2024 AAML Midyear Meeng – Speakers
Michèle Bissada
Equity Compensaon: Determinaon of Income Available for
Support; Complex Income Calculaons; Vesng, Timing and
Tax Consideraons
Michèle Bissada, a partner at Flicker, Kerin, Kruger &
Bissada, LLP, located in Menlo Park, in the heart of
Silicon Valley is a Cered Specialist in Family Law
(ACFLS); a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML); a Fellow of the
Internaonal Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL); and is a member of the Associaon of Family
and Conciliaon Courts (AFCC), a naonal organizaon addressing children's issues in divorce. In
her 30th year of pracce, Ms. Bissada is a prominent and seasoned ligator and mediator,
specializing in complex custody and nancial maers. She has experse in navigang and
guiding clients through complex venture capital, hedge fund and private equity cases, as well as
the most complex of custody issues, including children who resist or refuse to see one parent,
gatekeeping and relocaon (move-away) cases.
In 2025, Ms. Bissada will transion out of ligaon to focus 100% on consultaon and neutral
work, including serving as a mediator for pares directly and aorney-assisted mediaon; as
well as serving as private selement judge and temporary judge. Ms. Bissada is rated by
Marndale Hubbell as an AV Preeminent aorney in her eld and has been nominated for Best
Lawyers® by US News & World Report, as well as Super Lawyers® by Thomson Reuters, which
she has earned each year since 2006. She has been included in the Super Lawyers® Top 50
Women since 2019 and as Bay Area Top 100 Aorney since 2020 and the Top 10 since 2021. In
2023, Ms. Bissada has also earned the addional disncon as 2023 Best Lawyer for San Jose
and ranked #3 of the Top 100 aorneys in all of Northern California by Super Lawyers®.
Judge Bruce R. Cohen
Families in Transion (FIT): A Prevenve and Scalable High-Conict Parent
Educaon Program to be Used Early in the Separaon/Divorce Process
Bruce R. Cohen was appointed as a Superior Court Judge to the
Maricopa County Superior Court in May, 2005. Since joining the
bench, he served on a family court assignment for six years (four of
which was as Associate Presiding Family Court Judge), followed by a
four-year assignment to the Criminal Department of the Court (two
years of which he was the Managing Judge of the Post-Convicon
Relief Unit), three years assigned to the Juvenile Court and one year on a Civil Court calendar.
From June, 2019 through June, 2023, he served as the Presiding Judge of the Family
Department of the Maricopa County Superior Court. He now presides over a criminal
department calendar.
In the mid to late 1970s, before entering the legal profession, Judge Cohen worked in the
concert industry. He produced shows with many top acts, including Bruce Springsteen, The
Eagles, Bob Seger, Journey, Yes, Janis Ian, Melissa Manchester, Billy Joel, Emerson Lake &
Palmer, Yvonne Elliman, Black Sabbath (with Ozzy), The Beach Boys, Herbie Mann, Stanley
Clarke, Kenny Loggins, Dicky Bes of the Allman Brothers, Harry Chapin, Elvis Costello, George
Carlin, Cheech and Chong, Bob Hope, and the Rolling Stones (featuring Linda Ronstadt). He
helped produce a benet concert held at the U of A Football Stadium in 1977 headlined by
Fleetwood Mac and the Marshall Tucker Band, which was aended by 67,000 people and which
raised over $400,000 for the American Heart Associaon, from whom he was given their 1977
Outstanding Service Award.
Aer graduang from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in Psychology in 1978, Judge Cohen
aended law school and earned his J.D. at Arizona State University (now known as “Sandra Day
O’Connor College of Law”). While in law school, he appeared on two game shows—“High
Rollers” (1979), hosted by Alex Trebek and “Match Game” (1980), hosted by Gene Rayburn.
Judge Cohen has remained acvely engaged with the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. In
2001 and again in 2021 and 2022, he served as an adjunct family law professor and has been a
guest speaker on many other occasions. He and his wife sponsored an annual scholarship
project for a number of years through 2012 for rst year law students on the issue of
professionalism. In the summer of 2010, he helped develop a mentor program for 1L law
students to be paired with judicial ocers.
Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Judge Cohen was in private pracce for 24 years. He was
a cered specialist in Family Law and served on the Family Law Board of Legal Specializaon
for the State Bar of Arizona, as well as the Family Law Execuve Council for the State Bar of
Arizona. He was a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was named
annually to the Marndale Hubbell Preeminent Lawyers in America. In 1990, he was named
Volunteer Lawyer of the Year by the Maricopa County Bar Associaon. In the 1990s, Judge
Cohen co-authored legislaon adopted in Arizona on parent informaon programs and
adopon of special needs children. Aer four years of eort, he helped secure the passage of
legislaon in Arizona in 2021 that allowed sexual assault survivors who became impregnated to
seek terminaon of parental rights of their assailants.
In 2013, Judge Cohen worked in collaboraon with others to return to Arizona the “Anytown”
program, which brings together high-school aged children for a weeklong camp focused on
stamping out bias, prejudice and bigotry and celebrang diversity. He served as a co-director
for the 2014 and 2016 camps.
Judge Cohen has served on numerous commiees, boards and task forces, including: Arizona
Supreme Court Child Support Guidelines Commiee for four quadrennial reviews, commencing
in 1996, (Chairperson for the 2008-2010 Review and again as a member for the 2020-21
review); Arizona Supreme Court Family Law Rules Review Commiee and on the Admission on
Moon Task Force; Arizona Supreme Court’s Standing Commiee on the Impact of Domesc
Violence and the Courts (2019-2023), the Family Court Improvement Commiee, and the
Commission on Access to Jusce; Judicial Execuve Council member for the Maricopa County
Superior Court (2014-15 and 2019-2023); Chairperson of the Arizona State Bar Professionalism
Advisory Council; Arizona Supreme Court commiee on spousal maintenance (2022-23); and
Maricopa County Superior Court Peer Support Program (founding member). He is also past
president of the Arizona Associaon of Family and Conciliaon Courts (1992) and served as a
member of the AzAFCC Board through January, 2011. Judge Cohen chaired 2010-11 AzAFCC
Summit Project, which focused on developing communicaon skills for parents. In May, 2023,
he was an invited to be part of the AFCC Internaonal Symposium of Family Law Judges,
aended by judges from across the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore and
Israel.
Judge Cohen has worked in concert with the Naonal Conference for State Courts and Arizona
State University to develop the Families In Transion Program (“FIT”). With funding from the
State Jusce Iniave, FIT is a computer-based interacve program designed for early
intervenon in cases where there is risk of the family becoming engaged in high-conict
parenng. He also served as the naonal co-chair for the Family Law Workgroup of the Naonal
Judicial Task Force on Mental Health and the Courts. This group developed an “Understanding
Series” regarding mental health issues in family court proceedings and is published on the
website of the Naonal Conference of State Courts.
During his 18 years on the Bench, he received a number of awards, including: Arizona Family
Support Council’s 2010 Judicial Ocer of the Year; 2011 AzAFCC Outstanding Service Award,
2011 “Improving Public Trust and Condence in the Arizona Court System” award from the
Arizona Supreme Court; 2013 Maricopa County Superior Court Pendleton Gaines Collegiality
Award; nominaon for the US Jusce Department 2014 Naonal Crime Vicms’ Service Award;
“Lifeme Achievement Award” from the State Bar of Arizona- Family Law Secon in 2016; and
the Phoenix Chapter of the American Board of Trial Aorneys 2019 “Judge of the Year.” For his
work on judicial educaon, he was a co-recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Judicial Educaon
Award from the Arizona Judicial College, was awarded the naonally presgious 2022 “Irwin
Cantor Innovave Program Award” from the Associaon of Family and Conciliaon Courts, and
the “2022 Promong Judicial Branch Excellence Award” from the Arizona Supreme Court. He
was recently the recipient of the 2023 “Jusce Michael D. Ryan Award for Judicial Excellence”
from the Public Lawyers Secon of the State Bar of Arizona and the 2023 “Making a Dierence
Award” from the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the
State Bar of Arizona Family Law Secon. In November, 2023, Judge Cohen was named the
“Judicial Ocer of the Year” by the Maricopa County Bar Associaon.
In 2013, Judge Cohen and family appeared and were champions on Family Feud (hosted by
Steve Harvey) which allowed Judge Cohen to destroy in 17 minutes a favorable reputaon that
had taken decades to develop.
