Family Matters Podcast

“Your Family Matters” is a talk radio program that provides expert information about family law issues, various dispute resolution practices, and other services concerning the law and how it relates to your family. In short, your family matters! So whether you are simply curious about family law matters, experiencing difficulties in your marriage, contemplating or going through a divorce, and/or worried about the potential effects on your family, there is an episode for you.

Your host, Cyndy Morin, is a family lawyer with Resolve Legal Group; A family law firm that is both renowned for and dedicated to providing client-centered, holistic legal services in Calgary, Cochrane, and surrounding areas. At Resolve Legal Group, we know that your family law matters come with unique hardships. To combat those hardships, we ensure that we tailor our legal services to our clients’ individual and family needs, and that we connect them our clients what ever support services they require.

Episode 1 – Client Support Services Program

Special Guest: Ali Clark
Host Cyndy Morin, speak with special guest Ali Clark about the role and many benefits of having a Client Support Services Program.

The Client Support Services Program was formed to provide our clients with compassionate and personalized care. Resolve Legal Group takes a holistic family systems approach to our clients’ family matters, our CSS helps both our clients and their lawyers in three important ways:

First, by providing a welcoming and comfortable environment. We ensure that our clients experience a sense of support from the first phone call to the conclusion of their file.

By asking relevant and appropriate questions to help determine a client’s specific legal requirements and match them with a member of our team that will best suit their needs.

Second, throughout the client’s legal matter, CSS remains a constant support and resource. CSS provides helps clients by coordinating community resources to those clients who require additional social supports throughout their legal process. Coordination of services includes arranging counselling, budget assistance, job skills training, education inquiries, arranging parent coordination services, arranging supervision services, and so much more. Whatever additional assistance our clients require during their time of family transition, our CSS is equipped to find and arrange those services on behalf of the client.

Third, because quality control and client satisfaction are one of our top priorities at Resolve Legal Group, our CSS acts as a an ombudsman on behalf of our clients. In addition, the CSS also ensures clients receive the best possible service with the lawyer best suited for the client.

All these client support services are provided at no additional cost to our clients.

Both our clients and our team members agree that the Client Support Services Program provides an invaluable and unprecedented service to our clients.

Episode 2 – Parental Alienation In Child Custody Disputes

Special Guest: April Byers + Panel Discussion with two

April Byers and host Cyndy Morin discuss the many issues that come with Parental Alienation in Child Custody Disputes.

April Byers is a registered psychologist and is also trained as a Family Mediator through the Legal Education Society of Alberta.

She holds a B.Sc. in Psychology, M.Sc., in Neuroscience and has also completed post-graduate work in the areas of neurological trauma, social justice, educational psychology and disability studies. She recently returned to school to complete a PhD in Psychology at the University of Queensland.

Her research focuses on the assessment and treatment of children and parents experiencing high conflict during separation or divorce. In addition to her private practice, April works with children in the school system on a part-time basis and with Family Justice Services for almost 10 years. She has also taught courses, and given seminars or presented locally (Calgary, Lacombe, Ponoka, U of C., MRU) as well as internationally (Palestine Avenir Foundation, Gaza, Australia). Currently she is working on the Reformulation of Family Justice Services in Alberta.

Episode 7 – Equal Does Not Always Mean Equal In Family Tax Law

Special Guest Sharon Numerow, describes to Host Cyndy Morin the many areas of tax when it comes to Family Law.

Sharon is a passionate certified divorce financial analyst and tax professional who has been educating and empowering men and women going through divorce for almost a decade. She also specializes in educating men and women and other divorce professionals on the financial and tax implications of the decisions to be made in divorce negotiations.

Episode 8 – Impact of Exposure to High Conflict On Children

Special Guest: April Byers

Host Cyndy Morin talks with returning guest speaker April Byers on the Impact of exposure to high conflict on Children. This is an amazing discussion and one you want to hear if you have children and are going through a separation or divorce.

April Byers is a registered psychologist and trained as a Family Mediator through the Legal Education Society of Alberta. She also holds a B.Sc. in Psychology, M.Sc., in Neuroscience.

Episode 10 – Mediation Of Families

Special Guests: Dr. Larry Fong and Pat Blocksom Q.C.

Dr. Larry Fong, Pat Blocksom Q.C. and your host Cyndy Morin discuss how mediation can help in family and divorce conflict. They go over the advantages and value mediation offers.

