I am a licensed Attorney, Licensed psychiatric Registered Nurse, and Licensed Professional Counselor.
My current professional memberships include:
Colorado Collaborative Divorce Professionals (CCPD), International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy National Certification and Accreditation Association, and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).
My education began with a Bachelor of Science degree (B.S.N.) in Nursing at Wichita State University in 1975. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from my nursing program with a minor degree in psychology. Being very excited about the combination of obstetrics and psychology, I attended the University of Colorado and earned a Master of Science degree in Parent-Child Nursing (M.S.N.) in 1976. My Master’s thesis at CU was on Postpartum Depression. I went on to teach Baccalaureate level student nurses and post graduate, advanced practice level graduate nursing students. I was named to Who’s Who in American Nursing in 1988-1989 as a result of my work in Maternal-Child Nursing, and as an educator of nursing students in the area of obstetrical nursing.
Working in the field of Maternal-Child nursing, I saw many children severely mistreated in their own homes and in the foster care system. I saw families that just couldn’t cope, were overwhelmed, and seemed consumed in the chaos. Parents and children were lost and suffering and the system wasn’t helping them, if anything it was making it worse. Hoping to help modify the system, I went to law school. In 1993, I earned a Juris Doctorate, J.D., from the University of Houston.
After graduation from law school, I became a Deputy District Attorney (DA) because of my passion to see that justice is served for victims of violent crime. I worked as a felony deputy DA in the juvenile and adult district courts to pursue my passion and help victims of violent crime begin to heal.
As a deputy DA, I gained “rapid fire” trial experience which served me well as I went on to practice Medical Malpractice law and Professional Negligence/Constitutional Rights law. In both of these areas, I continued to pursue justice for victims of the medical profession and child victims of abuse while in the control of governmental agencies, such as foster homes. I have succeeded in several cases to obtain the funding that these children needed to get life-long care and treatment, and a chance for a good life.
I have also served as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL), a court appointed lawyer for abused and neglected children. I have fought in court for the appropriate treatment and placement of abused and neglected children that were currently in the dependency and neglect system.
My interest in protecting children and families has continued to grow. Since 2003, I have practiced Family law and Collaborative law. I strongly believe in Collaborative law and mediation as the most productive and lasting way to resolve the dissolution of marriages. In Collaborative law cases, the parties agree to resolve all issues in the dissolution of marriage without going to court. As a lawyer, I have found that this process lessens unnecessary conflict, pain, expense, and there is much less post-decree litigation.
As a Master’s prepared nurse, I understand child development at all ages, family dynamics, and couples dynamics. I use this knowledge to help parents collaboratively develop parenting plans which include the present and future needs and wants of parents and children.
During the course of my legal career, I have had extensive litigation experience in all of the above areas of law. I have passionately negotiated collaborative law cases, and litigated, when necessary, family law cases. My experience includes legal separation, divorce. post-divorce, child custody, and support cases.
My experience includes participation in numerous mediations, hearings, and trials involving dependency and neglect, child abuse, child placement and competency, wrongful adoption, wrongful death, family law, constitutional law violations, and medical malpractice. I have gained experience with the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems in litigation and appeals.
I bring to my practice a rich history of life and professional experiences. My extensive helping background includes being a caring and compassionate therapist, psychiatric nurse, educator, researcher, and attorney. I have been committed to adolescents and families struggling through the growing pains of impending adulthood, as well as adolescents and adults who have suffered extensive trauma and abuse.
I have worked with national and international experts, and I have advanced trauma training aimed at bringing relief to this suffering for adults and children. My experience working with children and adolescents who have been, or are in, the foster care system, the criminal justice system, and/or the dependency and neglect system can be very important when considering the developmental needs of children during a collaborative law case or a divorce mediation.
Divorce can be painful for everyone involved. I am committed to reducing the emotional trauma that can be inherent in family life and divorce which frequently occurs for parents and children. As such, I offer Collaborative law and mediation in an effort to avoid the distress and exorbitant financial costs of escalating court battles.
With Collaborative Law and divorce mediation, my clients commit to “take the fire” out of the divorce process, and agree to dissolve their marriage without going to court. Parents thus protect their children from enduring prolonged and hostile court battles that can lead to lasting trauma for all involved. I am a licensed psychiatric Nurse/Attorney and I have an extensive background resolving high conflict divorce cases with as much of a minimum lasting traumatic effect as possible.
Typical mediation issues include child custody, maintenance, financial issues, and property issues. I mediate issues with couples at any stage of the separation and divorce process- even couples who have previously divorced through the court system and wish to resolve new or continuing issues such as child support, child custody or maintenance.
Mediation for the Family
As a trained mediator, I can also help your family mediate conflicts outside of the divorce process between children and couples over parenting issues, behavioral issues, spending habits, etc- everyday problems that left unresolved can fracture family unity and trust. I understand the growth and development stages that children go through and how these stages may be impacting behaviors and family dynamics