Michelle D. Connell
Panic Moments in Perspecve
Michelle D. Connell is a partner at Connell & Gelb PLLC praccing
exclusively in Family Law at both the trial and appellate court
levels. She is a Board Cered Specialist in the areas of Family
Law and Appellate Law. She is a Fellow in the North Carolina
Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers,
serving as President of the Chapter in 2020. She is the former
Chairperson of both the North Carolina Bar Associaon Family
Law Secon and the Appellate Rules Commiee. She served on the North Carolina State Bar
Specializaon Commiee for Appellate Law. She was recognized as the top Appellate Aorney
in the State of North Carolina in 2022. She was recently named one of the Top Ten Aorneys in
the State of North Carolina in 2024. She is the immediate past Board Chair of the Wake County
Regional SPCA.
Linda Dunikowski
Strategic Case Analysis: Spotlight on the Ahmaud Arbery Trial
Linda Dunikoski is a Senior Assistant District Aorney and head of the
Appellate Secon in the Cobb County District Aorney’s Oce in
Mariea, Georgia. She is a graduate of Indiana University and Georgia
State College of Law. In 2002, she began her career as a prosecutor with
the Fulton County District Aorney’s Oce in Atlanta. In 2006, aer
spending a year in the Crimes Against Women and Children Division,
she moved into the Major Case Division, primarily prosecung
homicides and high-prole cases. She was a member of the team that prosecuted the teachers
and administrators involved in the Atlanta Public School Cheang Scandal, the longest RICO
criminal trial, at that me, in the State of Georgia, lasng from August 11, 2014, through April 1,
2015. She has tried over 95 felony cases to verdict. Recently she was the lead prosecutor in the
State v. McMichael et al, the 2021 trial of the three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, an
unarmed Black jogger, in Brunswick, Georgia. She regularly presents oral argument to Georgia
Supreme Court on Constuonal issues. In June of 2022, she received the Daily Report’s
Georgia Legal Awards “Aorney of the Year.” In July of 2023, she received the Assistant District
Aorney of the Year award from the Georgia District Aorneys Associaon.
Marie Ebersbacher
Equity Compensaon: Determinaon of Income Available for Support;
Complex Income Calculaons; Vesng, Timing and Tax Consideraons
Marie Ebersbacher is the CBIZ Forensic Consulng Group Senior
Managing Director and has served as the rm’s Forensic &
Financial Services Naonal Pracce Leader since 2010. Marie’s
pracce primarily involves high net worth marital estate
dissoluons, including mul-year and mul-account complex
tracings, apporonment analyses, and business valuaons. Marie holds CPA licenses in
California, New York, and Tennessee. She is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers Foundaon Business & Valuaon Division and a former Chair of CalCPA’s Forensic
Services Secon State Steering Commiee. Marie speaks frequently on forensic accounng
topics at state and naonal accounng and valuaon conferences and has presented to the
California Judicial College and at California Family Law Report
©
Advanced Family Law Courses.
She has earned the designaons of ABV (Accredited in Business Valuaon) and CFF (Cered in
Financial Forensics), presented by the AICPA; and CFE (Cered Fraud Examiner), presented by
the Associaon of Cered Fraud Examiners.
Jay E. Fishman, FASA, FRICS
Dealing with the Now-Untangled Start-Up and Complex Business
Jay E. Fishman, FASA, FRICS is a Managing Director of Financial
Research Associates and has been acvely engaged in the appraisal
profession since 1974. He specializes in the valuaons of business
enterprises and their intangible assets. Mr. Fishman has co-authored
several books, including the Guide to Business Valuaons (with
Shannon Pra),Standards of Value (with Shannon Pra and William
Morrison), and The Business Valuaon Benchbook (with William
Morrison) He has also wrien numerous arcles on business valuaon and has been qualied
as an expert witness and provided tesmony in Federal court, Tax Court, and twelve state
courts. He has taught courses on business valuaon to the Internal Revenue Service, the
Naonal Judicial College, The Hong Kong Society of Accountants and on behalf of the World
Bank in St. Petersburg, Russia.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Temple University as well as an master’s in
business administraon from LaSalle University. Mr. Fishman is a Fellow of the American
Society of Appraisers (FASA), a Fellow of the Royal Instuon of Chartered Surveyors, a former
Chairman and current member emeritus of the Business Valuaon Commiee of the American
Society of Appraisers, Editor of the Business Valuaon Review, for many years was the Chair of
ASA’s Government Relaons Commiee, a former Trustee of the Appraisal Foundaon(TAF) and
former member of the Appraisal Standards Board and the Appraisal Pracce Board of TAF. He
was a on the Board of Trustees of the Internaonal Valuaon Standards Council nishing his
second term in 2023.
