mediation | My Divorce Recovery

Looking Through the Eyes of a Child Whose Parents are in Deep Conflict

When we think of the ripple effects of divorce, we tend to think about the effects on the immediate family — the children of the divorcing couple in particular.

Divorce not only affects the nuclear family, but extends from generation to generation. In this article, I will share a colleague’s story about the profound and devastating effects of divorce on her and her family. Her hope in sharing this, as is ours at My Divorce Recovery, is that parents can focus their energies on progress and teamwork — rather than conflict. Read More →

Training a New Generation of Collaborative Professionals

Early in May, I had the opportunity to be a trainer in NYACP’s Basic Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce Training. My training team consists of two attorneys, MaryEllen Linnehan and Deb Wayne, and a financial neutral, Marty Blaustein, and myself as the mental health professional. Even though we’ve offered this training many times before, our team worked for a year and a half to reinvigorate it—making it more user-friendly and accessible. Read More →

A Letter from China: International Collaboration with Mental Health and Divorce Professionals

Dear Colleagues:

We’re sending this blog from Wuhan, China, where we are enjoying a few days of sightseeing and absorbing Chinese hospitality, history and culture from our wonderful colleagues and their graduate students.

Jeff is the current president of The Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy,(SAP) Division 29 of the American Psychological Association (APA). The division has been working on increasing its international presence, and in 2016, SAP formalized an affiliation with Oriental Insight—a similar organization in China Normal University School of Psychology which was founded by Professor Jiang Guangrong, a leading psychologist at Central China. Professor Jiang is one of the leaders in the field of Counseling Psychotherapy and Mental Health on the Chinese mainland. Jeff and I were invited by Oriental Insight to present a 3-day workshop to Chinese mental health professionals on family conflict and divorce. We anticipated and planned for this opportunity since last August and arrived here with great excitement two days ago. Read More →

There Is a Person Behind Every Label: Watch Out for the Diagnosis Trap

In any context, a mental health diagnosis is a serious, meaningful term that should not be taken lightly, and should only be made by a mental health professional who has personally assessed the client and is trained to diagnose the condition at hand. Although diagnoses are often casually offered colloquially as labels, careful assessment and expertise are truly required in order to make an official diagnosis. Read More →

Sometimes Divorce Professionals Should Avoid the Old Marital Dynamic

As divorce professionals, it is common for us to have deep feelings of compassion for our clients. We truly want to help the adults and family create a smooth transition—from couple to single, from married parents to divorced parents.

The strong urge to help can result in our attempt to repair the marital, spousal dynamic (this is separate and distinct from reconciliation). We seek to help the couple take a breath, create a shared understanding, and move toward healing together. Read More →