Side-Stepping the Adversarial Paradigm of Child Custody and Visitation Disputes in the Neuro-Diverse and Able-Diverse World
“Fault” ostensibly plays no role in determination of parenting plans,…
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Adjudicating Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse When Custody is In Dispute
This four-hour institute will present a portion of the curriculum…
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Domestic Violence Institute: Annual Update for Family Court Judges, Attorneys, and Custody Professionals
This annual domestic violence update for professionals working in California…
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What Have We Learned About “Parental Alienation” and Parent-Child Contact Problems? An Historical Perspective
Families in which a child unjustifiably resists or refuses to…
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Intergenerational Translation: The Art of Creating Effective Communication Across Generations
Discovering and Dealing with Innate Unconscious Bias will address the…
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A Family Law “Charrette”: How Would Stakeholders Design Our Family Courts? A Conversation.
Everyone involved in our family law courts has frustrations: it…
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Meeting the Needs of Immigrant Youth
Undocumented youth face many challenges. Attorneys, mental health professionals, and…
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Demystifying Asian Parenting: An Essential Workshop for Court Involved Providers
Asian population in California has experienced rapid growth, surpassing that…
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Conflict, Communication, Courtesy, and Culture: Establishing Fluency
There are demographic changes in the cultural makeup of California,…
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Bridging Hearts: Fostering Connection in Family Mediation
Bridging Hearts: Fostering Connection in Family Mediation, explores innovative strategies…
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Sunrise Solutions: Incremental Trust Building to Reduce Family Conflict
Moving beyond current conflict management strategies, this interactive workshop will…
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Cyber Shadows: Unveiling Domestic Violence, Harassment, and Intimidation Through Social Media and AI Under the DVPA
This presentation will delve into the critical intersection of cybercrime…
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Parenting Plan Evaluation Reports: How Can They Provide a Roadmap for Healthier Family Functioning?
Parenting Plan Evaluations (PPEs) are primarily advisory reports to the…
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Teamwork is Dream Work: Parenting Plan Coordinators and Mental Health Therapists Working Together
High conflict parents tend to have lots of professionals on…
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Intergenerational Trauma in Chronic Conflict Families
This presentation, “Intergenerational Trauma in Chronic Conflict Families,” explores the…
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“No One Will Touch These Cases.” How Did We Get Here? What Can We Do to Fix it?
Bruising legislative battles and professional polarization have increased obstacles to…
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Embracing Emotions To Build Brighter Futures For Families
Family law professionals often shy away from intense emotions accompanying…
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Truth and Consequences: Assessing Witness Truthfulness, Credibility and Reliability in Family Law
This presentation will examine the fundamental questions of how Courts…
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Parental Child Abduction: From Abduction to Recovery and Treatment
This panel will present and discuss the issues presented by…
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Solving the Complex and Ever-changing Custodial Puzzle: An Exercise in Humility
Puzzling out child custody is an exercise whose solution holds…
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Domestic Violence Institute: Annual Updates for Family Court Judges, Attorneys, and Custody Professionals (DV)
This annual domestic violence update for professionals working in California…
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Domestic, Community, and Gun Violence in 2024: The Role Family Law Professionals Can Play in Reducing Risk and Harm (DV)
This Institute will cover current research on how children in…
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Welcoming the New Normal: Challenging the Myths of High Conflict Cases
What does “high conflict” really mean? Is conflict between parents…
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The Decline of Civility, Why It Matters
Civility has changed. Understanding the influences of these changes and…
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Considerations in Child Custody Cases Involving Transgender/Gender Diverse Minors
A study published in March 2022 by the Journal of…
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Family Law Attorneys and Mental Health Professionals: The Need for Interdisciplinary Reconciliation
The traditional adversarial model of resolving family and custody disputes…
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Emotional Hydration: How to Stay Well During Unwell Times
Family law professionals who work with challenging individuals and families…
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HEALTHY Divorce (Health, Education and Legal Teams Helping You): Can Courts Expand the Help They Give to Families
Family law courts only address the legal divorce without dealing…
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Really, It’s Not Impossible: Navigating the Process of Becoming a Parenting Plan Evaluator
In the absence of clearer direction from the Judicial Branch…
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Coping Abilities Children Need (And How to Ensure They Get Them)
Much has been written about the direct effects of parental…