Dr. Larry Fong is a Registered Psychologist whose20+ years international consulting practice spans the areas of business, legal and personal consultation. Dr. Fong has a permanent teachers certificate, and has taught at all grade levels. As a psychologist his awareness of the complexities of child custody, parenting issues or access problems within the context of a psycho-legal arena have resulted in his being called by the judiciary to provide his professional skills as a mediator and arbitrator. He has also taught mediation and arbitration worldwide.

Pat Blocksom Q.C. has been a partner with Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP since 1990. She is a skilled senior matrimonial lawyer and her practice emphasizes negotiated resolutions to complex property, support and custody settlements. Pat’s current practice focuses on mediation, arbitration and assisted negotiations. Pat is involved in international human rights and poverty issues and was a director on two Canadian charitable foundations: Partners in the Horn of Africa, which funds sustainable development in Ethiopia, and Future Generations Canada, which supported community-based programs in health care, education and rebuilding civil society in Afghanistan. She has traveled extensively throughout rural Ethiopia to work on projects that focus on water development, education, HIV prevention and support, reforestation and orphan fostering

Episode 11 – Stress Management

Special Guest: Jo-Ann Pawliw

Host Cyndy Morin speaks with Jo-Ann Pawliw on stress management. Jo-Ann gives a detailed explanation on the effects of stress and provides strategies on how YOU CAN manage stress through separation and divorce.

Jo-Ann Pawliw, is a certified emotional fitness coach and licensed stress and performance coach. She has trained for the last decade to help her clients (and herself) build more resilience, stay calm under pressure and lead themselves with integrity and accountability. Trained in leading edge strategies and evidence-based models from Harvard and HeartMath in California, Jo-Ann coaches CEOs, leaders, managers, elite golfers and other athletes to perform at their best in the difficult moments.

Episode 12 – Finding The Money: Forensic Audits in Family Law Matters

Special Guest: Bailey Rivard, CA·IFA, CFE

Host Cyndy Morin talks with Bailey Rivard, CA·IFA, CFE, a member of MNP’s Investigative and Forensic Services team in Calgary, on the process of forensic accounting in family law matters.

Bailey focuses a significant part of her practice on matrimonial disputes, including collaborative files. She prepares income determinations in complex child and spousal support claims and assists with matrimonial property disputes, including claims for exempt property and dissipation of assets.

Today, she shares how you can find the money while going through a separation and divorce.

Episode 14 – The Do’s and Dont’s in Family Court

Special Guest: Hon. Provincial Court Judge T. LaRochelle

Hon. Provincial Court Judge T. LaRochelle gives host Cyndy Morin candid insights on the Dos and Don’ts in family court.

Hon. Provincial Court Judge T. LaRochelle graduated in 1989 from the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law. In 1992 he was then made Associate/Partner of Milne and CO and then became a legal manager of Family Law at Alberta Justice in 1996. He served as a board member of Calgary Legal Guidance and chairman of the Legal Aid Regional Committee. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Alberta Justice’s Humanitarian Award. Hon. Provincial Court Judge T. LaRochelle was appointed to the Calgary Family and Youth Provincial Court in 2009.

Episode 15 – Setting Healthy Boundaries In Relationships

Special Guest: Dr. Raksha Dave-Gates

Joining host Cyndy Morin is Dr. Raksha Dave-Gates who discusses boundaries, why we should set them and how to maintain them.

Dr. Raksha Dave-Gates is a registered psychologist in an independent private practice called Aspire Psychological Service Inc, counselling adult individuals, couples and families. She completed her B.Sc. in Psychology (with Distinction) and M.Sc. in Clinical (Community) Psychology at the University of Calgary with her Ph.D. in Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. She has over 15 years of counselling experience with respect to relationship and cultural contexts. She works collaboratively with child and pediatric psychologists to support the family when needed. Raksha specializes in the treatment of: depression, anxiety, relationship issues, grief and loss, life stage transitions, stress management, assertiveness and self‐esteem enhancement. She offers counselling services in English, Hindi and Gujarati. She is an active member of The College of Alberta Psychologists and Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.

Episode 16 – Parenting Coordination

Special Guest: Lorri Yasenik Ph.D., RSW, CPT-S, RPT-S

This weekLorri Yasenik and host Cyndy Morin discuss what parenting coordination is, how to become a parent coordinator, who would benefit from using one and what types of issues they cover.

