Iowa and around the world. I hope we added to the value of the department.

Thank you to the Iowa Association for Marriage and Family Therapy for your close working relationship with our program over the years. I wish Mount Mercy University and the University of Iowa much luck as they take the torch from Iowa State and launch their training programs in couple and family therapy.

I wish to thank our program directors and faculty who came before me including my friend and mentor Dr. Harvey Joanning, who founded the program in 1987, Dr. Charles Cole and Dr. Linda Enders, who were the original faculty and my friends. I also wish to thank my friend and predecessor Dr. Megan Murphy who was, and is, a strong mentor to many clinicians who graduated from the program over the last several years and added to the national prestige of our training program. Thank you to all faculty who have served the program since its founding.

Thank you to area clinicians who contributed as faculty and supervisors including Keith Schrag, Dr. Anthony Santiago, Dr. Bing Wall, Amber Sampson, Abbie Winter, Natalie Gruss, Neal Sheeley and many more who have been affiliated with our program over the years. Our administrative support specialists have been our program’s true guardians; thank you Linda Ritland, Dawn Risdal, Glenda Rahfeldt, Nancy Anderson, Anne Guddall, Joyce Hagley and many wonderful people who have moved on to new adventures since being our support staff over the years.

I wish to thank past and current program students (Shelly Stewart, Lindsey Deets, Amy Muller and Krystyna Abbot) for putting your hearts and souls into preparing for your profession and helping all who came in need. Your enthusiasm and dedication has been inspiring and leaves an old guy like me feeling good about the future of our discipline.

Most importantly, I wish to thank the thousands of Ames area residents and ISU students, couples and families who have entrusted their life’s challenges with our therapists over the years. We have all been honored and humbled with the trust you have placed in us during the difficult and joyous times of your lives. Farewell to you all.

Warmest regards,

Mike McClain, Ph.D., LMFT.

Couple and Family Therapy Program & Clinic Director