Private: Mediation

…types of disputes can be mediated? Virtually any kind of dispute can be mediated, although both parties must be willing to negotiate in “good faith.” Good faith requires that both parties agree to share information, listen to each other carefully and consider moving from their initial positions. Examples of disputes that can be mediated: Dissolution of marriage, property settlements, parenting plans Workplace disputes: supervisor-employee, employee-employee Church disputes Business and sales disputes: consumer complaints, products, repairs, rentals Family disputes: truancy, teen issues Landlord/tenant disputes: rent, deposits, repairs, noise Neighborhood disputes: animals,…

Meet Heather Macdonald

Dr. Heather Macdonald joins our clinical staff this spring, bringing with her a wealth of experience and depth of training. We are particularly excited to welcome her to our psychological testing and assessment program. Heather’s professional background includes working with young children, adolescents and adults in a variety of settings with a wide range of identified concerns. A licensed clinical psychologist since 2010, she has experience working with neurodevelopmental challenges, specific learning differences, complex developmental trauma, ADHD (in adults and children), and mood issues. Working with Clergy. Heather also has…

Common Questions

…the disclosure of specific behaviors (abuse of vulnerable persons) that trigger mandatory reporting. What can I expect from beginning therapy? At your first session, you begin a discussion of your needs and goals for therapy. In the process, you will need to complete intake forms and receive documents relating to agency/therapist terms of service, including safeguarding your healthcare information. You will have the chance to ask questions and express preferences so that you and your therapist have a mutual opportunity to assess the suitability of moving forward together. What if…

What is Family Constellations Therapy?

…experience. This modality has been very useful in launching young adults from family of origin, healing wounds from early childhood, honoring lost relationships (first loves, adopted children, early deaths, injustices), managing illness, and ancestral entanglements. The introduction to Bert Hellinger’s book, Love’s Hidden Symmetry by Gunthard Weber states, “Bert Hellinger’s spirituality is close to the earth, embodied, passionate, life-affirming. It embraces the everyday lives of average people struggling with their suffering and with their greatness. It draws us into life rather than seeking to lift us above it. It celebrates…

What (Really) is Mindfulness?

…practice, mindfulness supports us to meet whatever comes, whether pleasant and joyful or difficult and sorrowful, with resiliency and balance. Since we are human beings with human experience, we will experience ups and downs, joys and sorrows. When we are present and aware in the face of what life offers us, we experience greater wellbeing, no matter the situation. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a pioneer whose work has helped bring mindfulness into the mainstream, calls mindfulness simply “the art of being fully human.” It does not promise to eliminate life’s difficulties, but…

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

…where actions or practices are missing the mark, and having conversations to repair or build something new. I often cite Recovery wisdom of, ‘how does one eat an elephant?’ ‘One piece/chunk at a time.’ Individual shifts, modifications–sprinkled with tons of patience and good humor–begin the sacred and meaningful work, step by step, piece by piece, of ‘creating that which is new.’ true 1579810828:10 10 default 14 Communication Skills communication-skills therapy_topic 14 116 Relationship Skills relationship-skills 116 category 2 1825 116 89 Skills & Tools skills-tools 89 category 14 1827 89…

News & Insights

…Human Together At Samaritan, we are deeply aware of how foundational it is to wellbeing to have reliable, caring relationships with others. Re-entry from Covid There’s a feeling of uncertainty, a forgetting of how everyday relationship with the outside world is done. Stepping Out in Faith by Eric Stroo These days we are all walking on water. I Will Not Give Up by Howard Thurman, from his book “Meditations of the Heart” “I will use to the full every resource in me and about me to answer life with life.”…