Ron Deal • Pre-Cana Presenter
FamilyLife® • Smart Stepfamilies™ • FamilyLife Blended®
Ron L. Deal, MMFT
Author, Speaker & Family Advocate
If you ask Ron Deal about his resume, he’ll tell you that being a husband to Nan (since 1986), a father to Braden, Connor, and Brennan, and a super proud grandfather to Austin are his primary roles.
Everything else—the bestselling books, the national media appearances, and the decades of ministry—is just the “details” of how he serves other families.
Becoming Stepfamily Smart
Ron Deal presents in our Blended Families course, part of Custom Course Creation™, included in our Pre-Cana: Living Our Faith in Love®. Course segments are tailored to the needs of each couple, preparing them for their unique marriage.
A Trusted Voice for the Modern Family
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Counselor, Ron has spent over three decades bridge-building for families. He currently serves as the Senior Director of FamilyLife Blended® and the President of Smart Stepfamilies™.
Recognized as the most widely read and viewed author on blended families in the country, Ron’s “laugh and learn” seminar style makes complex family dynamics approachable. Whether he is speaking at a national conference or hosting the FamilyLife Blended podcast, his goal remains the same: to provide practical, biblically-based hope for couples navigating the unique challenges of stepfamily life.
The Smart Stepfamily Series
Ron is the author and Consulting Editor of the SMART STEPFAMILY SERIES, a collection of resources that has become the gold standard for blended family education. His works include:
- Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® (with Dr. Gary Chapman)
- The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family
- The Smart Stepdad and The Smart Stepmom (with Laura Petherbridge)
- Dating and the Single Parent
- The Smart Stepfamily Marriage (with Dr. David Olson)
- Preparing to Blend
Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages and Becoming Stepfamily Smart
Dr. Gary Chapman | Ron L. Deal
The Mindful Marriage: Create Your Best Relationship Through Understanding and Managing Yourself
Ron L. Deal | Nan Deal
Preparing to Blend (Smart Stepfamily)
Ron L. Deal
The Smart Stepfamily: Seven Steps to a Healthy Family
Ron L. Deal
The Smart Stepfamily Marriage: Keys to Success in the Blended Family
Ron L. Deal | David H. Olson
The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning: Money Management Before and After You Blend a Family
Ron L. Deal | Greg S. Pettys | David O. Edwards
The Smart Stepdad: Steps To Help You Succeed
Ron L. Deal
The Smart Stepmom: Practical Steps to Help You Thrive
Ron L. Deal | Laura Petherbridge
Daily Encouragement for the Smart Stepfamily
Ron L. Deal | Dianne Neal Matthews
Dating and the Single Parent: * Are You Ready to Date? * Talking With the Kids * Avoiding a Big Mistake * Finding Lasting Love
Ron L. Deal
His latest work, The Mindful Marriage, co-authored with his wife Nan, extends his reach to all couples. It merges attachment science and neurobiology with scriptural wisdom to help partners manage themselves and create lasting emotional safety.
A Legacy of Trusted Resources
Ron’s teaching has become the cornerstone for family education across North America. His video series, The Smart Stepfamily, holds the distinction of being the most widely viewed curriculum of its kind on the continent. Beyond his own series, Ron is a frequent contributor to some of the most respected recovery and parenting resources available today, including:
- Curricula & Platforms: Loveology.org, DivorceCare® (2020), Single and Parenting™, One Heart Two Homes, and Through This Valley.
- FamilyLife®: He is featured in the Art of Parenting® and Art of Marriage® video series.
- Grief Support: Together, Ron and Nan have shared their personal journey as contributors to GriefShare® (2022) and the Surviving Child Loss documentary.
Professional Leadership & Institutional Impact
Ron’s clinical expertise as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor is recognized at the highest institutional levels. He serves as an invited Fellow of the Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership and sits on the Stepfamily Expert Council for the National Stepfamily Resource Center.
His strategies for blended family enrichment have been so effective that they have been adopted and utilized by the “who’s who” of family ministries and organizations, including:
- Ministries: Focus on the Family®, New Life Ministries®, HomeWord®, and the National Association of Marriage Enhancement.
- Clinical & Research Tools: SYMBIS (with Les & Leslie Parrott), Prepare/Enrich, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the Center for the Family at Pepperdine University.
