Hello

I realize now that I was destined to be a therapist and divorce specialist. 

 

After moving from Seattle, WA to Staten Island, NY to Morgantown, WV before I was five, we settled in suburban Detroit, Michigan in the early 1970s. When my parents announced that they were getting a divorce, I was distraught. In addition to feeling mortified to be the only child in our elementary school (besides my younger brother) who needed to tote a duffle bag from overnights at Dad's house, my parents were at war with one another. At nine years old, I learned that a divorce can easily take on the personality of the professionals hired for the task.  These legal professionals were not schooled in how to create or sustain family unity, they were used to defending one person by demolishing the other. My childhood was unnecessarily messy because of a divorce and a parenting plan that was designed and defined by lawyers and not my parents. Therapy ensued. I learned and grew into a young woman helped in large part by a therapist and our work together. I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.

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My parents were good people who just had a hard time being good to each other. Their divorce process, long in length and expensive financially and emotionally, took its toll. They were never able to heal -all our lives were negatively impacted. I always believed if they had worked with different professionals with different perspectives, their divorce would have been less tragic and my life would have been better. Again, this became part of my professional mission and I began to immerse myself in the methodologies of more peaceful separation and divorce.  

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Life is ironic. After twenty-two years of marriage, three incredible children, and a less-than-perfectly-trained dog, my now ex-husband and I realized that our marriage was no longer working for either of us. It was time for me to put my money (literally) where my mouth was. Together, we navigated our transition from marriage to divorce without the need for litigation. It was not always easy, but we kept control of our process and made the decisions that were best for us as individuals and for our boys. We have been able to build and sustain a strong co-parenting relationship and have a blended family. We often celebrate holidays and milestones together-we just need a bigger table. 

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As a professional, my training and learning is ongoing. There is rarely a day that goes by that I am not immersed in a personal development program or literature written by cutting-edge thought leaders in everything from relationships to finance to organizational management. I earned a BA in English from the University of Michigan in 1991 and a MS in Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Guidance Counseling from Barry University in 1994. Prior to establishing a private practice in 2005, I worked in the Broward County school system as a guidance counselor and as a family therapist in therapeutic foster care settings.

 

​Over the past twenty-nine years, I have been helping individuals, couples, and families transition past their feelings of hurt, anger, disappointment, and fear to improve the quality of their lives. My goal is to help you make positive changes and proactive choices in your lives. My clients tell me that my warm, collaborative approach helps clients utilize untapped personal strengths to facilitate growth and healing.

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I am truly excited to begin our journey together.

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-Elizabeth

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