Ms. Reese continues to pursue ongoing education to provide relevant services for her clients. Here is an interview with Ms. Reese about why she chose to pursue a Master's Degree in Counseling.
Christine: After almost 20 years as a family law attorney, why pursue a degree in counseling?
Kate: In those years, I had many cases where it was apparent that a mental health professional would be a better asset to child-related issues than a judge.
Christine: What kind of issues?
Kate: When one parent negatively influences a child against the other parent, when parenting styles differ drastically from one parent to another, causing conflict for the child (and an opportunity to manipulate at times), when the adults need to make decisions but cannot agree, and when the child is in crisis and the parents don’t know their options are a few examples.
Christine: How has your degree program helped you thus far?
Kate: I began the program in the Fall of 2014, and regularly use what I have been learning to advise my clients and help them make better choices for themselves and their children.
Christine: How will the completion of the program impact your practice?
Kate: I will be adding a new dimension to my mediation/alternative dispute resolution practice, specifically co-parenting counseling, and individual parenting counseling for non-litigation cases.
Christine: How will those clients differ from the firm’s existing client base?
Kate: While we do mediation, it covers a host of matters, including finance, the new dimension will be family based, and also not litigation based. Once the court is involved, the character of the case and potential resolutions change, as the parties are no longer in control of the outcome.
Christine: Why would a client choose the new structure?
Kate: They will always be the parents of their children, and as long as there is a conflict between them, there will be a conflict for the child(ren). Imagine your child worrying through their graduation or wedding about their parent’s ability to be in the same room, or you being the parent who isn’t invited? Children deserve two healthy parents in their lives whenever possible. The adults often control the “whenever possible”.
ReeseLaw helps clients choose from a full array of personalized family law solutions including advocacy, mediation, litigation, and collaboration. Catherine M. Reese is trained in the growing field of collaborative law and heads a team of family law attorneys in Fairfax, Virginia. She is also a certified mediator who will recommend mediation if that is the best choice, or serve as a mediator in cases in which she is not counsel for a party.
Evening and weekend appointments are available under certain circumstances.
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