About Me

Every part of my private practice currently is centered on helping people resolve issues in the most amicable and productive way possible:

As a Neutral Mental Health Professional, I have found the Collaborative Divorce field exciting and rewarding, and to date have participated in more than 60 cases.
In Parenting Coordination, I help clients prepare parenting plan proposals before they go to mediation or court. Also, I help divorced parents interpret or agree on minor changes to their decree's parenting schedule.
I am frequently assigned as a Parent Facilitator to work with high conflict couples having difficulty communicating after a divorce or custody dispute. As in Parenting Coordination, I help divorced parents work through minor changes to their decree's parenting schedule.
I have worked with the legal system since 1996 as an evaluator providing court-ordered social studies for adoptions and custody disputes. I complete home studies for stepparent adoptions at a low cost and typically within 6 weeks from the time I get the court order. I currently provide supervision for those developing a new career in completing social studies for court-ordered social studies for custody dispute cases.
New Paradigm Training, formed by Camille Milner, JD, David Bouschor, JD, Steve Walker, CPA, and myself, is a multidisciplinary training team conducting training events for Collaborative Divorce professionals since 2008. As a team, we have provided trainings for attorneys, mental health professionals and financial professionals wanting to learn or hone their collaborative skills. We also provide training for paralegals of collaborative attorneys.
Formerly a teacher working with preschool children and high school youth, I became a licensed psychotherapist in 1995, providing therapy for individuals and couples. I use two main types of therapy modalities to provide the best treatment plans for my patients: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Hypnotherapy.

I work with individuals and families to help them cultivate healthy thinking patterns. This is particularly helpful with high conflict clients who need help with relationships...even with their own attorneys!

"Cause and effect are as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things."
-- As A Man Thinketh

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Curriculum Vitae Education, License and Memberships:

1972	Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education, Texas Woman's University; Denton, Texas
1973	Texas Educator Certification
1993 - Present	Member, National Association of Social Workers
1995 - Present	Licensed Master of Social Work: State of Texas #S27782
1995	Master of Science Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington; Arlington, Texas National Association of Social Work Honor Society
1999 - Present	Licensed Clinical Social Worker, (formerly referred to as Advanced Clinical Practitioner), State of Texas
2005 - 2008	Member, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
2006 - Present	Member, Collaborative Institute of Texas
2006 - Present	Member, Institute of Allied Collaborative Professionals
2007 - Present	Member, Denton County Collaborative Professionals (President of DCCP in 2009-2010
2008 - Present	Member, Global Collaborative Law Council
2008 - Present	Member, Texas Law Foundation
2008 - Present	Member, Collaborative Solutions Practice Group

Professional Experience:

01/2007 - Present	Parenting Coordinator, Parenting Facilitator: Providing direction and education for parents in co-parenting situations either before or after a divorce.
11/2006 - Present	Communication Coach for Collaborative Divorce Cases in Collin, Denton, Dallas Counties. Working collaborative cases as well as presenting at training events for collaborative professionals.
11/1995 - Present	Psychotherapist in Private Practice - Plano, McKinney, and Frisco, TX. Providing psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups. Focus on parenting education and family therapy.
11/1995 - Present	Social Study Evaluator for District Courts in Collin, Denton, Dallas and Other Counties: Court-ordered family studies for disputed custody cases and stepparent adoptions.
07/1995- 03/2000	Columbia Green Oaks at Medical City, Dallas; Dallas, TX: Therapist, Market Development, and Mental Health Interventionist. Therapist for adult inpatients, Marketing Director for McKinney unit and Mental Health Interventionist for Plano and McKinney hospitals. Completed over 1,000 mental health assessments in hospital emergency rooms.