The exhausted mother across from me was crying—not about custody schedules or child support, but because she felt like she was failing her 18-month-old. As a Program for Infant Toddler Care Fellow, I'd seen this before: parents drowning in advice, losing sight of their own instincts, and most importantly—losing sight of their child's actual needs buried under their own pain.

That's when I realized family mediation isn't about dividing assets or creating schedules. It's about helping parents remember who their child actually is—and how to co-parent that specific little person.

My Unique Approach: Child-Centered Family Mediation

As both a certified mediator and Master Infant-Toddler Teacher with PITC training, I help divorcing parents shift from fighting each other to championing their children—together. Drawing on my background as a PITC Fellow, I bring early childhood development expertise to family mediation, helping parents understand their child's unique temperament and needs.

What makes my approach different? Instead of focusing solely on parental rights and schedules, I use infant mental health principles to help families create agreements that honor who their child actually is. I've spent years helping new parents trust their instincts. Now I help divorcing parents rediscover those same instincts to become better co-parents.

But my approach doesn't stop when children are young. 

• I've helped long-term co-parents adapt their agreements as their children grew older and work demands changed. 

• I've guided adult siblings learning to reconnect in new ways after years of distance. 

• I've supported an adult daughter and her mother making difficult decisions about living arrangements and funding care. 

• And I've worked with families creating new guardianship plans for their adult sibling with Down syndrome

Always with the same principle: centering the unique needs and dignity of the person at the heart of the decision.

At the Heart of my Work: Creating Sustainable Agreements 

A sustainable agreement is one that is realistic, tried, and tested for each party in the mediation. If a mediated agreement is not achievable and maintainable for a single party, then it is not a sustainable answer to the problem. When decisions are built around your child's actual temperament rather than parental convenience, they naturally become more sustainable.

My Practice Focus

My private practice centers on parenting plans and eldercare plans, always with an eye toward understanding the unique needs of the people at the heart of these decisions—whether that's young children navigating divorce, teenagers whose parents need to adapt their co-parenting approach, adult children reconnecting as siblings, or adults with disabilities whose families are planning for their future care and independence. I also provide civil mediation and civil rights mediations through non-profits and government agencies.

Community Impact & Learning

I am passionate about supporting the broader community because it keeps me connected to the real challenges families face. You will often find me speaking at community events and fairs. I am co-founder of the Elder Care Coalition and serve as Director of Development at Southern California Family Mediation.

Why do I do so much for my community? One reason is to help get the word out there that mediation is for more than divorce (although it is an amazing option) and you don't have to wait for court-ordered mediation. Another reason is that I learn so much from working with different court systems, professionals, and non-profits.

For example, in my work for Southern California Mediation, Dependency Court judges, attorneys, commissioners, social workers, and clients all provide me with valuable feedback so that I can ensure that my mediation agreements are up-to-date, enforceable, and sustainable.

How I Can Serve Your Family

Person-Centered Mediator: I regularly mediate family disputes with a focus on understanding the unique needs of the person at the center—from young children in divorce situations to adult siblings reconnecting, adult children and aging parents making care decisions, and families planning guardianship for adults with disabilities.

Early Childhood Development Expertise: As a Master Infant-Toddler Teacher and PITC Fellow, I understand how children's temperament affects family dynamics and use this knowledge to create more effective parenting agreements.

Community-Focused Approach: I am committed to providing accessible mediation services through non-profit organizations like Southern California Family Mediation and the National Conflict Resolution Center.

Beyond Family Mediation: I also mediate community disputes including landlord-tenant, contract, neighbor, and civil rights violations, plus I co-founded the Elder Care Coalition to build a network of high-quality professionals who help families navigate some of their hardest years.

Ready to Have a Different Kind of Conversation?

What if your family mediation focused on the people at the heart of the matter instead of just your custody schedule? Schedule a short consultation to learn about my person-centered approach and how I can help you and your co-parent see your child (and each other) clearly through the fog of divorce.