by Nancy | Apr 23, 2025
If you’ve been married more than 20 years and are contemplating divorce, you’re not alone. For more than 10 years, I have helped a surprising number of couples to end their long term marriages, some even after 45 years! This phenomenon has been labeled...
by Nancy | Apr 16, 2025
Because I’m a divorce mediator, the interaction between partners is always interesting to me. I pay particular attention to other diners when I’m at a restaurant. If the couple seems to barely engage in conversation with each other, or if they seem to be...
by Nancy | Apr 9, 2025
I had an interesting discussion at a recent Adam’s Place meeting. (Adam’s Place is a non-profit organization supporting children and their families who have suffered the loss of a loved one. I have been facilitating the adult group for eight years, and...
by Nancy | Apr 2, 2025
Just last week, I started a divorce mediation with a couple going through a particularly ugly break-up. Practically the first thing they told me was that they they often fight in front of their kids. And they acknowledged the negative impact.I shared some insight by...
by Nancy | Mar 26, 2025
You and your mother-in-law had the fight to end all fights. Granted, it was a long time ago, but it was never resolved. You didn’t have closure. There wasn’t even an agreement to disagree. Just silence. Out of respect for your spouse, you continued to go through...
by Nancy | Mar 19, 2025
Many people I know are dealing with aging parents or grandparents about some or all of these issues: (1) Care, safety and comfort; (2) Mobility; (3) Living situation; (4) Companionship; (5) Sexuality; (6) Mental capacity; and (7) End of life decisions.Wow! Tough...
by Nancy | Mar 12, 2025
Have you ever been stuck in a conflict that ends with an impasse? Maybe your co-workers have refused additional responsibility, or your teenager won’t respect a curfew. Maybe your spouse “forgets” to mention use of the debit card, or your babysitter...
by Nancy | Mar 5, 2025
As a divorce mediator, I can share many reasons why marriages end. But as we all know, a majority of marriages thrive. I often ask couples who seem to have figured it out to share their formula for success. The answers run the gamut from separate bathrooms (my...
by Nancy | Feb 26, 2025
Last month, I had the privilege of conducting a family mediation with three siblings who found each other through a national DNA search organization. The youngest sibling, “Christina,” asked me to help the newly discovered family deal with the potential...
by Nancy | Feb 19, 2025
How do you start or restart a pendulum? You give it a hearty push and it goes all the way to the left, and then all the way to the right, and so on, until it settles in the middle. I use this analogy frequently in my mediation practice, especially when I’m talking to...
by Nancy | Feb 12, 2025
I was conducting a divorce mediation recently, and the couple asked me to help them communicate in a more respectful way. The wife felt unappreciated and said to the husband, “You never give me a compliment.” He immediately denied it, and here’s why. It’s...
by Nancy | Feb 5, 2025
t should come as no surprise to you that peace has a price tag. Due to the recent passing of President Jimmy Carter, I was reminded of the Camp David Accords, and the deal negotiated by President Carter resulting in one of the most famous peace treaties in history...
