by Nancy | Jul 5, 2017
A dear friend recently lost her grandmother. The funeral was well-attended, as Grandma Ruth had lived a long life and endeared herself to many. Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Al had eight children, and four of the eight children were divorced, remarried, and had...
by Nancy | Jun 28, 2017
Do you maintain frequent eye contact with the speaker? Are you suspending your judgment of the person’s appearance? Are you encouraging the speaker by nodding and conveying your own understanding? Do you try to keep an eye on what else is going on in the room?...
by Nancy | Jun 21, 2017
An old friend once told me that he came home from work to find his house completely emptied, including the carpeting, light bulbs, switchplate covers and toilet paper! Was his house broken into? Nope. His wife decided to move out and end the relationship....
by Nancy | Jun 14, 2017
We all know them. The blamers. The ones who are the quickest to deny responsibility. Instead, they say things like, “the bank bounced my check,” or “I missed the deadline because my assistant’s kid was sick.” When I’m working with...
by Nancy | Jun 7, 2017
I imagine that each one of us knows of someone who isn’t speaking to a brother or sister. My dad and one of his brothers didn’t speak to each other for decades, and they never chose to reconcile. As a family Mediator, I hear stories about long-standing...
by Nancy | May 31, 2017
Telling your kids that you’re getting a divorce is one of the most significant conversations you’ll ever have, so it makes sense to do the best you can. Even if you haven’t been on the same page with your spouse for ages, it’s a necessity in...
by Nancy | May 24, 2017
Couples who adopt are very special. It’s a massive decision with lifetime implications. I think it starts with a “what if …?” and ends with a “let’s do it!” What gets discussed in between is unique and personal, and I would...
by Nancy | May 17, 2017
Power shifts in relationships can be perceived in many ways. Take the newlyweds who meet in college. The wife gets a teaching job with a decent entry level salary — enough to support the couple while the husband goes to law school. She works full-time, pays all...
by Nancy | May 10, 2017
It will come as no surprise if I tell you that I’ve seen a couple of tears shed in divorce mediation. A couple of thousand is more like it. I find it interesting to observe the varying ways people deal with their emotions in front of me, the neutral third...
by Nancy | May 3, 2017
Whose mom comes first on Mother’s Day? Your own mom, your grandmother, your stepmother, your mother-in-law, your kids’ mom, your surrogate mother? I think I’ll stop here, but you get the idea. There’s a great deal of pressure put on this...
by Nancy | Apr 26, 2017
Most of us tend to avoid conflict. We repress emotions because they may be negative, and result in feelings of helplessness or hopelessness. Often, we are afraid of confrontation because we don’t want our feelings to be hurt, or we don’t want to cause...
by Nancy | Apr 19, 2017
When my mom and dad first got married, they lived with my grandmother. When the recession hit in 2009, my nephew had no choice but to move his wife and kids to the in-laws’ house. When my friend April’s father had a stroke, she brought him to her own...
