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My overall perspective about divorce is realistic but optimistic. I am practical in
my approach to problem solving for each family by understanding their capacity
for change and considering the judicial system’s ability to support that change.
Many times, the best solutions require that mental health and legal professionals
combine their expertise.
I have come to understand the limitations within my own field of counseling and
psychology. Lack of training leads to mistakes in assessment and treatment. It has
been my experience that many MH professionals do not know they lack the
appropriate training to work with families in divorce litigation. For the most part,
graduate counseling and clinical psychology curricula do not include information
about this specialized population.
Limitations in the legal system keep families stuck, but I do not adhere to the
belief, as some do, that the entire system is flawed and set up to exploit the
families who need it. I have worked with many more conscientious, well
intentioned, and fair legal professionals than I have those who exploit their clients
and their children for personal gain.
I have spent over 20 years of my professional career trying to understand the
needs of these families, I have worked on over 600 family law cases and played
most every therapeutic, assessment, and case manager role possible. It is with
this experience, as well as my commitment to continued learning and staying
abreast of pertinent social science research, that I approach training and
consulting with mental health, legal professionals, and parents .