Caring, compassionate and creative

family conflict resolution specialist.

I've spent a career - nearly 30 years now - providing services in various settings to children and families in conflict.  As a child of divorce, I learned early that traditional adversarial litigation was often more harmful than helpful to families, and I set out to learn all that I could to help.  I went to law school and then graduate school in social work, studying family law, children's rights, child development and family dynamics, and mediation and conflict resolution.  

Attorney

I am licensed as an attorney with the Oregon State Bar. In my legal practice, I provide limited scope (also known as "unbundled") legal services including legal consultation services (not representation), legal representation of one party in collaborative or uncontested family law proceedings, review of mediated settlement agreements or pleadings prepared by another mediator, and preparation and filing of pleadings in cases where I have served as the mediator.  I do not provide traditional adversarial legal representation.

Therapist

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers, I can provide diagnostic, preventive and psychosocial treatment services.  I work with individuals, couples, families, and groups. I offer individual therapy to adults and teens.  I work with children (4-12) in family therapy; I do not currently offer individual therapy to children. Many health insurance plans provide reimbursement for these services, and I'm happy to assist clients with insurance reimbursement provided it is clinically justified.

Mediator

In my private practice, I offer mediation for family-related matters, both court connected and non-court connected. I'm trained as a community and family law mediator, and am qualified under the Chief Justice Order No. 05-028 regarding court-connected domestic relations mediators.  I served for 21 years as the Director of Resolution Services for Clackamas County, a department of the county which provides a wide variety of court-connected and community mediation as well as facilitation and conflict resolution services.

Supervisor & Mentor

I'm also deeply committed to developing professionals in the field, so I teach and mentor. I supervise social work graduates working toward LCSW licensure, graduate student interns from law school and behavioral health programs, and professionals seeking to qualify as court-connected mediators under the Chief Justice Order.

Teacher

I have taught advanced seminars, Family Mediation and Mediation and Negotiation Skills, as adjunct faculty at Lewis and Clark Law School, with great gratitude to my late co-teacher, friend and mentor Josh Kadish, I've also served as a Field Instructor and Adjunct Faculty with Portland State University's School of Social Work, where I also taught Human Behavior in the Social Environment. In the Department of Conflict Resolution at Portland State University I have taught various courses including Conflict Resolution and the Emotions, Conflict Resolution and Multicultural Competency in Organizations, and Family Mediation. 

Trainer

I offer a variety of trainings related to the various kinds of work that I do. I have provided training statewide for court-connected mediators through the Oregon Judicial Department.. Please see the services page for more information.