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I have had the good fortune to be able to have a duel career as a professional mediator. I work with families to provide family mediation in the specialized area of step/blended families as well as seniors under the operating name of Step By Step Mediation Services and I work with companies as an “in-house” mediator under the [...]
Step/Blended Family Mediation incorporates a system I developed over the past few years in which I combine Step Family Coaching with Family Mediation Techniques and assist the Couple first to get on the “same page” and then they can bring the other family members into mediation. I have had the privilege of working with a variety of step families [...]
How many times have you come across a person or situation that has gotten you so mad that you lose all control and start yelling and screaming? Did the yelling and screaming make you feel better? The fact of the matter is the answer would be “yes” – yelling and screaming is an emotional outlet [...]
Instead of getting into all the legal “mumble jumble” of Representation Agreements, I want to share this video of one man’s journey to seek financial independence. The Nidus Registry in British Columbia is currently the only community-based resource in Canada devoted to personal planning. Its existence sets British Columbia apart as a leader in addressing the [...]
Believe me when I say that in my line of work there can be a lot of negativity and difficult people. After all, when couples decide to divorce they are not having warm and fuzzy conversations! However, besides the stressful situations that can drag us down or bum us out, there are just some people [...]
When stepfamilies come for mediation sessions, one of the exercises I do is have them evaluate how they are different to Nuclear families. Why is this important? It is human nature to take things for granted - not because we don’t appreciate but because it is our “Norm”. Just think for a moment of growing up in your family [...]
Stress is a natural and normal “by-product” of every family’s life. In fact, family stress can bring out the best of us; as we stretch to meet the challenges we face, we become better parents, our children blossom and our families grow. But too much stress can spiral our families in the other direction. This [...]
I not only witnessed – I experienced my parent’s coping mechanisms as they headed to the Divorce Court. My father coped with his stress by being combative and confrontational while my mother coped with her stress by withdrawing. As a product of my upbringing, I only knew of two methods to cope with stress…. be [...]
Let me start by asking any Stepfathers out there the following questions; 1. When you formed your relationship, did you give it any thought as to what you expected to gain from it? 2. What kind of relationship did you think you would have with your stepchildren? 3. How long did you expect it would [...]
I was conducting an Elder Mediation a while back where an issue came up with respect to choosing an Executor to handle the parent’s estate. It was interesting to watch the dynamics as family members discussed why someone should or should not be the Executor. The parents for instance initially thought that their oldest child [...]
