What qualifies me to write about divorce?

Simply put, I am the most qualified expert on divorce you’ve never heard of. I have devoted my professional life to working with divorcing people, and have been involved in one way or another with thousands of them. Literally NO one has as much experience with as many aspects of divorce and divorce recovery as I have, and now I want to share that experience and the lessons that I have learned with you.

Here’s a list of my qualifications for writing about the legal and psychological aspects of divorce, and for talking about divorce recovery:

• PhD in clinical psychology from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (1983)
• JD in law from Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas (1984)
• Contributing author to an award-winning psychiatric/psychological evidence book
• Adjunct faculty in forensic psychology and psychological evidence--8 years
• Co-author of custody evaluation system (UCCES published by PAR, Inc.)
• Co-author of a parenting book (Loving Your Children Better by Nolo Press)
• Co-facilitator of Divorce Recovery Workshop at NCC in Dallas-8 years
• Co-convenor of divorced singles Sunday school class
• Invited presenter to Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists Trial Workshop-10 years
• Invited presenter to Texas Advanced Family Law Course- 2 years
• Former member of American Psychological Association Committee on Practice and Professional Standards (setting child custody evaluation standards)
• Former lay member of Dallas County Bar Grievance Committee
• Former Chair, Dallas County Psychological Association Ethics Committee
• Psychotherapist to divorced/divorcing clients-10 years
• Custody evaluator-10 years
• Litigation consultant in hundreds of divorce/custody cases--25 years
• Certified in Collaborative Divorce—member of Collaborative Law Institute of Texas


The point of that list is that I have been involved in divorces and divorce litigation as a court-appointed expert, as a therapist, as a law clerk to a nationally recognized divorce lawyer, as a marriage counselor, as a consultant to lawyers and their clients, as a facilitator of divorce recovery workshops, and as a friend to divorcing people. Last, but not least, I am divorced myself.