Explains the benefits of divorce mediation for therapists and their clients
As you have probably seen in other pages on this site, Barry graduated from Pepperdine with an M.A. in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy (Class of 1996) and completed his internship with Airport Marina Counseling Services in Westchester. Although he did choose not to become a full-time therapist, he constantly utilizes the skills he developed in this program, including a significant understanding of and appreciation for the dynamics of family relationships and how they often play out in stressful situations such as divorce, in his work with divorcing couples.
After completing an additional M.A. in Conflict Management in order to more fully understand the strategies, methods and interventions that are most effective with people in conflict, Barry opened a private mediation practice specializing in divorce mediation. With an additional 700 hours of post-graduate seminars and courses, primarily in family law and family mediation, and over 250 mediations completed, he combines a significant knowledge of human dynamics with a real-world understanding of what actually happens in a litigated divorce.
In fact, this understanding is one of the things that lead him to specialize in divorce mediation. Having seen firsthand the destruction that a litigated divorce can cause (not just to the couple, but to innocent children as well), he is passionately committed to helping couples constructively address their issues through mediation. The issues that need to be addressed during a divorce are often complex and highly-charged. Yet with the right balance of structure, effective communication and mutually beneficial compromise, couples can navigate this difficult period with a minimum of discomfort and disruption. We would be privileged to assist your clients in working through their divorce in this manner.