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A Psychologist, a Lawyer and a Judge Walk into a … : A Candid Discussion About Current Issues in Domestic Violence (DV)
Domestic Violence continues to be a pervasive issue in Family…
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You Say You Want an Evolution: The Changing Face of Family Law in California (and Some Prognostications on Where We’re Headed)
Since AFCC was started in 1963 here in California a…
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Inside the Law: Family Interventions for Parent-Child Contact Problems that Build Health and Resilience
On the heels of Kayden’s Law, California and other states…
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Forgiveness. Can You Imagine? Creating Space for Apologies and Understanding to Diffuse Tensions Post Separation and Divorce
The dynamic interplay between apology, forgiveness, and family law holds…
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Understanding Stepfamilies: What All Family Law Professionals Need to Know
Many divorced parents remarry or cohabitate, thus creating a fundamentally…
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Gaslighting in Family Law Cases – What is It, How to Recognize It, and an Intelligent Response (DV)
This workshop will focus on defining gaslighting and identifying when…
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Complex Navigation Through Troubled Water – Matching Services to Needs Amid Family and Political Conflict
Children at the center of conflict are more vulnerable to…
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Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water: Settlement Focused Parenting Plan Evaluations
Parenting plans can be determined by many methods. Child Custody/Parenting…
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How Insight and Powerful Non-Defensive Communication Processes for Conflict Resolution Facilitate Better Outcomes for Families
Insight and Powerful Non-Defensive Communication processes help clients address their…
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Interdisciplinary Child Custody Practice Under the 2021 Amendments to Cal-DVPA (DV)
Too often the lawyers and the court are so absorbed…
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Domestic Violence Institute: Annual Updates for Family Court Judges, Attorneys, and Custody Professionals (DV)
This annual domestic violence update for professionals working in California…
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Sexual Abuse in Custody Cases: Cases of Running Out of Rope on a Cliff
This session will present a portion of the curriculum “Adjudicating…
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The Expected and Unintended Consequences of Working in Family Law: Coping with Difficult Situations and People While Maintaining One’s Mental Health
Family law professionals of all disciplines attempt to help children…
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One Size Does Not Fit All: Addressing the De Facto Presumption in Favor of an Equal Timeshare
In many jurisdictions, legislatures are actively considering presumptions in favor…
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Behind the Scenes: Unpacking and Understanding the Things that Happen Outside of Court in Order to be an Effective Advocate
Within the system there are often many other players that…
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Split UP, The Teen Years: Film Screening: Looking Back at Divorce, What Worked and What Could Have Been Better
In 2012, the award-winning children’s film about divorce, SPLIT, was…
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What do Judges Really Want in Child Custody Evaluations?
Court-appointed mental health professionals often disagree about the methodology and…
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Less is Not Always More: The Importance of a Comprehensive Parenting Evaluation
In recent years, there is an important, growing trend to…
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Myths and Misconceptions of Gatekeeping: Limits and Opportunities in Family Law Cases
Gatekeeping emerged as a promising framework to assess parenting behaviors…
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Gaslighting in Family Law Cases – What is It, How to Recognize It, and an Intelligent Response (DV)
This workshop will focus on defining gaslighting and identifying when…
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STOP Intractable Conflict: Early Interventions for Coparents
Conflict escalation is the most destructive force on the planet…
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A Practical Guide to Implementing a Strategic Team Approach to High-Conflict Cases
Successful outcomes in work with high-conflict families can be few…
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The Weaponization of Technology in Domestic Violence and Family Law Cases
As our dependency and use of technology increases, we rely…
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Considerations Regarding Child and Parent Neurodiversity in Family Court
As with cultural diversity and non-traditional families, neurodiversity is another…
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Can We Still Heal Fractured Relationships Amid Politics and Polarization? Strategies for Effective and Defensible Resist-Refuse Interventions
Recent legislative developments such as “Kayden’s law” have added to…
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Underpredicting and Overpredicting Danger in Domestic Violence Family Law Cases (DV)
Families in Family Law cases have a high risk of…
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Child Sexual Abuse Allegations and the Child Forensic Interview
This workshop will examine the intricate issues affecting disclosure of…
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Stop the Madness: Development and Utilization of Early Intervention Measures to Avoid Conflict Following Separation
Must every separation result in ongoing parental conflict and damage…
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When Can the Baby Spend the Night?
