Kathleen Shack, M.S., LMFT

My specialty is guiding and counseling couples and families through their life journey. Whether you are a new couple looking for tools to build a solid foundation or a couple in crisis looking for a life raft, I am here for you. If you and your children are transitioning through divorce or are a newly blended family, I help family members heal while finding balance and harmony within the new family structure. Couples counseling is one area of my specialty. I work with couples to help them understand how one another's perspectives, beliefs and life history play roles in the current relationship and assist them in finding a balance that creates harmony. I have many years of experience working with new couples, blended families and couples who have been together for over 20 years who are seeking assistance. With children, play therapy is used to help them resolve issues on their level. Families play an important role in children's healing processes. The interaction between children's problems and their families is always complex. Sometimes children develop problems as a way of signaling that there is something wrong in the family. Other times the entire family becomes distressed because the child's problems are so disruptive. In all cases, children and families heal faster when they work together. I am also a Registered Divorce Mediator, Divorce Coach and Child Specialist in the Collaborative Divorce process as well as in traditionally litigated cases. A Divorce coach is a skilled, licensed mental health professional trained to manage a wide variety of emotions and issues that arise during divorce. Divorce is both an ending and a beginning. I help you anticipate and include your need to move forward, and make the future of your children a top priority. In a respectful, dignified process, I support your family's goals for a smoother transition to the next stage of your lives. I ease the emotional strains of a breakup, and help you understand and work to protect the well-being of your children. Co-Parent counseling is another component of the work I do with divorced families. Since a divorce is 80% emotional and 20% legal, a Divorce Coach can make a tremendous difference in helping your family settle the divorce. I assist you with your grief or resistance to negotiations. I provide support while helping prepare you for negotiations or court and helping prepare you for the future as a single adult. Divorce coaching may continue post divorce, if the issues they are addressing are related to the divorce process.

What is Divorce Mediation? A way to settle your divorce without fighting in court. Mediation saves time, money and stress by allowing spouses to resolve custody, child support, property and debt disputes on their own terms. Your divorce can be completed quickly and confidentially. Divorce is a sensitive personal matter. Mediation allows couples to find solutions that work better for their family than what a judge might order. Mediation agreements address concerns unique to each family, while both husband and wife are more likely to get what they want. What is Collaborative Divorce? Collaborative Divorce is a way for you to resolve disputes respectfully without going to court while working with trained professionals who are important to all areas of your life. The heart of Collaborative Divorce is to offer you and your spouse or partner the support, protection, and guidance of your own lawyers without going to court. Additionally, Collaborative Divorce allows you the benefit of Child Specialists and Financial Specialists, Divorce Coaches and Attorneys all working together on your team. Divorce is a sensitive personal matter. No single approach is right for everyone. Many couples do find Collaborative Divorce a welcome alternative to the often destructive, uncomfortable aspects of conventional divorce. If these values are important to you, Collaborative Practice is likely to be a workable option for you: *I want to maintain the tone of respect, even when we disagree. *I want to prioritize the needs of our children. *My needs and those of my spouse require equal consideration, and I will listen objectively. *I believe that working creatively and cooperatively solves issues. *It is important to reach beyond today's frustration and pain to plan for the future. *I can behave ethically toward my spouse. *I choose to maintain control of the divorce process with my spouse, and not relegate it to the courts. Does this path sound and feel comfortable for you? Please contact Kathleen Shack, a trained Divorce Coach, Child Specialist, and Mediator about your situation to help you make the decision.