Lorri is a registered family mediator, registered parenting coordinator-arbitrator, registered clinical social worker, registered play therapist and child specialist based in Calgary, Alberta. Lorri is the past president of the Alberta Family Mediation Society and the 2010 recipient of the John Haynes Award for outstanding contributions to Family Mediation. Lorri provides child psychotherapy and play therapy and is the co-director of Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute and owns a private practice counseling and consulting group. She delivers national and international training related to children’s issues and specialized child and play therapies. As a result of her doctoral work Lorri is currently co-delivering a skills-based training program nationally and internationally on the Child-Centered Continuum Model: A Four Level Approach to Including Children’s Voices in Separation and Divorce to legal practitioners, mediators, parenting coordinators and counselors.

Episode 17 – Cross Border Abductions

Special Guest: Max Blitt Q.C.

Max Blitt Q.C. speaks with host Cyndy Morin this week about cross-border abductions. Max explains how the number of child abductions by a parent has increased from one to seven to ten cases a year. They discuss The Hague Convention, rules pertaining to jurisdiction and human rights.

Max was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1975 and is currently an associate of the law firm of Spier Harben. He practices primarily in family law, real estate, wills and estates. Max has also had extensive experience dealing with The Hague Convention on the civil aspects of international child abductions. He has personally been involved in assisting clients and legal counsel to recover children that have been abducted by parents and relatives both nationally and internationally. In addition to international children’s issues, Max works with counsel in foreign countries in dealing with support and property issues involving Canada and foreign jurisdictions, such as the United States, UK, and the Middle East. Max is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, Canada Family Mediation, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (International), Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association, International Bar Association, American Bar Association, Law Society of England and Wales and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is a Court Appointed Dispute Resolution Officer with the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (2006 to present), a Negotiations / Advocacy Assessment Instructor for the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education 2008-to the present (Bar Admission Course), and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in December 2013

Episode 18 – Sex And Porn Addiction In Marriage

Special Guest: Kim Busch

Kim Busch and host Cyndy Morin examine the issue of sex and porn addiction in a marriage. Kim touches on their negative effects and how to overcome addiction to sex and porn.

Kim is a Registered psychologist at Calgary Counselling Centre. She has a B.Sc. in psychology from the University of Calgary and a Masters of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology from City University of Seattle. She completed the CSAT training from the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals. She does specialized counselling for addicts and partners suffering with sexual addiction.

Kim has completed specialized training in domestic violence over the past eight years, andhas worked with both perpetrators and victims of domestic violence in individual and group settings. Kim is the associate director of clinical counselling at the Calgary Counselling Centre. Within this role she has the pleasure of overseeing the training programs that provide practicum and residency experiences for new social work and psychology professionals. She loves being able to be part of helping new counsellors build their skills and be ready for professional practice.

Episode 19 – Infant Mental Health Assessments And The Impact On Child Custody Matters

Special Guest: Evelyn Wootherspoon

Evelyn is a social worker and “Zero to Three” fellow who has devoted her career to high-risk children and families. For the last decade she has been providing infant mental health training and consultations to divorcing parents, health care professionals, mental health professionals, child welfare workers, lawyers, and judges throughout Alberta and B.C. and Northwest Territories. Evelyn has authored papers on the needs of vulnerable infants and toddlers for a variety of publications. She has 25 years of experience working with high-risk children and families in mental health, child development and child protection settings. She is currently in private practice.

Episode 20 – Reunification Therapy

Special Guest: Jean Dunbar

Host Cyndy Morin has special guest Jean Dunbar going over all aspects of reunification therapy, includin difficult situations, children and how therapy works.

Jean is a certified play therapist and play therapist supervisor registered with the Canadian Play Therapy Association, as well as, a registered social worker. She has worked in the area of domestic violence with families for twenty years. Jean’s interests include how trauma affects early brain development and she has participated in a research study on the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics developed by Dr. Bruce Perry. Jean is a skilled facilitator having presented nationally and internationally at more than 25 conferences. She completed her graduate training at the University of Lethbridge and has been working in the mental health field since 1999. Her work experience includes counselling, program development, facilitating workshops, supervision and executive management. Jean also has a private practice providing counselling to children and their parents.