In 2020, in full recognion of his outstanding services in the Society and contribuons to the
appraisal profession, the American Society of Appraisers gave him their Lifeme Achievement
Award.
Nancy Grace
Panic Moments in Perspecve
Nancy L. Grace is a principal of Wake Family Law Group in Raleigh, North
Carolina. She is a Board Cered Specialist in Family Law, a Fellow of the
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and a NCDRC cered Family
Financial Mediator.
Ms. Grace received a B. A. degree in Spanish in 1982 and a Master’s Degree
in 1986 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She taught
Spanish at North Carolina State University for several years prior to
aending law school. In 1996, Ms. Grace received a J.D. with Honors from the University of North
Carolina School of Law and then served as law clerk to the Honorable James A. Wynn, Jr. of the North
Carolina Court of Appeals (now serving on the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals) prior to entering
private pracce.
Ms. Grace currently serves on the Board of Directors for the NC Chapter of the AFCC. She is a current
State Bar Councilor of the North Carolina State Bar and is a Past President of the Tenth Judicial District
Bar. She is a Past President of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers, a former Chair of the Family Law Secon of the North Carolina Bar Associaon, and a former
Chair of the Family Law Secon of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (now North Carolina
Advocates for Jusce). Ms. Grace has a long history of serving on commiees and in leadership posions
in professional organizaons relang to family law and is a frequent speaker or course planner for family
law CLE programs in North Carolina.
David Horowitz
What’s So Funny About Ethics?
David Horowitz specializes in family law and domestic relations
matters, including divorce, paternity, child custody, legal decision
making, parenting time, child support, mediation and arbitration.
David has significant experience in all child-related issues,
including step-parent adoption, grandparents’ rights, parenting coordination, same-sex
parenting, and guardianship/conservatorship. His practice also offers guidance with prenuptial
and post-nuptial agreements, complex divorce (including business valuation and complex
custody and child support issues), collaborative divorce, mediation, arbitration, and court-
appointed special master services. He is also a respected mediator in family law disputes and
serves as a judge pro tem for the Maricopa County Superior Court.
David is a Certified Family Law Specialist (Arizona Board of Legal Specialization) and a Super
Lawyers honoree. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, serves on
the Academy’s board of governors, and chairs its Mediation Committee. He is the current chair
of the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Legal Specialization Family Law Advisory Commission and
an officer of the State Bar’s Family Law Executive Council.
David teaches Family Law and Legal Studies at Phoenix College and has been an adjunct faculty
member at the Phoenix School of Law and Arizona Summit Law School. He has been practicing
in Arizona for over 30 years. He received his B.S.B.A. in Business Economics (1987) from the
University of Arizona Eller College of Management and his J.D. (1990) from the University of
Arizona College of Law.
Kevin McGrath
Woe is Me-Diator: When Your Empathy Tank is on Empty
In January of 2011, Kevin McGrath returned to private pracce aer
serving as a Referee in the Hennepin County Family Court for nearly
ve years. Kevin now operates McGrath Dispute Resoluon, LLC,
where he solely focuses on providing a variety of dispute resoluon
services to families in transion.
Prior to joining the Family Court, he was a partner in the Bloomington law rm of Jensen,
McGrath, Mullen & McSweeney, PLLP, where he focused on family law and alternave dispute
resoluon. Kevin was named a Super Lawyer, was selected one of Minnesota’s Top 40 Family
Law Aorneys, and was honored as one of Minnesota’s Top 100 Lawyers. He was a member of
the steering commiee that established the Hennepin County Financial Early Neutral Evaluaon
(FENE) program.
