Leadership Team

This topical interest network is lead by a group of volunteers with a shared dream of collaboration and growth.
If you are interested in serving in any of the positions below, please contact couples@aamft.org for more information!

Chairperson

Term: January 2025 - December 2027 (Then to assume the position of Past Chair)

Jennifer White VanBoxel, Ph.D., LMFT
jvanboxel@family-institute.org

Dr. Jennifer White Vanboxel is the current Chair of the AAMFT Couples Network and a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couples and trauma. She teaches in the graduate MSMFT program at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, integrating systemic, attachment-based, and trauma-informed approaches to clinical training. Her scholarship and practice focus on how relational systems adapt and heal following trauma, emphasizing the intersection of intimacy, recovery, and development. Through her leadership in the Couples Network, Jennifer is dedicated to building a strong leadership pipeline, developing network infrastructure, and importantly expanding resources for couples therapists.

Chair-Elect

Coming soon*

Term: January 2026 - December 2027 (Then to assume the position of Chairperson)

Treasurer

Term: January 2022 - December 2026

Erica Mitchell, PhD LMFT
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Tennessee Knoxville

emitch55@utk.edu

Dr. Mitchell is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She earned her Ph.D. in Couple and Family Therapy from Michigan State University in 2019. She is a fully licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and sits on the editorial board for the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. Dr. Mitchell has specialized clinical training in Emotionally Focused Therapy. Her research focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions for couples with an emphasis on under-resourced couples and couples experiencing the transition to parenthood. Dr. Mitchell also conducts research on infidelity and affair recovery.

Secretary

Coming soon*

Director of Membership Engagement

Term: January 2022 - December 2024

Cheryl Coleman, MS, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapist, Grace to Heal Counseling Services

cheryl@gracetohealcs.com

Cheryl Coleman is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist currently located in South Carolina. She received her undergraduate degrees from Claflin University, then went on to receive her masters degree in MFT from Valdosta State University. She currently serves her community through her private practice, Grace to Heal Counseling Services, located in Columbia, SC. Cheryl is trained in hypnotherapy, sex therapy and trauma-focused therapy. She holds an interest in promoting positive sexuality within couples and individuals and holding space for clients of color, especially within the African-American community.

Director of Education and Research

Term: January 2022 - December 2023

VACANT - Email couples@aamft.org if interested in this position

Family TEAM Liaison

Term:

VACANT - Email couples@aamft.org if interested in this position.

Past Chairpersons

Tina M. Timm, PhD LMFT
Associate Professor, Michigan State University
timmtm@gmail.com

Tina M Timm, PhD LMFT

Tina Timm, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Michigan State University where she teaches graduate students specializing in clinical social work and couple and family therapy. Dr. Timm is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and licensed as both a marriage and family therapist and a clinical social worker. Her research focuses on couples and families with an emphasis on issues related to sexuality. She completed post-graduate training at Masters & Johnson Institute in both sex therapy and sexual trauma. She has been doing clinical work for over 27 years in a wide range of settings and is a frequent presenter on topics related to the integration of sex therapy into clinical practice, affair recovery, trauma informed treatment, and attachment.

Christopher K. Belous, PhD - Chair Christopher K. Belous, PhD LMFT
Associate Professor, Purdue University Northwest
Term as Chair: January 2018 - December 2020
Serving as Past Chair: January 2021 - December 2022