Hi, I’m Diane.
I help individuals and family-law professionals make sense of complicated situations involving family dynamics, mental health, substance use, child development, and the legal system.
For almost three decades, I have worked with families navigating uncertainty, conflict, and significant change. I see patterns and implications that can be easy to miss, translate specialized information into plain language, and help people determine what matters and what comes next.
Bring me the complexity.
Prolonged conflict can deepen dysfunction, reinforce unproductive patterns, and consume enormous amounts of time, energy, and money without bringing a family closer to a workable resolution. More activity does not always mean more progress. Sometimes the process itself begins to miss the mark.
I believe complex family-law matters can be approached more thoughtfully, efficiently, and collaboratively. By identifying the right questions earlier, organizing information before it becomes overwhelming, and understanding what is driving the conflict, we can interrupt patterns that keep a case stuck and focus attention where it can make a meaningful difference.
The goal is not to add another professional or another layer of work. It is to bring the right perspective to the team at the right time. That may mean helping an individual understand the process and prepare for what lies ahead, or helping an attorney develop a better-prepared client, a more focused inquiry, and a strategy that reflects the full trajectory of the case.
The result is clearer thinking, better-informed decisions, and more intentional use of everyone’s time, energy, and resources.
The next question matters.
More than 150 hours of deposition and trial testimony have given me a distinctive view of how complex family information is presented, challenged, and understood. As I became more experienced on the witness stand, I learned to observe the courtroom as a whole: how an issue was framed, how professional opinions were tested, where an explanation created clarity, and how one answer could open an important new line of inquiry.
Family-law attorneys bring legal judgment, advocacy, and command of the courtroom. I bring a complementary understanding of mental health, substance use, child development, and family systems. When those perspectives are combined during preparation, counsel can more readily recognize the implications within an answer and determine where the inquiry should go next.
Attorneys understand that a strong examination is more than a list of questions. It is an intentional sequence that establishes the foundation, follows the clinical and family-system logic, anticipates likely responses, and creates clear pathways for follow-up. I work with attorneys to build that architecture before testimony begins so the examination supports the larger case strategy.
I also help clients prepare for depositions, evaluations, mediation, and testimony. Preparation is not about scripting answers or rehearsing a performance. It is about understanding the process, organizing thoughts, managing anxiety and defensiveness, listening carefully, and responding honestly and directly. Credibility is communicated through more than words. A grounded, well-prepared client is better able to remain focused, ask for clarification when genuinely needed, and provide useful information when the questions become difficult.
Thoughtful preparation can help counsel test methodology, explore the basis for professional conclusions, clarify what the available information does and does not establish, and determine whether additional expert involvement is truly necessary.
The result is a more focused inquiry, a better-prepared client, a more integrated strategy, and a clearer presentation of what matters.
Experience that informs the work.
My perspective has been shaped by nearly three decades of work in mental health, substance use, family systems, and family law. I have conducted approximately 150 to 200 custody evaluations, worked with more than 200 families as a parenting consultant, and provided more than 150 hours of deposition and trial testimony.
I am a Minnesota Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a qualified Rule 114 Neutral, and a trained divorce coach. My work includes custody evaluations, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, integrated mental health and substance use diagnostic assessments, individual coaching, and consultation with family-law attorneys.
My education and professional experience allow me to examine a matter through multiple lenses while remaining focused on the practical question at hand: What does this information mean for this family, this client, or this case?
Education and Licensure
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor
M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy
B.S. Applied Psychology
Certificate in Chemical Dependency Counseling
Trauma-Informed Advocacy Certificate
Professional Qualifications
Qualified Minnesota Rule 114 Neutral (since 2017)
Custody and parenting-time evaluator
Trained in mediation, SENE, and child-inclusive ADR
Advanced Divorce Coaching training
Clinical Fellow, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Member, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
Member, Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
Let’s get to work.
You do not need the perfect words or a complete plan before we begin. Bring the question, the worry, the report, or the complicated case. We will sort through the information, identify what matters, and determine the next useful step.
Services are available by Zoom or in person at my office, an attorney’s office, or another mutually agreed location.