Assessing the needs of young children is one of the…
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Israel’s Recent Family Law Reforms – Leading the Way in Meeting the Needs of Children and Families in Conflict
For decades the family law system in jurisdictions throughout the…
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Giving Voice to the Preverbal: The Importance of an Individuated, Culturally Competent Approach When Intervening with Babies, Toddlers and their Families
Within the world of court-involved families, too few practitioners are…
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Substance Use & Use Disorders: Addressing Complex Issues in Family Law
Allegations of substance misuse and/or abuse are increasingly common in…
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Models of Early Intervention Currently Being Used On The East and West Coasts
The mental health and legal communities who work with families…
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Coercive Control: An Assault on the Family From All Angles (DV)
This 2-hour plenary will address what “coercive control” is and…
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Before Too Much Damage is Done: Creative Approaches to Early Intervention
Court-involved professionals frequently lament the damage caused to children and…
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A High Conflict Case – Trauma’s Impact on Memory, Children, Parents, & the Courts
It’s well-known that children are harmed by exposure to significant…
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Using Psychoanalytic Thinking to Formulate Early Intervention Treatment Strategies for High Conflict Separating and Divorcing Families
In high conflict separation and divorce, parents’ unconscious conflicts are…
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The Intersection of Family Law and Child Protective Services: Understanding and Supporting Families When Child Safety is At Play
Family law professionals are no strangers to working with families…
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Interviewing and Assessing Children in Family Law Matters: Using the Literature
This workshop will explore developmental issues and the application of…
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Reducing Lethality Risks in “High Conflict” Parenting Cases (DV)
Cases designated as “high conflict” often include risks, including those…
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Recent California Cases, Law & Current Social Science on Domestic Violence & Effective Practices in Supporting Low-Income & Underserved Families Experiencing Domestic Violence (DV)
This program will first review recent California appellate cases and…
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Interdisciplinary Child Custody Practice Under the 2021 Amendments to Cal-DVPA (DV)
Too often the lawyers and the court are so absorbed…
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Legal Custody: What Have We Learned from COVID and How Do We Apply These Lessons To Our Work Going Forward
As we emerge from quarantine, families are now confronted with…
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Building Resilience and Reducing Stress and Mental Health Problems with a New Online Program for Children of Divorce/Separation
Mental health resources cannot meet the needs of children’s accelerating…
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STOP Intractable Conflict: Early Interventions for Coparents
The family justice system is continually challenged by a sub-set…
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Considerations Regarding Child and Parent Neurodiversity in Family Court
As with cultural diversity and non-traditional families, neurodiversity is another…
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Understanding and Using Emotional Pain in Healing Our Clients and Ourselves
Clinical experience, research and anecdotal reports suggest that divorce is…
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Intersections of Domestic Violence Law, Psychology and Social Science to Promote Effective Conversations about Addressing and Serving Families in Crisis
Part 1: New CA Domestic Violence Cases, Statutes and the…
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Fish Bowl or Safe Harbor? Privacy, Confidentiality & Privilege Issues in Custody Litigation
Child custody work presents vexing issues of children’s and parents’…
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Evaluating the High Conflict Family – How to Conceptualize and Write Reports and Recommendations that Post-Evaluation Providers Can Capitalize On
A custody evaluation often has a broad and significant impact…
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Relational Healing in the Time of Evidence
This keynote will focus on the process of developing, implementing,…
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Bias, Prejudice, & Intolerance
Bias, prejudice, and intolerance are interwoven into the fabric of…
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Conversation Between Two Cultures: What is Family Law Justice?
