Mediation is a structured, confidential process in which a neutral facilitator helps all parties reach a fair and mutually agreed-upon resolution — without the adversarial dynamic of litigation or the emotional processing focus of therapy. Where a court imposes a decision, mediation creates one together. Where therapy explores the emotional roots of conflict, mediation focuses on resolving the practical issues at hand — clearly, efficiently, and with everyone’s interests genuinely considered. As a Mediator and Psychotherapist, I bring both the clinical understanding of family dynamics and the structured facilitation skills that allow difficult conversations to move forward productively. I also work collaboratively with an attorney knowledgeable in California state law, so that every decision you make is informed by a clear understanding of its legal implications and alternatives.

Mediation is effective across a wide range of family and relational disputes. In my practice, I work with couples navigating dissolution of marriage, separation, and divorce — including the development of co-parenting plans, custody arrangements, and holiday and vacation schedules. I also work with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, stepfamily blending, domestic partnerships, sibling disputes, inheritance disagreements, elder care planning, family business conflicts, and the ongoing co-parenting issues that frequently arise after divorce is finalized — including how and when to introduce a new partner to children, navigating extended family dynamics, and plans to relocate. If there is a family conflict that feels stuck and is causing real distress, mediation is almost always worth exploring.

Not at all. While mediation is often associated with divorce, it is genuinely useful in many situations that have nothing to do with ending a marriage. Couples who feel stuck in a specific gridlock situation — a conflict that couples therapy hasn’t resolved — often find that mediation provides the structured, focused process needed to move through it quickly. Post-divorce mediation is also a highly effective option for ex-partners who need to work through new issues that weren’t relevant earlier in the process, without the discomfort of returning to couples therapy. And for intact families navigating inheritance disputes, elder care decisions, or family business conflicts, mediation offers a neutral, productive space to reach agreements that everyone can genuinely live with.

When children are part of the picture, they become the central organizing priority of the mediation work. My role is to help both partners separate their feelings about each other as a couple from their shared role as parents — because those are two entirely different relationships, and the decisions made about children should be driven by what is best for them, not by the emotional weight of the separation. I guide couples through the practical and deeply personal questions that arise: how to tell the children, who should tell them, how much they need to know, and when and how to involve them in the process. I also help develop co-parenting plans — including physical custody arrangements, recurring weekly schedules, holiday and vacation planning, and the identification of effective co-parenting strategies — with children’s wellbeing as the consistent focus throughout.

These are meaningfully different processes, and the distinction matters. A custody evaluation is a formal forensic assessment conducted by a court-appointed evaluator who makes specific recommendations about custody arrangements to the court. Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process focused on helping parties reach their own agreements collaboratively. I am a mediator and psychotherapist — I do not conduct custody evaluations and will not make recommendations regarding custody as a result of my work with you and your family. What I can do is help you and your co-parent develop a thoughtful, workable custody and co-parenting plan together — one that is grounded in your children’s needs and that you both genuinely participate in creating, rather than having imposed from the outside.