- Advocacy: The Grandparent Legacy Coalition.
Global Media Presence
From the airwaves to the world’s most respected newsrooms, Ron is the go-to expert for family dynamics. He has been a guest on dozens of national and international broadcasts, including Fox News, CNBC, ABC Nightline, WGN-TV, DayStar TV, and Family Talk, and remains a regular voice on FamilyLife Today and NewLife Live.
His insights and research are frequently quoted in major publications, ensuring his message reaches millions. You’ll find his work and interviews in:
- National News: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, and U.S. News and World Report.
- Digital Platforms: Good Morning America.com, Vox.com, HuffPost.com, ABC News.com, Today.com, and Newsweek.com.
- Lifestyle & Faith Publications: Christianity Today, Ladies Home Journal, Consumer Reports, and Yahoo! Lifestyle.
A Ministry Born of Resilience
Ron and Nan’s expertise isn’t just academic—it’s forged in the fire of personal experience. In 2009, they faced the heartbreaking loss of their middle son, Connor. In his memory, they founded a therapeutic art center through the Touch a Life Foundation to support children rescued from trafficking in Ghana.
Today, they continue to lead support groups for grieving parents, sharing a message of restoration and “the new” that can come even after the most difficult seasons. Ron’s work has been featured everywhere from ABC Nightline and Fox News to The Wall Street Journal and Focus on the Family, but his greatest impact remains the quiet, daily encouragement he provides to thousands of families across the globe.
A Legacy of Trusted Resources
Ron’s teaching has become the cornerstone for family education across North America. His video series, The Smart Stepfamily, holds the distinction of being the most widely viewed curriculum of its kind on the continent. Beyond his own series, Ron is a frequent contributor to some of the most respected recovery and parenting resources available today, including:
- Curricula & Platforms: Loveology.org, DivorceCare® (2020), Single and Parenting™, One Heart Two Homes, and Through This Valley.
- FamilyLife®: He is featured in the Art of Parenting® and Art of Marriage® video series.
- Grief Support: Together, Ron and Nan have shared their personal journey as contributors to GriefShare® (2022) and the Surviving Child Loss documentary.
Professional Leadership & Institutional Impact
Ron’s clinical expertise as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor is recognized at the highest institutional levels. He serves as an invited Fellow of the Townsend Institute for Counseling and Leadership and sits on the Stepfamily Expert Council for the National Stepfamily Resource Center.
His strategies for blended family enrichment have been so effective that they have been adopted and utilized by the “who’s who” of family ministries and organizations, including:
- Ministries: Focus on the Family®, New Life Ministries®, HomeWord®, and the National Association of Marriage Enhancement.
- Clinical & Research Tools: SYMBIS (with Les & Leslie Parrott), Prepare/Enrich, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the Center for the Family at Pepperdine University.
- Advocacy: The Grandparent Legacy Coalition.
Global Media Presence
From the airwaves to the world’s most respected newsrooms, Ron is the go-to expert for family dynamics. He has been a guest on dozens of national and international broadcasts, including Fox News, CNBC, ABC Nightline, WGN-TV, DayStar TV, and Family Talk, and remains a regular voice on FamilyLife Today and NewLife Live.
His insights and research are frequently quoted in major publications, ensuring his message reaches millions. You’ll find his work and interviews in:
- National News: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, and U.S. News and World Report.
- Digital Platforms: Good Morning America.com, Vox.com, HuffPost.com, ABC News.com, Today.com, and Newsweek.com.
- Lifestyle & Faith Publications: Christianity Today, Ladies Home Journal, Consumer Reports, and Yahoo! Lifestyle.
A Ministry Born of Resilience
Ron and Nan’s expertise isn’t just academic—it’s forged in the fire of personal experience. In 2009, they faced the heartbreaking loss of their middle son, Connor. In his memory, they founded a therapeutic art center through the Touch a Life Foundation to support children rescued from trafficking in Ghana.
Today, they continue to lead support groups for grieving parents, sharing a message of restoration and “the new” that can come even after the most difficult seasons. Ron’s work has been featured everywhere from ABC Nightline and Fox News to The Wall Street Journal and Focus on the Family, but his greatest impact remains the quiet, daily encouragement he provides to thousands of families across the globe.