» Member Meeting

Monthly Member Meeting Wednesday, February 8, 2023 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Tell Me Your Story: The Role and Power of Our Clients’ Narratives Presented by Natalie Goldberg, LCSW, LICSW, LCSW-C and Sue Soler, LCSW-C, LICSW All clients come to the Collaborative process with a narrative. It’s through their narrative that they make sense of what’s happened in their lives, their relationships and the divorce. In this program, we’ll explore how those narratives play a significant role in how our clients view the process, the professionals, their partner and the resolution. How they are, in fact, another reference point for our clients. We will discuss the purpose of narratives, what informs narratives, and why it is important for us to understand and integrate narratives into our work and process with clients. Finally, we will explore frameworks and tools available to the professionals as we work with each other and our clients on getting to resolution using narratives as a main reference point. Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

Loneliness and the Need for Connection During Divorce. How loneliness impacts health, loneliness as an emotional health crisis; the importance of hope. Presented by: Lisa Herrick, PhD MONDAY! October 16, 2023 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. – U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy “I’m not much, but I’m all I have.” – Philip K. Dick “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone.” – Robin Williams “I like being alone. I have control over my own shit.” – Horacio Jones “To live alone is the fate of all great souls.” – Arthur Schopenhauer Loneliness is a much more complex state of being than we might think, and the experience of loneliness can stem from a wide range of causes. This program will explore the nature of loneliness and how our clients, heading into, though, or out of divorce struggle with feelings of isolation and alienation. We will also talk about how we, as helping professionals, can help our clients identify these feelings, cope with them a little more effectively, and perhaps ease their own loneliness. We will talk about how to really sit with our clients in ways that may help them feel – just for a moment, with us, a little less lonely. Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

The Psychology of Language in Collaborative Work Presented by: Natalie Goldberg, LCSW and Sue Soler, LCSW Wednesday, November 8, 2023 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Sticks and stones may break our bones and words can hurt and help us. The words we use have power and make an important difference in our work with clients. We live in a time when language is often used to incite hatred and division instead of empathy and understanding. Words can be used to calm, unite, inspire, provoke, divide, or shame and impact us at a biological and psychological level. As collaborative professionals, it is helpful to recognize the impact of words on our work and how our shared collaborative language can be used as a tool to create a consistent and cohesive culture within our community and to more effectively reduce unnecessary conflict and manage conflict. Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

Crucial Conversations – for Coaches, Attorneys, and Financial Neutrals How do we talk with clients about critical topics in the process (specifically) and in divorce (generally)? Presented by: Debbie Beach, LCSW, Geoff Burroughs, CFP®, CDFA®, and Erin Golding, Esq. Wednesday, January 10, 2024 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM There are moments at the beginning, middle, and end of Collaborative cases where all Collaborative professionals find ourselves needing to have critical conversations with our clients to help shift their thinking and set the case up for success. In this program, we will discuss – from each profession’s perspective – some key conversations that professionals need to have with their clients at the start of Collaborative cases to help ensure clients’ expectations are set appropriately and that the case has the best chances of successfully moving through the Collaborative Process; the key conversations each profession has during the Collaborative Process about substantive issues clients are grappling with; and the key conversations we have near the end of a Collaborative case to bring it over the finish line. Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

Shifting Trends in Collaborative Work: The good, the bad and . . . . where we go from here. Presented by: DCACP Education Committee Wednesday, February 14, 2024 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Have you observed that Collaborative matters, well all our matters, seem more challenging than ever and, notably, in new and not very welcome ways? Clients seem less flexible. Options seem fewer and harder to find. Modifications of the process seem to backfire, ushering in yet a new host of challenges and hurdles. Professional teammates (er, we might mean we) show up with creativity and patience fuel tanks that are half-full at best and dropping fast? Well, the members of the DCACP Education Committee have definitely noticed these shifting trends and in true collaborative fashion, we tried to get curious about these shifting trends. Join the DCACP Education Committee as we take a deep dive into the particular nature of the challenges that we are seeing, the limitations of tried and true techniques, as well as ideas for new strategies, ideas and tools. Part I: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 (Zoom, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM) Part II: Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (Zoom, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM) Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

Part II: Shifting Trends in Collaborative Work: The good, the bad and . . . . where we go from here. Presented by: DCACP Education Committee Wednesday, March 13, 2024 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM This meeting is the second in a two-part series. Even if you missed Part 1, please join us for a dynamic presentation and discussion moderated by the DCACP Education Committee. Have you observed that Collaborative matters, well all our matters, seem more challenging than ever and, notably, in new and not very welcome ways? Clients seem less flexible. Options seem fewer and harder to find. Modifications of the process seem to backfire, ushering in yet a new host of challenges and hurdles. Professional teammates (er, we might mean we) show up with creativity and patience fuel tanks that are half-full at best and dropping fast? Well, the members of the DCACP Education Committee have definitely noticed these shifting trends and in true collaborative fashion, we tried to get curious about these shifting trends. Please Join the DCACP Education Committee as we take a deep dive into the particular nature of the challenges that we are seeing, the limitations of tried and true techniques, as well as ideas for new strategies, ideas and tools. Part I: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 Part II: Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (Zoom, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM) Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

Monthly Member Meeting Wednesday, January 11, 2023 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Supporting Adults and Children When New Partners Enter the Picture After Separation/Divorce Presented by Karen S. Bonnell In many of the families we work with, a parent’s new romantic partner is part of the picture, or parents anticipate dating in the future as they move through the divorce process. Karen Bonnell, a mental health professional (retired) with over 40 years of experience working with families as a therapist, divorce/co-parent coach and mediator will join us to answer some of our most pressing questions. Today, Karen helps parents Divorce Well – prepare their children for two-home family life, Co-Parent Strong – strengthen their co-parenting skills, and Step-Wise – assist with how to successfully introduce kiddos to a new romantic partner and integrate a new adult into two-home family life – best practices while moving toward stepfamily. Karen will speak to so many of the issues we have all wondered about: How does growth and development play into a child’s readiness to integrate a new adult into their sense of family? How do we help parents and the person their dating to understand the axiom that “the slower we go, the faster we’ll get there”? Help parents see, anticipate and manage the “five stepfamily challenges” that begin during the dating phase – for example, discipline. Help parents appreciate the impact of dating on their co-parenting relationship, how to discuss dating with a co-parent, and how to prevent the risk of children falling into painful loyalty binds; important considerations when developing a parenting plan that supports next-time family. Help parents begin to imagine the purpose of forming a constructive parenting coalition where all the adults communicate and work together on behalf of the kiddos… huge impact post-decree. Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More

Monthly Member Meeting Wednesday, November 9, 2022 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Introducing the DMV Social Media Campaign Please note: This meeting will be conducted by Zoom. Please contact the DCACP Adminstrator at DCACP.office@gmail.com for more meeting information. Kindly submit an RSVP below to record your attendance. Read More