Coordinating Council

Born in the panhandle of Nebraska, I spent grade school through college in Waverly, IA, and seminary (Old Testament emphasis) in Dubuque, IA, with an intervening year in Germany. After graduate studies on the East Coast, I served as a Lutheran parish pastor: 18 years in western Iowa, 12 years at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and 5 more in a first-ring suburb of Detroit … serving a German-speaking congregation (finally getting back to my roots!).

Bob Hempel routed me to Bob and Mary Goulding and the Western Institute for Group & Family Therapy; it was GOOD! I found TA of profound use in some of the toughest settings … like with prisoners in the Rockwell City’s (then) IA Men’s Medium Security Prison (as chaplain) and with confirmands (as pastor). I’m kind of “evangelical” about TA – it is good news!

I retired the year after Kathy, my wife (now of 31 years), another ordained ELCA pastor, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and minor strokes, moving us (plus the Old English Sheepdog and the tabby cat) to Rochester, MN. Kathy has now been in a care facility for 4.5 years and continues to teach me patience, gentleness, and love.

I’m serving 2 small, rural congregations as an interim pastor (my 3rd interim), helping them to find a way to do more of their own pastoral care. I continue to lead a weekly pastors’ text study in town using the Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek texts.

I am glad to be Coordinator of Membership.

I personally would like to hear from you if you have input on the Membership Committee or NATAA / NATAA. For that matter, if you are passing through/near Rochester, MN, I’d enjoy hearing from you … and maybe drinking some coffee / tea with you – just give me a bit of warning (I stay busy).

Felipe is one of the original founders of NATAA and was the first general coordinator of the NATAA council. He was in private practice in San Antonio Texas as a psychotherapist and trainer for 45 years. He is mostly retired but still does some teletherapy and training/supervision. He also served in many roles in the International Transactional Analysis Association including serving on the board of trustees and coordinating regional and International Conferences.

Vann Joines, PhD, TAPI, TSTA and a Diplomate in Redecision Therapy, serves as an educational advisor on the Council. He directs the Southeast Institute in Chapel Hill, NC where he trains other professionals in Transactional Analysis, Redecision Therapy, Advanced Integrative Therapy, Marriage and Family Therapy and a number of other approaches.

He is currently training in Chapel Hill, Louisville, KY, Japan, and China. He is co-author of TA Today: A New Introduction to Transactional Analysis (2nd Edition) and Personality Adaptations: A New Guide to Human Understanding in Psychotherapy and Counseling, and he developed the Joines Personality Adaptation Questionnaire.

Dra Gloria Noriega Gayol, is a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst in Psychotherapy, TSTA at ITAA and at NATAA a TAPI. She is the Director of the Mexican Institute of Transactional Analysis (IMAT) in Mexico City, and a former President of the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA). In 2008, Gloria received from the ITAA the Eric Berne Memorial Award for her research on Mechanisms of Script Transmission, as a contribution to the development of the transactional analysis theory. Gloria is a researcher on this topic, an invited professor and trainer in North America, Latin America, Europe, Russia and China. She is the author of the book The Codependence Script in Couple Relationships: Diagnosis and Treatment, published in Spanish and Italian. And Co-Autor for chapters at other books, plus several articles published at the Transactional Analysis Journal.

Hailing from the vibrant heart of Mexico City, where I spent my formative three decades, my life’s journey has been a rich tapestry woven through various cultural landscapes of Mexico and the United States over the past twenty years. As a Software Engineer in Silicon Valley’s dynamic tech sphere, I harness the power of innovation daily. My passion extends beyond coding, as I’m on the cusp of launching an organizational and life coaching institute with my wife, grounded in the principles of Transactional Analysis (TA). My dedication to TA is deep-rooted, having embarked on this transformative path in 1987 under the mentorship of Gloria Noriega. My commitment is evidenced by numerous diplomas from the IMAT and countless hours of both basic and advanced training. My aspiration to serve stems from a profound belief in TA’s potential to enrich lives, and I am driven to make it widely accessible throughout the Americas.

Viktoriia is an entrepreneur who manages several companies. She has 18 years’ experience in coaching and consulting to top management, including developing training in communications and negotiations, personnel management tools and systems, and personal growth and branding.

Viktoriia has 10 years of training and application of TA. She is serving now as Coordinator of Communications and Marketing and as such is building a committee and collaborating with the Membership and Programs Committees.

She says, “I was born and raised in Ukraine. I worked in the countries of the Middle East and Europe. Blessed to live in the USA and be part of NATAA.”

Marion Gittings is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Sex Therapist with ASSECT in private practice, serving adults and couples in Wilmington, NC.  She completed The Living School out of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM and is a founding member of Presence in Community.

Marion began her journey with TA, formally in Summer of 2006 when she attended a week long training on working with families at The Southeast Institute. She completed the 2 year post-graduate program 2011, including training for her TAP. Marion has continued her exploration of and incorporation of TA through training with Lucy Freedman as well as peer supervision and encouragement with Emily Keller and Peter Nagel. She served on the Programs Committee of NATAA and is now Co-Coordinator. She is grateful for opportunities to learn and grow community like the Gathering in Jamaica in 2023 and the upcoming Gathering in Santa Cruz!

She resides in Wilmington, NC with her husband, Ted, of 30 years and is looking forward to adventures in Texas where he is stationed for the next year with the United States Coast Guard. Ted and Marion have two grown daughters and a very affectionate, active doodle, Oscar Romero.

Christopher Zimmerman, TAP, and has a background in Aerospace Engineering (Texas A&M) and Computer Systems Engineering (SMU).

I became fascinated with TA around 2013 on my adventure of personal mental health growth. To discover more I sought out Jack Dusay as the first TA person, I in-person connected with. Jack pointed me to Steven Karpman. Still wanting more I started TAP training  with Janet O’Conor and earned my TAP certification.  I attended the 2019 Raleigh conference and my Interest in TA exploded from there.

I am currently active on the NATAA Coordinating Council, Programs Committee and other subcommittees, with a focus on video production (TA Stories, etc.) and promotion of TA.