Kevin is a Rule 114 Qualied Neutral for civil and family law mediaon, arbitraon and
evaluave maers. Kevin has conducted trainings on Early Case Management, Financial Early
Neutral Evaluaon, and Social Early Neutral Evaluaon throughout Minnesota and in other
jurisdicons. In addion, Kevin was the primary author of the Financial Early Neutral Evaluaon
Handbook. Kevin is a frequent teacher at Connuing Legal Educaon seminars in Minnesota on
topics such as dispute resoluon, moon pracce, trial pracce, and courtroom conduct. Kevin
frequently presents at the annual Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Divorce Camp, including the
keynote address in 2010 where he relied on his experience with his mother’s death as a
touchstone to urge the lawyers, accountants, mental health therapists, and judicial ocers in
aendance to consider the benets of helping pares in family law cases self-determine their
futures. He also gave the opening remarks at the 2023 AAML divorce camp. Kevin has presented
numerous mes at the Associaon of Family and Conciliaon Court naonal and internaonal
conferences on a wide range of topics, including the use and misuse of experts in child custody
cases, the preferences of children, and the suitability of family court as a forum to resolve family
system challenges. Kevin has served as an adjunct professor of Legal Wring and Family Law at
William Mitchell College of Law.
He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and served as a law clerk at the
Minnesota Supreme Court for Jusce Joan Ericksen and Jusce Russell Anderson.
Karey L. O’Hara, Ph.D.
Families in Transion (FIT): A Prevenve and Scalable High-Conict
Parent Educaon Program to be Used Early in the Separaon/Divorce
Process
Karey L. O’Hara, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at
Arizona State University. She conducts research on risk and
protecve factors that inuence how youth and families adjust
aer stressful events that involve contact with family, juvenile,
or criminal court systems, such parental divorce and parental
incarceraon. Currently, her research focuses on designing, opmizing, and evaluang
intervenons to promote the health and well-being of youth who experience these challenging
stressors. Her work is currently funded by a career development award from the Naonal
Instute of Mental Health (K01MH120321).
Alexandra Peais
Equity Compensation: Determination of Income Available for Support;
Complex Income Calculations; Vesting, Timing and Tax Considerations
Alexandra “Alex” Peais is a partner in the litigation services
department of Gursey Schneider, LLP, specializing in forensic
accounting for complex, high net worth family law matters. Alex
joined Gursey Schneider in 2012 and relocated to San Francisco in
2015 to open and manage the firm’s Northern California office. Her
expertise and services include tracing and apportionment of separate property assets, gross
income available for support, marital standard of living analyses, equity compensation
allocations, and reimbursement claims. Alex has extensive experience with family law issues
pertaining to clients in the alternative asset management industry, including private equity,
venture capital, and hedge funds. She has lectured on topics including equitable
apportionment of business interests and separate property tracings. Alex co-authored a book
about expert witness testimony in compensation related litigation and was a guest contributor
for Forbes regarding marital dissolution issues. She has practiced exclusively in the field of
family law forensic accounting since graduating with her undergraduate and master’s degrees
in accounting in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Kenneth J. Pia, Jr., CPA, ABV, ASA, MCBA
Dealing with the Now-Untangled Start-Up and Complex Business
Kenneth J. Pia, Jr. is a partner and the leader of the Naonal
Matrimonial and Business Valuaon groups of Marcum LLP.
With more than 30 years of professional business valuaon
and ligaon support experience, Mr. Pia has developed a
naonal reputaon working on a wide range of complex
valuaon engagements. He has performed valuaons of
businesses and paral business interests for a variety of
purposes including, but not limited to, family law maers, employee stock ownership plans,
business damages, buy-sell agreements, shareholder ligaon, estate and gi tax maers, and
buying and selling businesses.
Ken is a past Chair of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) Business Valuaon Commiee
and a member of the Naonal Business Valuaon Educaon Sub Commiee. Mr. Pia is also a Co-
Chair of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundaon’s Forensic & Business
Valuaon Division.
Ken is qualied as an expert witness in Federal District Court and State Courts of Conneccut,
Florida, Commonwealth of Massachuses, New York, Virginia and California as well as various
arbitraon proceedings. He has also rendered extensive services relang to court tesmony.
