“… Working to make Divorce gentler on children and their families.”
Let me introduce myself. My name is, Darcia Tudor and I am a Mediator. The 20 years I spent as a divorce attorney helped me to recognize that families need much more than a good lawyer in times of challenge and crises. I changed my focus from the battleground of the courtroom to the more healing approach of mediation, and obtained a Master’s degree in clinical psychology, which allowed me to develop skills in resolving emotional impasses that plague families during the divorce process, and understand research based treatment modalities that reduce the detrimental effects of divorce on children.
My dual background in both clinical psychology and law gives me a unique perspective and capacity for resolution of family law matters. Traditional thinking about divorce used to be of the all-or-nothing kind. Either you are married, and you share everything, or you are divorced, and you fight to keep it all, even when it harms the emotional wellbeing and financial security of you child. There is an alternative: The “responsible divorce”, through collaboration, negotiation, and mediation.
The “responsible divorce” is about balance. You understand that there are conflicting needs, and you do your best to balance them. You know your intimate relationship is over, but you must form an alliance to raise emotionally and physically healthy children. Responsible parents will not risk destroying their ability to cooperatively parent. If you are already divorced, and the conflict continues over unresolved issues or disputes, let me help you mediate a truce.
Families need effective affordable options to responsibly and fairly resolve the many issues involved in separation and divorce. And while a divorce may legally resolve spousal disputes, it provides no emotional support to help either the separating couple or the children. The collaborative or cooperative divorce process can provide both the legal, emotional, and financial support couples need to make responsible and balanced decisions.
I have over 30 years of experience helping families positively adjust to significant life changes and explore new possibilities. The end is truly just a new beginning, if you can minimize the negative aspects and strengthen the positive aspects of any change.
Education
- Argosy University, M. A., Clinical Psychology, 2004
- Seattle University School of Law, J.D., 1981
Certifications
- Mediation, United Latino Students Association
Awards
- 2021 Loren Miller Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2023 APFM National Outstanding Mediator Award