John-Paul Abner graduated from the University of Florida with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Child and Adolescent emphasis) in 1996 where he had the honor of studying under Dr. Sheila Eyberg, creator of PCIT. A professor in psychology at Milligan College, he is one of 21 people in the world who has been designated as a Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Global Trainer by PCIT International. He has conducted research on the application of PCIT to children with autism spectrum disorders and is currently an active promoter of PCIT to the autism community. He is the Director of PCIT Training for the East Tennessee State University Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody where he helps coordinate a statewide PCIT dissemination effort to help children in the protective services system. Dr. Abner is a frequent speaker at PCIT conferences where he focuses primarily on clinical issues. He is passionate about PCIT and CARE and this passion often comes out at relatively high speed and volume. He favors a highly interactive style of presentation and his presentations often feature storytelling, games, unintentional physical humor, pirate yarrghs, and prizes of minimal value.