Author Dr. John Van Epp, who conducts seminars and workshops worldwide on marriages and relationships, will spoke as part of Ashland University's third Faith and Society Lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in AU's Jack and Deb Miller Chapel on the AU campus. Van Epp speaks on the topic, "Follow Your Heart Without Losing Your Mind." The lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session. 

Van Epp, who has a doctorate in counseling/psychology and an M.A. in Church History from Ashland Theological Seminary, is the author of "How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk," published by McGraw-Hill, which blends in-depth research with humorous stories to provide a map for making healthy relationship choices. 

His background includes:

• clinical counselor in his 25-year private practice
• instructor of military chaplains for 15 years
• adjunct professor of marriage and family coursework
• founding pastor of a nondenominational church
• consultant for military suicidology laboratory

From this rich experience, Van Epp has developed evidenced-based relationship programs about healthy dating, marriage, parenting, military resilience and relationship counseling. All his programs utilize his innovative Relationship Attachment Model (RAM), and come in three formats: teach-out-of-the-box certification courses, plug-n-play discussion group courses, and online courses— both Christian and community (or non-faith) versions.

Van Epp has trained and certified more than 10,000 instructors from all 50 states and 10 countries, who have taught these programs to more than a million from settings including the military, social agencies, healthy relationship coalitions, jails and prisons, intimate-partner violence shelters, singles organizations, high schools, universities and colleges, churches and faith-based organizations.

Van Epp's relationship programs were awarded the Smart Marriage Impact Award in 2008 and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Psychology Today, O-Magazine and Cosmopolitan; and he has appeared on numerous news shows including the CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, Fox News and Focus on the Family.

He has been happily married for more than 35 years and is the proud father of two daughters. People can contact Van Epp at info@lovethinks.com or his websites LoveThinks.com, MyLoveThinks.com, and HealthyRelationshipGoals.com.

This is the third lecture in the Faith and Society Lecture Series, which is designed to give AU students the ability to hear experts discuss critical topics of faith and its implications in contemporary society. The Hilda Bretzlaff Foundation is the lead sponsor for this year.

"The Faith and Society Lecture Series is intended as open and welcoming public forums where members of the Ashland University community can hear nationally known speakers reflect on how Christian faith intersects with different dimensions of society," said AU President Dr. Carlos Campo. "We believe this lecture series fulfills part of our objectives for helping students understand how faith and moral behaviors can bring potential solutions to many difficult issues.

"Our hope is these lectures will demonstrate the relevance and truth of the Christian faith as well as generate a thoughtful response in our students, faculty, staff and community," he added.