by Nancy | Jan 29, 2025
No matter whether you’re about to quit your job or end your relationship, strategically planning the exit means setting emotions aside while you make a practical “to do” list. This is neither the time nor the place to improvise. Instead, and before your internal GPS...
by Nancy | Jan 22, 2025
Once in awhile, I like to shift my focus from relationships that are ending to relationships that are enduring. Nice twist, right?Whether you’ve been together for two years or 42 years, I’m sure you’ll agree that your relationship has gone through...
by Nancy | Jan 15, 2025
Can you cry on demand? I can. All I need to do is conjure up a memory about my late husband or my deceased parents, and the tears start to roll. Those memories are emotional triggers for me. During a recent divorce mediation I used the word “appreciation” and, as it...
by Nancy | Jan 8, 2025
I’m a little bit embarrassed to admit that I’ve been devouring all of the gossip concerning the finalization of Brad and Angelina’s divorce. My rationale is that I’m a divorce mediator, so I need to look at it for professional purposes.So much...
by Nancy | Jan 1, 2025
I just finished rereading my “Life is Good” blog that I posted to end 2019. A lot of the items on my list still ring true for me. There also were a lot of significant changes. Little did we know that as 2020 approached, the entire world would turn upside...
by Nancy | Dec 25, 2024
When I was a teenager, I was strolling around Topanga Plaza, a large shopping mall near my house. I happened to be walking by a phone booth (remember those?) when I heard the phone ring. So, I answered it and began a conversation with another teenager who said she...
by Nancy | Dec 18, 2024
Some experts consider compromise to be a balancing act. I consider it an art. Imagine you’ve been commissioned to paint a watercolor for friends of friends. (I’ll call them “Harry” and “Sally”). You’re standing in your...
by Nancy | Dec 11, 2024
As you can probably imagine, divorce mediation can be an emotional experience. It’s like a gut-punch to me when I hear my clients talk about their dreams being destroyed. Obviously, when we get married, it’s not with the expectation of eventually getting...
by Nancy | Dec 4, 2024
A friend of the family passed away a few months ago. The funeral was across the country, so I didn’t attend. However, I learned afterwards about a dramatic scene that literally took place at the gravesite. Evidently, there had been bad blood between...
by Nancy | Nov 27, 2024
It seems like everywhere I go, I hear about gratitude. Olympic athletes, award winners, politicians, and service providers are all grateful. And so am I. However, when a word becomes obsequious, I think it loses its power. Instead, on this day before Thanksgiving...
by Nancy | Nov 20, 2024
As a divorce and family mediator, I frequently observe that many of my clients seem to focus on blame. It’s natural. And I also see a lot of people who simply want to get on with their lives. It’s understandable. The challenge for me is to help both...
by Nancy | Nov 13, 2024
I often meet with couples who are divorcing because they have opposite parenting styles. I’ve helped the fun mom and the strict dad, the fierce dad and the nurturing mom, as well as the taskmaster mom and the Disneyland dad. In fact, just last month I met with a...
