1. With respect to the minor children of the marriage, if any: (a.) Will one or both spouses make major life decisions for the children; and (b.). With whom shall the children live, and when will they spend time with the other parent; and (c.) How much child support shall the parent with whom the children live receive from the other parent?

2. What will happen to the marital home itself and the contents within it?

3. What will happen to any other real estate (timeshare, summer home, investment properties) once the parties are divorced?

4. Who keeps what automobiles? Are there any motorcycles, boats or campers to be considered? Who pays any existing loan(s) on each, and how will the registration, title and insurance on any of the them be handled?

5. How will each spouse and the children of their marriage be covered for health/ dental/vision/orthodontic insurance after the divorce?

6. What type of life insurance policies exist prior to the divorce, and what will be done with these policies after the divorce? Read More…

Children enjoy coming to the playroom. The playroom is a safe and confidential space that offers children an opportunity to express thoughts and feelings-through play-that might otherwise remain hidden. Every toy in the playroom promotes expression of thoughts and emotions in ways that are unique to each child.

I routinely introduce children to the playroom by saying, "You can do almost anything you want in the playroom. If there is something you cannot do, I will let you know.". This statement serves as an invitation to explore the boundaries and limits of the playroom in a safe way.

My guinea pig, Sunny, welcomes children to the playroom. Sunny loves to be held and hand-fed. Sunny helps to create a relaxed atmosphere, thus allowing the child to experience me and therapy itself as less threatening. I have found that Sunny serves many therapeutic functions; he is often a transitional object, a reinforcement for behavior change, a cathartic holding object, a metaphor for feelings, a role play participant, and a nonjudgmental attachment and-to mention a few.

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Play therapy has a long and proud tradition stemming from Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the father of modern psychotherapy. He was the first to apply analytic concepts to the treatment of a five year old child. A student of Freud, Helga Hellmuth (1871-1924) is known to be the first child therapist. She had a clinic in Vienna where she applied psychoanalytic techniques to children. Hellmuth strongly influenced Melanie Klein (1882-1960). Klein further developed the work by basing her interventions and interpretations on the way the child played with toys. Klein’s non-directive approach is the foundation of Child-centered Play Therapy. Read More…