Areas of Expertise

Child and Adolescent Therapy

Helps children cope and adjust to the changes taking place in their lives as a result of their parents divorce. These professionals have been trained in child psychotherapy and child development. They have at least ten years of post-licensure experience doing therapy with children and adolescents.

Adult Therapy

Assists individual parents through the divorce transition process and may include helpwith parenting issues. These professionals have at least ten years post-licensure experience working with adults who are going through the divorce transition.

Family Therapy

Meetings with all or some family members to process and learn from the changes in the family as a result of divorce. These professionals have had specific graduate or post-graduate training in family therapy and have three years of experience after obtaining their license. They have also specifically focused on families who are going through the divorce transition.

Stepfamily Therapy

Helps to integrate new families, deal with differing parenting roles, and be more effective with the remnants of former relationships. These professionals have the family therapy training described above along with specific experience and training working with stepfamilies.

Co-Parenting Counseling

Is focused on helping parents negotiate a way to continue to work together as parents during or after their divorce. These professionals have training and experience with couples counseling along with mediation training and conflict resolution strategies. They also have training in child development and the effects of divorce on children.

Reunification Counseling

Involves helping parents re-connect with their children after a period of separation either because of divorce or a delayed paternity action. It involves individual sessions with the parent, child, and the residential parent along with joint sessions with the child and parent who have been separated. These professionals have been trained in family therapy, child therapy and development, divorce issues, and conflict resolution strategies.

Collaborative Divorce

Is an alternative to adversarial divorce. These professionals have been trained in mediation and interdisciplinary collaborative divorce methods. They are qualified by this training to be members of the St. Louis Collaborative Family Law Association and to serve as either a coach or a child specialist in the collaborative divorce process. More detailed information about collaborative divorce may be found at stlouiscollaborativelaw.com.

Psychological and Parenting Evaluation

Is ordered by the court for one or both parents in order to gain additional information about the best interests of the children in divorcing families. These professionals are forensic psychologists and have completed at least twenty evaluations.

Parenting Coordination

Takes place when the court appoints legal or mental health professional to help high-conflict couples resolve parenting issues. The Coordinator implements and interprets the parenting planand mediates / arbitrates disputes with the authority of the court. As a quasi-judicial official the Coordinator’s decisions are legally enforceable. These professionals are trained in mediation, conflict resolution, child development, and divorce issues, along with taking specific post-graduate training in parent coordination.

Mediation

Is a way of reaching agreement about the details of a parenting plan during the divorce processas well as resolving parenting issues after the divorce. These professionals have completed at least forty hours of mediation training and receive continuing training in family law for mental health professionals and have at least ten years of mediation experience.

Consultation

Is a time-limited and task-focused service that provides specific information to parents about the divorce process, the needs of children during the divorce, or other specific needs of a family. These professionals have been trained in family therapy, divorce issues, child development, and mediation and have at least ten years experience in the field.

Public Speaking / Presentations to Professional Groups