Craig Shoemaker
Through the Client's Eyes: Insights for Family Law Aorneys
Craig Shoemaker has had a career in show business, spanning
over four decades as a stand up comedian, actor, author, writer
and producer. He was named Comedian of the Year at The
American Comedy Awards on ABC and garnered two NATAS
Emmy awards. His 90-minute stand-up special, Daditude, aired
prime me on SHOWTIME Network and was on the front page on Nelix for several months.
Craig Shoemaker has performed comedy for four US Presidents, four solo comedy TV specials,
won Standup Comedian of the Year at the American Comedy Awards, appeared on Broadway, is
a two-me NATAS Emmy Award winner, a WGA scribe, an award-winning TV/Film producer, and
best-selling author of a novel and two children’s books. Craig is a prominent speaker and coach;
the founder and creator of Winning With Humor live events, one-on-one coaching, and training
system. Craig has wrien, produced, and starred in two Universal feature lms, Totally Baked,
and The LoveMaster. He has recurred two mes on Parks & Recreaon, and has guest starred in
such lm and TV producons as Pleasantville, Scream 2, Fuller House and Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Craig is the producer/creator/host of the Amazon Prime shows, The Wolf Pac and Comedy
Kitchen.
Shoemaker has been included on the IMDB “Top 100 Stand Up Comics” list and had one of the
top 20 stand up specials of all me on Comedy Central. Based on his nonprot foundaon
Laughter Heals, Craig has spoken all over the world, including his acclaimed TED Talk in Ojai, CA.
Craig also founded Winning With Laughter, Craig Shoemaker's Winning with Laughter live
events, one-on-one coaching and training system will help bridge gaps in the boardroom, break
room, and the living room. Science has proven that laughter is indeed the best medicine.
Winning with Laughter's proven methods will give you insights how to reboot and transform
from the inside out!
Adam John Wol
Dealing with the Now-Untangled Start-Up and Complex
Business
For nearly thirty years, Adam John Wol has seled,
and, if necessary, ligated and tried disputes involving
divorce, equitable distribuon, custody and visitaon,
and other areas of family law and matrimonial pracce.
Prior to co-founding the rm now known as Alter Wol Foley & Stutman LLP, Adam pracced
law at Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP (now Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP), where he
similarly focused on family law, including as a partner for eleven years. Prior to joining Kasowitz,
Adam was associated with Rosenman & Colin LLP (now Kaen Muchin Rosenman LLP), where
he pracced general commercial ligaon, as well as family and matrimonial law.
Adam graduated from The University of California at Berkeley School of Law in 1994 and
aended Harvard Law School for his nal year of law school. He received a Bachelor of Science
degree in Economics from The University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School of Business, magna
cum laude, in 1991.
Adam is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers ("AAML"), where he holds a
number of leadership posions, including as Immediate Past President of the New York Chapter
and Co-Chair of the naonal commiees for the AAML’s Naonal Divorce Conference and
Chapter Leaders, and is a parcipant in several other acve commiees. He is also a member of
the Family Law Secon of the New York State Bar Associaon. Adam is a frequent lecturer, to
aorneys, nancial professionals, and mental health organizaons.
Adam’s unique ability to understand complex nancial aspects of complicated cases, while
remaining sensive to the deeply personal issues of family law maers as well as maintaining a
dry wit, disnguishes him in the industry. His commitment to clear and persuasive wring
benets the Firm’s clients in both selement and ligaon. Adam and his wife, Cindy, a
librarian, live in Manhaan with their two college-age sons. They enjoy wring and playing
music together.
Alison York
Finding Resilience: Reclaiming Your Peace Amid Chaos
Alison York Sanderson is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health
Counselor (LCMHC) and Naonally Cered Counselor (NCC) in
Apex, North Carolina. She received her BS and MS degrees in
Economics from the University of Florida and pursued a career in
the soware industry. Realizing her calling was in a dierent eld
she pursued an MA degree in Professional Counseling from
South University. Alison became fully licensed to pracce in 2014 and immediately began
credenaling as a cered EMDR trauma therapist and Emoonally Focused Couples therapist.
Addionally she has extensive experience working with addicon and especially partners of
addicts. She is the co-author of Next Steps: Prepare Yourself for Divorce and Hire the Right
Lawyer for Your Case. Alison is passionate about living a mentally, physically, and spiritually
healthy life and helping others do the same.
