Question 1

Ana-Lisa Gertner

Accepted Answer

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Ana-Lisa Gertner, a coach for FamilyKind, is a Family Mediator and Divorce Coach at Manhattan Mediators, and a Director at the Center for Mediation and Training in Manhattan. As a mediator she helps families going through conflicts and disagreements arrive at solutions without having to go to court. She has experience mediating a wide range of family conflicts, including parent- adolescent conflicts. In addition to helping couples separate and divorce, Ana-Lisa also works with couples in marital mediation, using mediation techniques to improve the relationship and to help people stay together.

Question 2

Randy Heller

Accepted Answer

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Dr. Randy Heller received her doctorate in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University wrote her dissertation on the Role of the Mental Health Professional working in Collaborative Divorce and has multiple publications on this topic. Dr. Heller has held multiple positions as an Educator, Exceptional Student Specialist, and Couples, Marriage and Family Therapist. Randy is licensed both as a Mental health Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist in Florida, New York, and Connecticut. She also works as a Florida Certified Supreme Court Family Mediator, Qualified Parenting Coordinator, Reunification Specialist, trained Hypnotherapist, and Founder and Clinical Director of The Family Network, Collaborative Counseling Center for Positive Growth and Change, established in 1994. Dr. Heller served as a Board member for The Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals (FACP) for over 15 years, was both Vice President and Past President of The Collaborative Family Law Professionals of South Florida for four years, now serves as a Board member of the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals (NYACP). Randy is an active Committee member of FACP and IACP. Dr. Heller also wrote and teaches a semester graduate course in Collaborative Divorce to MFT grad students at Nova Southeastern University, in its eighth year, out of which she developed and directs the Veterans Collaborative Pro Bono Clinic. She is also a National trainer and presenter on all family matters related to peaceful resolution of conflict. Randy is passionate about peacemaking, and works and plays in Mid-town Manhattan, where she enjoys wandering in the park, people watching, and spending time with her family.

Question 3

Rich Heller

Accepted Answer

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Rich Heller serves at FamilyKind as a parent coach, parenting coordinator, and parent education teacher. No stranger to conflict, Mr. Heller is a child of divorce, has been divorced and successfully remarried. He is a “Conflict Coach” who works with people engaged in high levels of conflict so that they can create cooperation out of conflict. He works with individuals and couples, focusing on how they can have a relationship that works with minimum friction and maximum support for their children. Mr. Heller also helps organizations and businesses transform destructive conflict into a vehicle for change and innovation.
He graduated from Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received his master’s degree in social work from Hunter College. He then trained to become a mediator with the Center for Understanding in Conflict and trained to be a parent coordinator through the Association for Family and Conciliation Courts. Mr. Heller is a Certified Professional Coach, and an ELI Master Practitioner.

Question 4

Diane Hessemann

Accepted Answer

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Diane Hessemann, LMSW, a parenting coordinator, coach, GoodTalk4Parents facilitator and parent education skills educator for FamilyKind, is a social worker with more than 30 years of experience working with families. She held administrative positions in both the foster care and domestic violence systems prior to becoming a City University of New York Adjunct Professor of Human Services.
 
Diane also teaches online for the Fordham Graduate School of Social Services. She has been an active member of the Appellate Division First and Second Department’s Mental Health Panel since 1996 where she serves families who are struggling with divorce and separation issues, provides therapeutic supervised visitation services, home assessments and parenting coordination services. Diane has additional training from the Ackerman Institute in divorce mediation as well as in the areas of domestic violence and addiction.

Question 5

Rachel Levenson

Accepted Answer

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Rachel Levenson, PhD, is a parent coach for FamilyKind and a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist in private practice in New York City. Rachel has expertise in the evaluation and treatment of couple and family conflict, including issues such as separation, divorce, and custody arrangements. She is an expert clinical and forensic diagnostician: she has specialized training in assessment practices, including the use of psychological testing measures.
 
She also has specialized training as a Family Court evaluator and consultant and extensive testimony experience. Rachel is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Ferkauf Graduate School, where she serves as an instructor and clinical supervisor. She is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Rachel was trained at Columbia University and Ferkauf Graduate School.

