I believe that each human being is seeking wholeness and deserves to be valued; that sometimes we seek wholeness in ways that create internal or interpersonal conflict and initially get us the opposite of the wholeness we seek. Yet competently handled, we can transform this conflict into learning and growth, healing ourselves, our families and our communities.
I offer services aimed at helping individuals and families solve their challenges and in so doing, learn more about themselves and each other. I'm honored and humbled to walk with clients on this journey of transformation.
EDUCATION
M.S.W., University of California, Berkeley, School for Social Welfare , children and families specialization
J.D., Stanford Law School
B.A. Smith College, double major in English language and literature and French language and literature, concentration in psychology
L’Universite de Paris IV (Sorbonne) and L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris, France: coursework in literature and political science
EXPERIENCE
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 individual therapy services, and I'm happy to assist clients with insurance reimbursement provided it is clinically justified. The client portal can provide superbills which clients can submit to their insurance company for reimbursement. I do not bill insurance companies directly.
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 Oregon Uniform Trial Court Rules 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’ve been deeply committed to developing professionals in the field, thus I’ve taught, trained, supervised and mentored.
I provided training for court-connected mediators statewide through the Oregon Judicial Department.
I have supervised 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. I served as a Field Instructor with both Portland State University’s School of Social Work and San José State University’s School of Social Work.
I taught as adjunct faculty at Lewis and Clark Law School, Portland State University's School of Social Work, and in the Department of Conflict Resolution at Portland State.
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.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Oregon State Bar Association; member of Family Law Section, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and Diversity Section.
Oregon Mediation Association (current member; Board Member, 2008-10; past member Standards and Practices Committee).
State Family Law Advisory Committee, appointed by Chief Justice Wallace Carson in 2005, present member; chair Mediation Services Subcommittee, past co-chair Parental Involvement Outreach Subcommittee.
Board Member, Oregon Family Institute (now dissolved)
Certified Imago Therapist, Imago Relationships Worldwide
Oregon Association of Family Court Services (now dissolved)
Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom , Fellowship Recipient
Hypnotherapy: 60 hours intensive training completed with the Wellness Institute, two year Advanced Internship completed, three additional years of Mentoring Program completed; additional training in using clinical hypnosis in couples' therapy with Carolyn Daitch through Imago Relationships International.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level I Certification.
Domestic Violence Counselor Certification (California)
Child Sexual Abuse Treatment training and internship (treating child and adult survivors and perpetrators of intrafamilial sexual abuse)
ETHICAL STANDARDS
I practice therapy in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.
I practice mediation in accordance with the Core Standards of Mediation Practice set forth by the Oregon Mediation Association; and the Standards of Practice for Family and Divorce Mediation set forth by the Association for Conflict Resolution; and the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct (as it relates to the practice of attorney-mediators).
I practice law in accordance with the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct.