The Couples on the brink team is a group of highly motivated and dedicated professionals specializing in couples and relationship therapy. The team utilizes the expertise of state licensed Ph.D. and Master's level professionals.

Dr. Paul Maione
Clinical Director

I have assisted couples in meeting their relationship goals for over 15 years. I work from a solution orientation and try to build on the strengths and resources of the people I see. I received a Masters degree from Hofstra University on Long Island and a Doctorate (Marriage & Family Therapy) from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale Florida. I am a clinical member and approved supervisor for the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists. I am currently Core faculty in the School of Human Services at Capella University. I spent 10 years
(1996-2006) as the Clinical Director of The Atrium Family Center in Fort Lauderdale and I have taught in the Marriage & Family Therapy programs at Nova Southeastern University and Barry University. In addition, I am a past President of the Broward Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (2001-2004). I live with my wife and three children in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Melissa Bridges
Clinical Director

I am the Clinical Director and a practicing therapist at Couples on the Brink. For the last 2 years, I have partnered  with other couples therapists who are dedicated to helping couples find a place of peace and understanding in their relationship. I received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. I am also a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. I am trained in systemic thinking and I work with couples by connecting to multiple realities using brief therapeutic techniques. Many of these techniques are solution oriented, which allow me to concentrate on helping couples build on the strengths in their relationship. I have a deep-rooted passion for serving others who are in need of my expertise, and I am blessed to find myself in a career that gives me the opportunity to do just that. 

Manny González-Abreu, Ph.D., LMFT, BCBA.

I have been working with couples and families since 1991. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of Florida, North Carolina, & Tennessee. My intensive work with couples in crisis is based in a solution-focused, behaviorally oriented perspective. I believe all couples have the capacity for transformation, they just need sufficient time and focus to move long standing problems to resolution. I presently serve as coordinator of family support services at the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Nova Southeastern University, as well as adjunct professor at the Division of Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Family Therapy, and the Center for Psychological Studies at this same institution. In my intensive couples work, I offer therapeutic services in both English and Spanish.

Monica Rivera, M.S.
Experiential Relationship Coach

My passion is to integrate the physical and emotional in my work with couples. My background is in the expressive arts as well as certifications in various holistic health modalities. I hold a masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. I am a certified life coach through the New field Network, an International Coaching Federation accredited school, as well as a Certified Mental Health Professional through the Florida Certification Board.

I have designed a program which incorporates the experiential, non-verbal as well stress management techniques into the therapeutic process; specifically for Couples on the Brink. For the past fourteen years, I have worked in the non-profit sector, through El Puente Academy in New York City, and Switchboard of Miami, in Florida, as a counselor and trainer.

I have lead workshops and trainings for CIET international in the area of educational drama and youth development in the United States, Mexico, Canada and South Africa. I have studied somatic learning and movement coaching through the Newfield Network in Venezuela and Chile. I bring to my work with couples, the diversity of incorporating body, mind and spirit into the therapeutic process.

Michael D. Reiter, Ph.D., LMFT

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Addictions Professional. Being a clinical member and approved supervisor through the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, I have been able to work with many couples and families, as well as supervise therapists working in this area, on providing state of the art therapeutic services. I received my Masters Specialist degree in Counselor Education with subspecializations in Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida. Then I went on to receive my doctorate in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Currently, I serve as associate professor and assistant director in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. After providing therapy for individuals, couples, and families for over 15 years, I recently had a textbook published, Therapeutic Interviewing: Essential Skills and Contexts of Counseling.