Busting "Shared Parenting" Myths: Decision Trees in Custody Evaluations and Clinical Interventions... Coming Up This Friday, November 14, 2014!!

LIVE TWITTER FEED TO TWEET YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS STARTING AT 8:30 AM THIS FRIDAY MORNING!! PLEASE JOIN US "LIVE" IF YOU CAN- CEU'S AVAILABLE!!

Twub is the Tool for the Voice of the Child II Conference on April 26, 2013

The Changing American Family: Series of Videos from the New School via FORA.TV

The Changing American Family from The New School and The New School on FORA.tv

The Voice of the Child, Part I

The Voice of the Child, Part I, has two different sites which contain the two folders from The Voice of the Child, Part I Conference with Leslie Drozd, Matt Sullivan and Judge Michael Clark. Available on Twitter: http://twitter/valeriehoughton: 1.http://twitter/valeriehoughton, see note.io/M4dyoP for materials in the booklet and 2.http://twitter/valeriehoughton, see note.io/IOisKs for the "extras" Available at Evernote, in a Shared Folder: www.evernote.com/pub/valeriehoughton: 1.www.evernote.com/pub/valeriehoughton/voiceofchild 2.www.evernote.com/pub/valeriehoughton/voiceofchildextras

Great Tool! Air Sketch for iPad!

Patrick Stewart Speaks Eloquently About His Experience of Domestic Violence for Amnesty International

Silobreaker Tool

Katie Couric Speaks With Teen Violence Victims

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Atlantis: Rise Above, Be Bold and Abhor Bad Acts

I was having a conversation with one of my teenagers this week, we came across the light topic of "So, Is Man Basically Good or Bad?" Her argument was "They are bad."

I protested, she politely listened and then made the following speech: "No... we are basically bad and we have to be taught to be good. Then, it takes effort and energy and care to behave well.... Think about it. It is easier to blow someone off than to strive to reach them... It is easier to be rude than to be considerate... It is easier to eat with our hands than use a fork... It is easier to wipe our mouth with the back of our hand than to use our napkin..." I am deeply moved by these last several arguments... Maybe this child is seeing something which I have ceased to appreciate... Then she absolutely floored me by saying "I see how you are polite, you are kind, you insist on teaching us manners, grammar and taking the high road... I see you are disappointed when you see other people act like that... They just don't know any better... See? So, do I win the argument now?"... Wow...

Summer Breeeezeee

They say that there exists such a thing as "Winds of Change..." If it isn't true, it sure should be... Around our neck of the woods, there is one child gearing up to launch, another comes closer and still steady on his track, their dad is the best balanced of the two of us, and my focus is changing in my work as I become increasingly troubled by how we model conflict resolution.

A wise (and smartie pants!) colleague asked me the other day: "Why don't you practice law?"

I responded "I do... I serve my role in mediation (and sometimes arbitration or evaluation or parent coordination) with custody, family mediation, elder mediation... I love the law and revere it... I just have a very hard time with the way it is practiced."

So, I just wait and watch as the idea of the interdisciplinary approach to helping heal ourselves ... thus modeling this for our "clients" continues to grow... I know this sounds odd, but my background is rooted as a hard science person.

Over the last 33 years, I have been exposed, jumbled and TAUGHT by the TRUE masters... my patients and my clients and all of the client families ... and my colleagues and my husband and my children ... and my own process of aging and (hopefully!) maturing... Every encounter humbles me and reminds me of the fragility and sanctity of life... even my recent encounter with Jeremy, the "Challenged AT&T Guy"... Thank God for Dale, the "REAL AT&T GUY!" Don't you love changing your office phones? EEK! It's all about the little things, every time!

Conflict Avoidance, Conflict Education, Conflict Resolution

Just did an excellent Advanced Mediation training by Steven Rosenberg, Esq.  up in Mill Valley. Great presentation for two days, wonderful to meet some of my fellow minded peers, from all over the place... Good times...

Parental Alienation (Canada)

Parental Alienation (Canada): Judge in Parental Alienation Case: 'Hate doesn't grow in children normally. It is usually taught to them'

Well... There is a powerful quote made by Judge Gomery, in the recent appellate case of Ermel v Ermel. There are a number of others contained in the appellate opinion and quotes of the judges statements to the mother of the children, who had been unable to follow the Court Orders and the case had crawled on for years and years...

Food for thought...

NPR's Audio Program on Child Custody Evaluators

NPR's Program on Child Custody Evaluators is very well done.

SCRIBD Is Where My Documents Are Stored-Ask Me for the Link!

 
This is Where I Store My Documents... This is from Scribed.