Episode 21 – Domestic Violence Part 1: Court Supports for Victims

Special Guest: Carrie McManus of PSSAW

Host Cyndy Morin and special guest Carrie McManus talk about the different types and categories of domestic violence. Carrie explains how court support for victims works.

Carrie McManus RSW is the program manager at Peer Support Services for Abused Women (PSSAW), a Calgary based grassroots agency that serves women at risk of or experiencing domestic violence. Carrie completed her Diploma in Social Work at Mount Royal University in Calgary AB and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University in Halifax NS. Prior to her time at PSSAW Carrie worked in program development, small business management and event coordination. Carrie has always found her most inspiring work environments to be those that grow out of the grassroots needs of the communities of which she is a part. Carrie is a lifelong learner who believes that connecting with her community, sharing experiences with others and providing everyone with an opportunity to be heard is the best path towards wholeheartedness.

Episode 22 – Domestic Violence Part 2: Identification of Victims & Abusers in Domestic Conflict

Special Guests: Carrie McManus RSW of PSSAW, Chris Berry of CCC, Liz Frazer from Home Front, Sandy Vander Ziel of Sonshine Community Services and Kayla Gurski from Calgary Legal Guidance.

Host Cyndy Morin continues the theme from last week’s episode with part 2 on domestic violence. Carrie McManus returns with more insight on the topic. This episode’s special guests all offer specific aid to victims of violence. Tune in to learn about these programs.

Episode 24 – Surviving An Affair

Special Guest: Cathy Keough of CCC

Joining host Cyndy Morin is special guest Cathy Keough, who explains the break down of an affair, the impact it has and how to survive it.

Cathy Keough is a registered clinical social worker and an approved clinical social work supervisor. Cathy has been in the counselling field for almost 25 years and has a Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Calgary. Cathy has worked at the Calgary Counselling Centre – the leading research, training and knowledge-based counselling organization in Canada since 1997. She is currently the Director of Counselling Initiatives where she oversees the day-to-day operations of counselling programs. Her areas of interest include: family violence, depression and anxiety, cross-cultural counselling, couples counselling and working with families. Cathy is also one of the lead trainers for Calgary Counselling Centre in Feedback Informed Treatment.

Episode 26 – Child Abuse And Protection Of Children

Special Guests: Detective Chad Titsing, Helen Banks LLB, William “Wheels” Hebert and Joanne Ginter of CCC

Today’s episode is a panel discussion about child abuse and the protection of children.

Detective Chad Titsing of the Calgary Police Service’s Child Abuse Unit, Lawyer Helen Banks, Joanne Ginter of the Calgary Counselling Center and William “Wheels” Hebert from Biker’s Against Child Abuse (BACA) join host Cyndy Morin for today’s show.

Episode 27 – Dads are Important: Paternal Relationships with Children and Father’s Rights

Special Guest: Patrick Dillon Provincial Coordinator of the Alberta Fatherhood Initiative.

Provincial Coordinator of the Alberta Fatherhood Initiative Patrick Dillon talks about support for fathers with host Cyndy Morin.

Patrick has been working for children and families for over 25 years. He began his career as a youth worker in Vancouver, BC and now as a provincial coordinator, the position he has been in since April 2011. Prior to joining the Alberta Fatherhood Initiative in April 2011, Patrick has worked for government and started several non-profit groups that promote healthy families. In his current role, he works with various organizations and fathers from across the province to encourage fathers to become involved with their families. He is very proud of the work that has been done and enjoys working with the many people that are passionate about building healthy families. As a father, step-father and mentor, he is looking forward to discussing the role of dads.

Episode 28 – Collecting Child Support: Alberta Maintenance Enforcement Program

Special Guests: Angela Kerr LLB (RP)

Host Cyndy Morin discusses how the MEP and RP Programs works, who can register and why you would register with them.

Angela is the current director of the Alberta Child Support Recalculation Program, which opened in December 2009. Angela obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 1984 and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1985. She practised law with a small firm in St. Albert for almost 13 years. Angela had a general practice with an emphasis on family law and held a number of executive positions with the Canadian Bar Association, Family Law North subsection, including Chair, Secretary and National Representative.

