Collaborative Divorce/Non-Marital Dissolution Practice
Dr. Gildston has been doing successful mediation for over 20 years. Because she is also a NYS licensed Marriage and Family Therapist she is exceptionally prepared to function as a Divorce Coach and/or Child Specialist in a collaborative team.
We make every effort to keep couples and families together. If separation, divorce, or non-marital dissolution is inevitable, however, we aim to help make the resolution of issues as fair, as fast, and as financially reasonable as possible.
Separation-Divorce Mediation:
If a couple on the verge of separation or divorce can remain relatively calm, reasonable, and respectful of and with each other, mediation may be the fastest and least encumbered route to dissolution. We can provide the guidance to help couples work out their issues. The goal is fairness. The hope is an ending without rancor and resentment.
Collaborative Divorce-Non-marital Dissolution:
If issues are more complicated, the best solution could be to work with collaborative family professionals. Since this is a relatively new concept, let us quote from the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
- “The heart of Collaborative Practice or Collaborative Divorce (also called "no-court divorce," “divorce with dignity," "peaceful divorce") is to offer you and your spouse or partner the support, protection, and guidance of your own lawyers without going to court.”
- “Additionally, Collaborative Divorce allows you the benefit of child and financial specialists, divorce coaches and other professionals all working together on your team.”
This innovative approach to what is typically a sticky situation can help keep your head clearer and your emotions cooler. Typically, included in the team are two lawyers, one for each member of the couple, and a divorce coach. The couple may also elect to include in the team a child specialist—especially if the couple has children under the age of 18—and a neutral financial specialist to work out any monetary issues.
Divorce Coach:
We take you through the process step by step, clarifying goals and easing concerns. There are private meetings for each member of the couple with their coach (or together if the couple so elects) and private meetings with the attorney each has selected, as well as combined meetings with coach(es) and attorneys where further differences are hammered out--in a respectful, fair manner. The child specialist and neutral financial specialist may also join meetings as needed.
Our coaches are all NY State licensed mental health professionals. We are fortunate to have Marriage & Family Therapists at our center who have worked for many years with concerns of all types of couples--marital & non-marital--as well as with unique child and family issues. They understand how to be helpful to all family members without taking sides.
Child Specialists:
Our Child Specialists have extensive experience with children of all ages-- from toddlers to teenagers--and all types of special needs--from children with anger, extreme sensitivity/shyness, depression, autism spectrum or other emotional issues to the language/learning disabled and under-achievers. Often a well-adjusted child develops issues during this difficult process about which one or both parents or other members of the team are unaware. The specialist selected by you is there to make certain each child's comprehensive needs are understood by all parties.
Our Director, Dr. Gildston, is not only a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist but also a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist and thus has worked extensively with children of all ages who are struggling with a developmental disorder, ADHD, ADD, language delay, mutism, autism, Asperger’s, and deafness, as well as other communication disorders.