Kathleen Shack, MS, LMFT, Mediator, Divorce Coach
Marriage and Family Therapy, Couples Counseling
Child Specialist, Divorce Mediation, Divorce Coach
Are you frustrated in your current relationship? Do you and your partner seem to have the same arguments over and over again? Has your partner told you things are not going well? Pay attention! Don't dismiss their complaints! Kathleen can help you minimize the negativity and find solutions.
My specialty is guiding and counseling couples and families through their life journey. Whether you are a new couple looking for tools to build a solid foundation or a couple in crisis looking for a life raft, I am here for you. If you and your children are transitioning through divorce or are a newly blended family, I help family members heal while finding balance and harmony within the new family structure.
Couples counseling is one area of my specialty. I work with couples to help them understand how one another's perspectives, beliefs and life history play roles in the current relationship and assist them in finding a balance that creates harmony. Couples often get stuck repeating negative patterns. I help you break the negative cycles and build healthy ways of interacting and coping with issues so you are turning towards one another, creating shared meaning, respecting and valuing one another again. I have many years of experience working with new couples, blended families and couples who have been together for over 20 years who are seeking assistance. Focus areas include affair recovery, building trust, restoring respect and value for one another, creating shared meaning, and the art of compromise.
With children, play therapy is used to help them resolve issues on their level. Families play an important role in children's healing processes. The interaction between children's problems and their families is always complex. Sometimes children develop problems as a way of signaling that there is something wrong in the family. Other times the entire family becomes distressed because the child's problems are so disruptive. In all cases, children and families heal faster when they work together.
I am a Divorce Coach and Child Specialist in the Collaborative Divorce process as well as in traditionally litigated cases. I am trained to manage a wide variety of emotions and issues that arise during divorce. I help you anticipate and include your need to move forward while making the future of your children a top priority. I support your family's goals for a smoother transition to the next stage of your lives. As a Child Specialist, I provide insight into how your child is coping with divorce and offer options for parenting time and other logistics in your child's best interest. I can act as a spokesperson for children as they articulate their feelings/wishes directly to you. I work with parents to shift their thinking from "my time" with the child to the "child's time" so both parents understand that the child's needs are most essential. I also help parents shift away from financial issues with regard to the children, and focus on their developmental needs instead. I help design an age appropriate Parenting Plan that specifically addresses the defined needs of your child as he/she goes through the restructuring of the family.
Divorce Mediation is a way to settle your divorce on your terms without fighting in court. Mediation saves time, money and stress by allowing spouses to resolve custody, parenting time, child support, property and debt disputes quickly and confidentially. I help couples find solutions that work better for their family than what a judge might order. Mediation agreements address concerns unique to each family, while both husband and wife are more likely to get what they want.
Education/Training
Kathleen earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Georgia and M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy/Family Studies from the University of Kentucky.
Registered Mediator with the Supreme Court of Georgia -Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution
Completed Level I , Level II, Level III Couples Therapy Training by John Gottman
Bio
Kathleen is an experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Collaborative Coach and Mediator. She helps families minimize the negative effects of divorce and guides them through the process of finding lasting solutions that work for their family in her work as a Collaborative Divorce Coach. As a Collaborative Child Specialist, she provides insight to parents regarding their child's needs before, during and after divorce. As a Registered Domestic/Divorce Mediator and Registered Civil Mediator, Kathleen leads divorcing individuals towards confidential resolution of issues and helps parents develop a Parenting Plan regarding their children.
Prior to opening Family Solutions Counseling, LLC, Kathleen counseled with couples, families, children and adults in a group private practice, inpatient children's hospital, and through intensive in-home counseling. As a Therapist, Coach, and Mediator, Kathleen works to help individuals recognize that the only way to find meaningful understanding and resolve matters with one another is to listen to the perspectives of the other, articulate one's own perspectives, and find a way to satisfy both. Kathleen also facilitates a peer support group for divorcing women.
Memberships
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; GA Assoc. for Marriage and Family Therapy; Intnl. Academy of Collaborative Professionals; Collaborative Law Institute of GA; Assoc. of Family and Conciliation Courts; North GA Collaborative Law Network; Collaborative Law Center of Atlanta; Visions Anew Institute; Vendor with the State Bar of Georgia; American Assoc. for Play Therapy
Payments Accepted
Cash, check, debit, credit cards, some insurance
Hours:Monday-Friday 9am-6pm
Cost/Session
varies with services, all payment types
License:MFT000928 GA, certified Mediator in GA 37568
Helpful Links
 American association for marriage and family therapy:
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Practice Areas/Issues Treated
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Therapy
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Loneliness
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Adolescents
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Marriage & Family Therapy
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Anger Management
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Marriage Counseling
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Anxiety and Panic
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Men's Issues
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Caregiver Issues
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Play Therapy
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Children's Counseling
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Premarital Counseling
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Couples
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Relationship Issues
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Depression
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Stress Management
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Divorce
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Women's Issues
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Life Transitions
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Licenses/Certifications
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Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
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