Family Mediation & Consulting

Inclusive and accessible family mediation and consulting available virtually throughout Ontario, and in person in Niagara-On-The-Lake.

Mediation Services

  • Family

    Developing and updating Parenting Plans for separated parents

    Creating Family Mediation Agreements for separating families

    Working with adult children and parents living together to find harmony

  • Disability & Mental Health

    Developing and revising Parenting Plans and Mediation Agreements in the context of a child or parent with a disability, chronic illness, or other health concerns

    Mediating with families cohabitating while living with mental health, illness, or disability

  • Virtual Mediation

    Using online tools and video conferencing to provide easier access to mediation

    Working with each party’s schedule from the comfort of their own home to discover needs and concerns

    Accessible mediation available anywhere in Ontario with internet access

Details of Services Offered

All services listed below are available through online mediation as well as in person in Niagara-On-The-Lake.

  • Mediation is a negotiation between two individuals, with the facilitation of a professional. It is engaged in when people cannot agree on issues arising in the context of separation or divorce with the aim of arriving at a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) also referred to as a Mediated Agreement.

  • A negotiated parenting plan is a document or section of a larger document that clearly sets out the responsibilities of each parent following a separation. The parenting plan also sets out the ways in which time spent parenting will be shared between the parents going forward.

  • Parenting plans may be updated after the passage of time or because circumstances have or are about to change in a way that affects the plan in place. An example would be one parent moving away for reasons of employment that would necessarily impact the existing parenting plan.

  • In situations where there are young or adult children with disabilities, their needs must be factored into a Parenting Plan. This aspect can range from building relatively straightforward accommodations into a plan, to more complex needs that the parenting plan must address.
    Along with accommodation of a child’s needs, the realities of care and the implications of that for other features of the separation and levels of support can be included in these plans.

  • Consultation can be neutral in a mediation context, or for one party in a family law context. These consults are for where the clients have young or adult children still with disabilities. This would involve parenting plan advice to support those with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and/or mental illness, not legal advice per se.

  • When young-adult or older adult children, on their own or with partners, move back into the family home, an Agreement as to how things will operate is a good strategy for maintaining harmony and continuing a relationship with mutual high regard.

  • Where two or more people have decided to co-rent space, an Agreement as to how various co-living responsibilities will be shared can go a long way towards preventing disputes down the road.

Why Family Mediation?

Mediation provides a safe and structured environment where people involved can negotiate for themselves. Mediation itself offers a constructive approach to resolving conflicts within separating families, those revisiting a prior arrangement or those seeking other kinds of living arrangement plans. As an empowering process mediation gives each party a voice in decision-making involving them. It helps to avoid the financial and emotional costs associated with going to court while aiming to preserve relationships through finding common ground in the path forward.

Sheila’s Approach

I facilitate parties transitioning through the stages of mediation via an accessible process. This process is guided by academic know-how, experience, and common sense. Agreements themselves are realized through an interest based process, the success of which have been corroborated through decades of research.

My mediation practice is welcoming of 2SLGBTQIA+ families and families with family members with disabilities. Learn more about my approach.

Sheila’s Experience

Combining my academic knowledge with hands-on experience working with people who are separating, including those with children with disabilities, I bring a broad understanding of the principles, theories, and techniques that underpin effective family mediation.

I have published in the areas of family mediation and family law, including at the intersection of disability. I have additional insight garnered from involvement with different disability organizations over the years.

I hold an up-to-date certification in screening for Domestic Violence and Power Imbalances approved by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and accredited by the Law Society of Ontario for professional education hours.

With me as your family mediator, you can trust that I have the ability to effectively assist you in addressing your concerns with a view to creating a workable Agreement for the future.

Start finding solutions for your family today.

Separating family members deserve a safe space within which to be heard, where they can comfortably express concerns, and ultimately find their way to common ground. Mediation with me will help you navigate challenging issues with respect, compassion, and a focus on solutions to disputes and in planning forward.