Creating A Blended Family Parenting Agreement With Mediation

Mother and children putting fruit into a smoothie blender; blended family parenting dynamics

Finding love after divorce and entering a new relationship or marriage can be a beautiful experience. It can also bring new challenges and conflicts – especially when combining children and family members into a new family system. Did you know that it’s possible to seek the help of a mediator when creating a blended family […]

Resolving Conflict with Confidence: Family Mediation Service

family at home with family mediation service Resolving Conflict with Confidence

Conflict is an inevitable part of family life, and it can often leave a lasting impact on relationships and overall well-being. I doubt there is a family, anywhere, that hasn’t had their share of conflict to overcome. My family included. When conflicts arise, finding effective and amicable solutions becomes crucial for maintaining family harmony. This […]

3 Recommendations (from a therapist) for Those Headed Toward Divorce

couple with arms around each other as analogy for 3 Recommendations (from a therapist) for Those Headed Towards Divorce

Hello there! As a Professional Family Mediator, I know that divorce can be a tough and emotional decision for couples. But before calling it quits, here are some things our therapist colleagues recommend when trying to salvage your relationship: Communication is Key One of the most common reasons couples end up divorcing is because of […]

New Year, New Beginnings for San Diego Family Mediation Center

west coast family mediation center|

When New Year’s Eve comes around, it is a human instinct to feel sentimental that the year has passed and optimistic for the future. Common resolutions include getting in better shape, better time management, finally starting that book, etc. You think to yourself, THIS YEAR will be THE year! Then the months go by and […]

Back to the Basics of Mediation

After mediating for a long time, it is easy to get caught up in advanced ideas to help our clients. Therefore, it is vital to get back to the basics and remember that as the neutral in a case, we do not need to make our jobs more complicated than they should be. Making things […]

The Undoing: The Series That Taught a Lesson Many Will Not Forget! (I Hope)

**There are spoilers here – don’t read until you have watched the series** My last movie critique has acquired so much attention; I thought I would throw out another one. Sometimes there are movies (or mini-series in this case) that are so on-point that I feel a responsibility to shed light on what went on […]

Why Online Marital Mediation Is Crucial Right Now

marital mediation

The one idea I think we can all agree on during these unprecedented times is that there’s a lot we all take for granted. Our daily routines and the predictability of our lives is so foundational, and to have them ripped away without notice is truly earth-shaking. Children have been detached from their friends, teachers, activities, sports – all of what grounds them […]

Online Mediation: How it Works  

online mediation

San Diego Family Mediation Center has always offered online mediation as an option to our clients. Typically, the only clients who used such service were those who lived too far away to show up in person at one of our California offices.   Beginning March 17, 2020, we chose to move all of our mediations online in an effort to […]

Family, Holidays, and Divorce

Trying to make it through the divorce of a family member is quite awkward, especially when it starts right smack in the middle of holidays. It can be challenging to know how to proceed… is everyone still invited? If not, what if the “outed” spouse has no one else around to spend the holiday with? […]