During the holidays, many people may struggle with feelings of loss associated with divorce. Cindy Runge, Magdalena Ellis and Kimberly Hutchins explored the challenges and benefits of developing gratitude during times of loss and sadness. How does cultivating gratitude help? What does it involve and how do you start?  

Magdalena Ellis, Esq., ACC, MSMHC, is a certified life coach, psychotherapist, and divorce mediator with legal and financial background. Magda has over 10 years of experience helping clients navigate the emotional roller coaster associated with divorce and providing support through difficult decision-making in any stage of the divorce (before, during, and after). In addition to working 1:1 with clients, Magda facilitates divorce groups and mediates divorce disputes. 

Kimberly Hutchins, LMHC, has been in the child & family counseling field since 1996 and in group & private practice since 2003, after working for many years in Director positions for child outpatient, home-based and residential programs. She specializes in divorcing & divorced families, guiding people through the uncoupling process emotionally and legally, family/parent/child reunification, step-parenting, coparenting, relationships, conflict resolution & court-appointed parent coordination services.

In our summer Zoom presentation Cindy interviewed Kelly Walsh, Executive Director of the New England School of Performing Arts and Monica Wisco, LICSW, both of whom work with children and adolescents. Monica and Kelly talked about ways parents can provide support for kids therapeutically as well as through self-expression in the arts.

Kelly Walsh is the Artistic Director/Owner of the New England School of Performing Arts which is dedicated to providing a fun, all-inclusive, professional arts experience for all ages. Kelly also serves as the Drama Director at North Andover High School. She co-founded The Fairy Tale Players, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating educational theatre for young audiences and has served as the Education Director at Creative Arts, where she directed over thirty children's' productions and was featured twice in Boston Parent’s “Best of the Best” issue for her theatre classes. In addition she has worked at The North Shore Music Theatre, The Greater Boston Stage Company, the Concord Youth Theatre, and the Andover School of Montessori.

Monica Wisco, LICSW has a private practice in Danvers, MA where she provides individual and family therapy to all ages, specializing in children and adolescents. With over two decades of experience working with individuals of varied ages and circumstances, she is passionate about working with those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and who have experienced trauma; and has extensive training in these areas. She has worked in community mental health, groups practices and other outpatient settings and utilizes those experiences in her work.

Our spring quarterly Zoom presentation featured Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®) John Marroni speaking about the necessary real estate considerations and decisions which parties encounter during divorce.

John’s main goal is to simplify the mortgage process. He takes the time to understand his clients’ situations and goals so he can create streamlined plans to help them reach their objectives. His niches include complicated loans for first time homebuyers, self-employed borrowers, and developing home lending solutions for divorcing couples. As a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), John is adept at helping Family Law Attorneys guide their divorcing clients in making informed decisions regarding their mortgage equity solutions and mortgage planning options during and after the divorce.

This Zoom presentation featured Jeff Weiner, CEO of HKM Associates, who presented on everything you need to know about health and life insurance when you are going through a divorce. Jeff provided valuable insights on these types of insurance, specifically addressing their implications in both general scenarios and the unique considerations that arise during instances of divorce.

Jeff Weiner strives to provide excellent service in the areas of Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Financial Services both in the personal and corporate marketplace. Jeff brings extensive knowledge to these areas and has been the recipient of many industry awards in his 40 years in the field. Jeff’s business goal is to be able to sustain himself to focus on his passion of working within the charity world, organizing, and coordinating fundraising events through his networks and providing the benefit to those who need them the most.

On Thursday, October 5, 2:30–3:15 pm EST Peridot Family Law welcomed Attorney Shiva Karimi and Attorney Danielle Huntley Webb who discussed hot topics in immigration law. They also highlighted specific circumstances which could trigger the need to engage knowledgeable immigration counsel to advise in your family law matter.

Shiva Karimi is a frequent speaker on both immigration and real estate related matters for judges, attorneys, and non-attorneys, and has given presentations at the Boston Municipal Court Department Judge’s Conference, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston College Law School, and the Iranian Association of Boston, among others.

Danielle Huntley Webb, founder of Huntley PC in Boston, MA, focuses her practice on religious workers, extraordinary ability visas, millennial-owned businesses, startups, high net worth individuals, and federal litigation. She has been named to Massachusetts Super Lawyers from 2020 to 2023. A Boston College and Boston College Law School graduate, she resides in Southern New Hampshire with her husband and two dogs, Luna the Great Pyrenees and Jed the Great Dane.

On Thursday, April 6, 2023, 12:15 pm EST Cindy interviewed Lovern Gordon, a two-time sur-THRIVER of domestic violence (a child witness until she was 15 years old in Trinidad, as well as a 2-year, young adult relationship in the United States). Ten years after escaping the adult relationship, she became the Founder of Love Life Now Foundation, Inc. (LLN), where she used 2 back-to-back pageant wins to increase awareness around issue in 2010 and the following year, LLN was formed. Today, Lovern continues to head LLN, a global awareness and education organization that supports survivors of abuse through their year-round initiatives and direct assistance to other domestic violence programs. Lovern discussed:

• What is domestic violence (DV).

• Recognizing the signs/red flags of someone dealing with DV.

• Becoming acquainted with the concepts of DV (why victims stay).

• How to support someone experiencing abuse.

• What resources are available.

A short Q&A followed Lovern’s presentation.