Commissioner Marjorie A. Slabach (ret.) and Chief Judge Abby Abinanti…
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The Power of Visuals to Open Minds for Difficult Conversations
Successful difficult conversations require the participants to have an open…
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Custody and Co-Parenting in the Age of the Smartphone
This presentation will address the custody and co-parenting issues that…
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Helping Kids Cope with Warring Parents: An Animated Online Program Promoting Resiliency
Families are like an interacting mobile. Just as negative effects…
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Navigating Sanchez in the Wild West: Diverse Approaches and Applications in the California Family Courts
This plenary will discuss how the ruling in People v.…
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More Than Words: Interpreting the Digital Dialogue of Emoji in Domestic Violence and Custody Disputes
Discussion of the importance of understanding the nuances and usage…
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Risky Business: Challenges and Hazards for Family Law Professionals Working with High-Conflict Families
Family law professionals face numerous challenges and risks when working…
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Difficult Conversations with your Client, your Opposing Counsel, and the Judge About the Estranged or Alienated Child
In the difficult conversations between professionals amongst themselves and their…
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Working with Diversity: Techniques and Interventions to Motivate and Inspire Collaboration
Have you ever felt stuck or frustrated with a client…
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Improving Outcomes for Traumatized Family Law Litigants
It is well-established that trauma can impact memory, affect, and…
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The Role of Family Law Professionals in Preventing Gun Violence
The prevalence of firearms in our communities and the role…
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We’re All Complaining About the System, What’s Keeping Us from Changing It?
It is common to hear professionals express discontent about our…
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Bricks, Sticks or Straw: Strengthening Child Custody Evaluation with Best Record Review Practices
Record review is a routine element of child custody evaluation. …
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Forensic, Investigative, and Clinical Interviewing of Children
An Advanced workshop for mental health and legal professionals who…
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Current Developments in Domestic Violence Law: Cases, Statutes, Threat Assessment/Management and the Psychology Behind it All
The first half of this Institute will cover recent California…
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Promoting Quality Evaluations and Care for Families: Problems, Training Needs and Solutions
Parental separation, particularly when coupled with high levels of conflict…
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What is Real? Identifying and Intervening with an Encapsulated Delusion
Cases where children resist or refuse contact with a parent…
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When Civility Breaks Down in Politics and Relationships: Designing Interest-Based Approaches to Chronic Conflicts
In all conflicts, there is a better outcome than winning…
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Therapeutic Apologies in the Context of Strained Parent-Child Relationships
There has been increased attention in the past decade to…
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When Children Are Seen But Not Heard: Need for Recognition of Children’s Voices in Custody Determinations
The voice of children of divorce is under-represented in both…
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Respectful Communication Is the Key
Respectful communication provides the very foundation of civil interactions; it…
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The Case for Maintaining Collegiality in the Adversarial Arena
We begin with the premise that benefits can be derived…
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Digital Media, Children, and Families: Managing Family Conflict and Parental Disputes Around Technology
The panel will present the developmental and legal implications of…
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The Opioid Crisis, Substance Abuse and Treatment Alternatives
The abuse of opioids is pandemic and the number of…
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Domestic Violence: Drafting and Enforcing Effective Court Orders to Keep Children and Families Safe
This Workshop will explore best practices for family law professionals…
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If Therapists Are From Venus and Lawyers From Mars, How Do We Communicate Here on Earth?
Attorneys and Mental Health professionals work from different assumptions and…
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Overcoming Righteous Indignation and Accusatory Suffering: Teaching Co-Parents Respectful Communication and Affect Regulation
Parents involved in family law disputes are not typically interested…
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Using Family Therapy Techniques to Move from Hostility to Civility: Emotional Redirecting, Empathic Confronting and Radical Reframing
Fine-tune your skills in helping conflicted parents and children talk…
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The Evolution of Family Law and Parenting Evaluations: Science, Unintended Consequences & Reconsidering Delivery of Services
Efforts over the past 20 or more years to increase…
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Disturbing the Peace in an Electronic Age – Addressing the Burden of Proving “Abuse” Under the DVPA
Discussion, instruction and live demonstration of online communication that constitutes…
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Co-Mediation: Interdisciplinary Neutrals When Lack of Civility Prevails
Mediators and other alternative dispute resolution professionals have all encountered…
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Implicit Bias in the Courtroom: Understanding How Race, Culture and Ethnicity Impact Us
In this interactive workshop, two psychologists and a family law…
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Understanding the (Big!) Challenges of “Blended Family” Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t
After divorce, very (very) often, comes a stepfamily. Indeed, stepfamily…
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TITLE OF A PROGRAM AT THE 2019 CONFERENCE
As the rate of children diagnosed with special educational, medical,…
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TITLE OF A PROGRAM AT THE 2019 CONFERENCE THAT WILL BE INTERESTING
As the rate of children diagnosed with special educational, medical,…
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ANOTHER TITLE OF A PROGRAM AT THE 2018 CONFERENCE THAT WILL BE INTERESTING
As the rate of children diagnosed with special educational, medical,…
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