Question 6

Stephanie Palau

Accepted Answer

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Divorce & Family Mediator and Coach; Psychotherapist; Social Worker
Stephanie is a licensed master social worker, psychotherapist, and mediator, with 25+ years of experience. She's trained at Columbia University School of Social Work, The International Trauma Studies Program and The Center for Mediation and Training.  Stephanie has lived and worked all over the world including the US, UK, Middle East, South America, and the West Indies.  She is passionate about providing therapeutic support to families and their children by providing supportive mediation, parenting coordination and coaching support.

Question 7

Joelle Perez

Accepted Answer

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Joelle Perez is a compassionate and experienced divorce mediation attorney who serves as a neutral third party, helping clients reach mutually agreeable settlements with dignity and respect. Her mediation style is rooted in creating a safe, supportive environment that prioritizes the emotional and financial well-being of both spouses—and their children.

Having personally navigated divorce mediation, Joelle brings a unique and deeply empathetic perspective to her work. She understands firsthand the emotional challenges her clients face, which allows her to approach each case with sensitivity, insight, and a genuine commitment to helping families transition with care.

Joelle is the founder of Peacemaker Divorce Mediation, a practice dedicated to guiding clients through the divorce process in a cooperative, amicable, and cost-effective way. Her mission is to help individuals move forward with clarity, control, and compassion.

In addition to her private practice, Joelle is a leader in the field of divorce mediation. She is the Past President of the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, the former Chair of the Council’s Nominating Committee, and former Co-Chair of its Education Committee. She also serves as Program Manager for the Long Island Collaborative Divorce Professionals, working to advance collaborative approaches to family law.

Question 8

Bess Steiger

Accepted Answer

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Bess Steiger, LCSW is a social worker and family mediator in New York City and Westchester County. She provides divorce mediation, coaching and parenting coordination services for Family Kind. Bess is a partner with fellow Family Kind consultant Helise Harrington, JD at Hudson Mediation Group. Bess has worked extensively with families across the life span, and believes mediation offers a humane and constructive process for families to resolve disputes.
 
She trained in divorce and advanced divorce mediation through the Ackerman Institute for the Family and in parenting coordination through the Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts (AFCC). Bess is also certified as a Restorative Justice, Parent-Teen and Elder Care mediator. She received her BA (Honors) from Leeds University, UK and her MSW from CUNY Hunter College School of Social Work.

Question 9

Ivy Woolf Turk

Accepted Answer

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Ivy Woolf Turk is an ICF Certified Life and Professional Coach in private practice, a champion of freedom, an internationally recognized inspirational speaker, advocate, workshop innovator/facilitator and author. She is the founder of Project Liberation where she works with women across all stages of criminal justice involvement, and A Liberated Life, a workshop series for individuals, families or those who feel imprisoned in their lives in one way or another. She assists them in recognizing and disrupting the pathways that imprison” them and provides the trauma informed and work/life balance tools for healing. She is a consultant to the Justice Advocacy Group, LLC in Alexandria, VA., a Center for Social Innovation Agent of Change Fellow, a Founding member of the National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls., and a Dignity Ambassador with #CUT50. She partners with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct coaching groups in their Health Equity Centers.

Ivy has a unique perspective on incarceration, homelessness and re-entry. A former exec in the advertising and real estate businesses, she found herself caught up in a situation with criminal consequences and was sentenced to 5 years in Federal Prison. While incarcerated at Danbury Federal Prison Camp, Ivy taught GED English literacy, Yoga, Journaling and Meditation. She also co-created C.H.O.I.C.E.S, a group of Federal inmates that went out into the community to speak to youth about the consequences of poor choices. Finding all options foreclosed in the rigors of Re-Entry since her early release in 2013, Ivy has advocated for the needs of women from inside many prisons all the way to the White House. She has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NY1, The Telegraph, and many other publications.

Ivy is a proud mother of two amazing adult children and two adult step-children. She has a B.S. in Communications from Boston University and a CPC from Coaching for Transformation / Leadership that Works.

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