Allen E. Ivey is Distinguished University Professor (emeritus) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A Diplomate in counseling psychology, Dr. Ivey is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, and Asian-American Psychological Association. His work in diversity led him to be honored as a Multicultural Elder at the National Multicultural Conference and Summit. He has written more than 40 books and 200 articles and chapters, translated into 20 languages. Dr. Ivey's undergraduate work was in psychology at Stanford University, followed by a Fulbright Grant to study social work at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. His doctorate is from Harvard University. He is the originator of the Microskills approach, basic to this book. 

Mary Bradford Ivey is Senior Consultant at Microtraining/Alexander Street Press and a former Vice President of Microtraining Associates. She has served as visiting professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the University of Hawai'i, Manoa; and Flinders University, South Australia. She is a retired elementary counselor and a former Stress Management counselor at Amherst College. Her comprehensive elementary program was named one of the top ten in the nation at the Christa McAuliffe Conference. Dr. Ivey earned a master's degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin, and a doctorate in organizational development at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is the author or co-author of twenty books (translated into multiple languages), as well as several articles and chapters. A Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), she has presented workshops and keynote lectures with Dr. Allen Ivey throughout the world. She is also known for her work in promoting and explaining development guidance and counseling in the United States and abroad. She is one of the first fifteen honored Fellows of the American Counseling Association and is also a recipient of the American Counseling Association's Ohana Award for her work in multicultural counseling. 

Carlos P. Zalaquett is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education at The Pennsylvania State University, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida. He is also the Vice-President for the United States and Canada of the Society of Interamerican Psychology and Past-President of the Florida Mental Health Counseling Association, the Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association (SMHCA), and the Florida Behavioral Health Alliance. Dr. Zalaquett is an internationally recognized expert on mental health, counseling, psychotherapy, diversity, and education and has conducted workshops and lectures in eleven countries. He is the author or co-author of more than 50 scholarly publications and five books, including the Spanish version of BASIC ATTENDING SKILLS. He has received many awards, such as the USF Latinos Association's Faculty of the Year, the Tampa Hispanic Heritage's Man of Education Award, and the SMHCA Emeritus Award. His current research uses a neuroscience-based framework to compare brain activity and self-reported decision making. This cutting edge research integrates mind, brain, and body in the exploration of human responses central to counseling and psychotherapy.