Today
The people sharing the work now.
Facilitator · Since 2016
Brett Chitty has been profoundly deaf since childhood. He came across the Three Principles in 2011, and soon after meeting Keith Blevens and Valda Monroe in 2015 he saw that his hearing loss had never had anything to do with his mental wellbeing. In 2022 Keith asked him to be his partner in teaching, and Brett is now an equal partner with Mattie Blevens in running The Hidden Cause. In his own words: “I’m profoundly deaf, and I heard. If I can hear, you definitely can!”
More about Brett →
Owner of The Hidden Cause · Since 2026
Mattie Blevens is the daughter of Keith Blevens and Valda Monroe, two Three Principles practitioners mentored by Sydney Banks, and grew up among their colleagues and friends. The Principles have guided her relationships, athletics, work, and parenting of her two children. She has recently changed careers to help others recognize their innate mental health and their potential for a more rewarding life. She owns The Hidden Cause, which she runs with Brett Chitty as an equal partner.
More about Mattie →Sara Uppal
One of the three voices of our podcast
More about Sara soon.
Those who came before
Keith and Valda are the pioneers of the paradigm-based work. Everything here grew from what they gave.
Pioneer of the paradigm-based work · 2008–2026
Keith Blevens was a clinical psychologist who met Sydney Banks in 1977 and was mentored by him for more than thirty years. He was Clinical Director of the Minneapolis Institute of Mental Health before giving his working life to the Three Principles, teaching alongside his wife, Valda Monroe, for more than forty years. He continued working until he passed away in February 2026, and passed his work on to his daughter, Mattie Blevens.
More about Keith →
Pioneer of the paradigm-based work · 2008–2022
Valda Monroe met Sydney Banks with Keith Blevens in 1977, and they taught the Three Principles together from then on. She brought no degrees to the work, but a love of logic and order, and created a way of teaching Syd's understanding as a paradigm that has been used in hospital systems, leadership training, coaching and counselling. Valda retired in 2022.
More about Valda →
Creativity Officer · 2016–2018
Tess Christy worked with Keith Blevens and Valda Monroe, bringing her remarkable understanding of language and grammar to their work. She had an extraordinary ability to turn a poor sentence into a great one. Her love of scientific logic and of wisdom drew her to the Three Principles, and she found in Keith and Valda's work deep answers about the human experience.
More about Tess →With gratitude for their contributions
- Ann Ross
- Omar Ben Moussa
- Tzvi Werther
- Mamoon Yusaf
- Ella Evans
- Naomi Sandler
