Mark Ratta, M.A., M.B.A. received his B.A. in Psychology from The University of Toledo in 1992 and his Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Bowling Green State University in 1997. He then attended Heidelberg College for post-graduate, licensure coursework. Mark, additionally, has over 4 years experience as a college instructor and educator in the state of Ohio. He has more recently returned to The University of Toledo for an M.B.A. degree, which was conferred in August of 2007.

During his service as a clinician, Mark created a successful anti-recidivism program which moved repeat juvenile offenders, some recently released from the Ohio Department of Youth Services, through a curriculum designed to improve their insight and judgment toward making more effective and satisfying choices in life. This curriculum, although eclectic, is primarily based on the cognitive and behavioral principles of Albert Ellis, David Burns, and Stanton E. Samenow, and is presented with an emphasis on solution focused, brief therapy techniques. This approach proved very useful in the treatment of affective, anxiety, and disruptive behavior disorders. Mark was also active in the local high school Severe Behavioral Handicap program, and a member of both the Sexual Assault Task Force and the School Crisis Response Team over a four county area.

As a college psychology instructor Mark has sharpened his skills as a teacher. It is one thing to know the material, and quite another to be able to convey it in a concise, organized, and understandable manner. One of the reasons for his success in this area is the Mastery Learning approach to instruction. This is a task-oriented teaching paradigm that allows repeated opportunities for students to achieve mastery of the subject matter. This approach allows for more to be learned and retained, and students who might otherwise drop out are able to increase their competence and apply their new skills to future classes. The bottom line is that more learning occurs. It involves extra work for the instructor, but the results are well worth it.

Mark Ratta currently teaches a variety of high quality parenting skills educational classes under the name of Progressive Parenting Solutions. He has been receiving regular referrals from child and family agencies in Northwestern Ohio since 1999, and has broadened the range and depth of his services to best meet the needs of the public. Mark will further expand his services, with the renewal of his clinical license in the near future, to include individual, couples, child, and family therapy, and, with his recent M.B.A. degree from The University of Toledo - Business and Executive Consulting as well.