Episode 29 – Teens at Risk: Helping Teens Cope with Family Changes in Divorce

Special Guest: Peter Choate, PhD, RCSW

Peter is this week’s special guest. He outlines the coping skills teens use, their effects and the warning signs you’ll want to . Host Cyndy Morin asks all the right questions. Tune in to get insight on your teen.

Peter Choate PhD, RCSW is a registered clinical social worker and an assistant professor of social work at Mount Royal University. He is an expert witness in the area of parenting capacity (including risk, domestic violence, and addictions). He has been qualified on over 150 occasions in the Provincial Court of Alberta (Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer) and the Court of Queen’s Bench (Calgary and Medicine Hat). His research includes reviewing the ways in which First Nations peoples are being assessed for child protection. Dr. Choate has published extensively in the field of assessment and child protection.

Episode 1 – Client Support Services Program

Episode 31 – Safe Visitation: A Discussion about Supervised Access

Special Guests: Trish Carter of Family First Support Services and Stacey Ashton of YWCA Visitation Services.

Cyndy Morin discusses supervised access for safe visitation with Trish Carter, executive director of Families First Support Services and Stacey Ashton, supervisor of Visitation Services and Child Support programs at the YWCA of Calgary.

Families First Support Services provides supervised access, virtual visitation, monitored exchanges, transportation and in-home assessments. As an organization that strives to provide exceptional services to families in need through their professional staff, the Families First Support Services team is guided by a set of core values that are shared by all members: respect, empathy, commitment, safety, reliability, and confidentiality.

The YWCA of Calgary Visitation Services program is committed to providing a safe, secure and comfortable environment for children to reconnect with the non-custodial parent without the risk of further exposure to family violence or conflict.

Episode 32 – Child Custody Intervention, Assessments, and Reports

Special Guest: Stephen Carter PhD

This week’s guest, Stephen Carter, explains child custody intervention, assessments and reports.

Stephen Carter, PhD, is a registered psychologist in Edmonton, Alberta, who works with children, adolescents, and adults. Much of his work focuses on therapeutic interventions and assessments of families involved in high-conflict separation and divorce. He assists individuals and families in dealing with serious problems, including abuse, anxiety and depression, behavioural disorders, self-injurious behaviour, relationship problems, and post-traumatic stress.

Dr. Carter has presented frequently on topics such as family restructuring therapy, high-conflict divorce, assessment, grief and loss, conflict resolution, behavioural disorders, school violence, stress management, ethics, and expert witness testimony. He is the author of Family Restructuring Therapy.

Episode 33 – Cross Cultural issues in Divorce

Special Guest: Max Blitt Q.C.

Host Cyndy Morin talks with Max Blitt Q.C. who has assisted clients and legal counsel to recover children abducted by parents and relatives to other provinces in Canada, the United States, Poland, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Lebanon and the United Kingdom.

In addition to international children’s issues, Max works with counsel in foreign countries in dealing with support and property issues involving Canada and foreign jurisdictions, such as the United States, UK, and the Middle East.

Episode 35 – Dividing Dollars

Special Guests: Brian Betts and Donna Carson

In this episode, host Cyndy Morin speaks with Brian Betts from Money Mentors and Donna Carson from Meyers Norris Penny. They dive into the topic of transitioning one household budget into two and bankruptcy concerns in family law matters.

Money Mentors is the only Alberta based not-for-profit credit counselling agency and exclusive provider of the Orderly Payment of Debts program, a debt consolidation repayment program governed on behalf of the Government of Alberta.

Meyers Norris Penny (MNP) Is one of the largest full-service chartered professional accountancy and business advisory firms in Canada.

Episode 36 – Tax Time and Divorce

Returning Special Guest: Sharon Numerow

Host Cyndy Morin talks with certified divorce financial analyst and founder Sharon Numerow from Alberta Divorce Finances. Todays discussion covers divorce demands financial decision-making that will alter the rest of yours and possibly your children’s life. Most people have no knowledge of the specifics of the finances of divorce. Many are too emotional to make sound financial decisions regarding their future. Quite often poor choices are made, choices that are permanent. These decisions require the experience of a divorce professional who specializes in the analysis of divorce finances and divorce financial planning.

Sharon is a passionate certified divorce financial analyst and Tax Professional who has been educating and empowering men and women going through divorce for almost a decade. She also specializes in educating men and women and other divorce professionals on the financial and tax implications of the decisions to be made in divorce negotiations.