Psychotherapy Services

Your daily routine; medical conditions/issues, sleep cycle, exercise, nutrition, relationship(s), work satisfaction, and finances contribute to how you feel, manage stress and ultimately, make decisions.

Reading and journaling are often helpful ways to connect differently to your experience. I will readily recommend any resources, books, articles, films that may illuminate a new perspective relevant to a problem you are discussing. As the how and the why become known and understood, change and growth becomes possible.

I will formulate a beginning recommendation and suggest an initial plan, inviting your feedback and collaboration. We will consider together the most effective and efficient way to progress.

Although EMDR is used primarily to treat trauma and experiences of multiple loss and disappointment, I sometimes also use EMDR as an adjunct to talk therapy.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses tapping to create bilateral brain stimulation; enabling people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.

With EMDR therapy, the mind heals from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.

Communication with anyone on your behalf occurs only with discussion and written consent from you.

As a neutral third party, I facilitate discussions that assist the participants to explore and find mutually acceptable solutions. Working with families and family subgroups is often about resetting connection. In one or a series of meetings, family members resolve disagreements and disputes around loss, money, medical issues, trusts and estates, family business and future planning.

Litigants in an adversarial process are 3 times more likely to return to court than participants in a mediated divorce.

HOW MEDIATION WORKS
Mediation is a tested, sensitive, intelligent approach to the resolution of separation, divorce and custody disputes. In mediation, the couple meets with a mediator (s) who raises all of the topics which need to be addressed and facilitates a discussion between the couple to reach a resolution. A constructive framework is provided that promotes separating/divorcing couples to make mutual decisions as they move from “opposing positions” to discussions and negotiations of “mutual interests”. Mediation is cost effective and allows a couple to begin to move forward separately. Even “high conflict” couples can begin to make agreements that will become part of a larger separation agreement, rather than having decisions imposed on them by a court. Except for specific regulations around child support and retirement contributions, court filing fees and a judge sign off; a couple dissolving their marriage through mediation can keep it private and create an agreement unique to them and the needs of their family.

MY APPROACH TO MEDIATION
I became a divorce and family mediator through witnessing the loss, heartache and unrelenting cycle of trauma that the legal process and events inflicted on my patients. As my patients lawyered up to “win all” in an adversarial fight filled with legal maneuvers, fear and drama- often lasting years, I received training in mediation. I learned that often cases that took years to resolve the first time around, ended up back in court again and again; that the battle in the marriage continued for years after- only in the domain of the court.

In my mediation practice, I mediate with attorney, Petra Maxwell, Esq. Together we each bring a unique perspective to the process. We are able to quickly problem solve issues to promote creative options for separating couples. Petra is able to draft the separation agreement and initiate the court filing on behalf of the couple; creating a cleaner, less intrusive process.

mother/daughter relationships

daughters negotiating the mother inside

women and professional challenges

first born siblings

parenting

separating & divorcing

navigating commitment for couples

couples of sero-discordant HIV status