Kim Costello
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Saint Petersburg, Florida 33710
United States
Profession(s)
Mental Health ProfessionalDr. Kim E. Costello’s career has been defined by her unwavering commitment to helping families. After more than 20 years of providing therapeutic counseling to adults and children she has assisted hundreds of individuals, couples and families through times of major transition in their lives. She is also the co-owner and co-founder of The Costello Center, a comprehensive counseling and academic assistance center serving the greater Tampa Bay area.
Dr. Costello is a licensed mental health counselor and a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals. She is also a trained Florida Supreme Court Mediator and Parenting Coordinator, and is trained in the most current models for family mediation and collaborative law.
Conflict resolution counseling has always been an important component of Dr. Costello’s practice. After decades of providing therapeutic intervention for individuals and families in times of marital transition, she came to believe that there is a better way for parents and children to navigate through the painful process of divorce.
Through extensive training and professional development, Dr. Costello has gained a unique perspective and expertise in the area of conflict resolution therapy. She believes so strongly in the positive impact of this process that she has shifted the entire focus of her practice in order to more fully dedicate herself to her work with families in times of divorce. Her work in this area includes serving as a neutral mental health facilitator, parent coordinator, child specialist and/or mediator for families in need. Recognizing that no two divorces are alike, Dr. Costello provides services tailored to the unique needs of each family she works with, but her goal is always the same: to make the transition less painful by facilitating communication and cooperation.
Dr. Costello was not alone in her desire to find a healthier and more cooperative method of navigating the turbulent waters of divorce. Dr. Costello has demonstrated to a countless number of families that divorce without despair is possible. The results-driven growth of collaborative divorce can be seen every day.
“Every conflict we face in life is rich with positive and negative potential. It can be a source of inspiration, enlightenment, learning, transformation, and growth–or rage, fear, shame, entrapment, and resistance. The choice is not up to our opponents, but to us, and our willingness to face and work through them.” – Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith
Professional Activities
Collaborative Practice Acknowledgments • Member of TBCDG Since 2014 • Member of IACP Since 2012 • Member of Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals Since 2012 • Member of Tampa Bay Academy of Collaborative Professional’s Standards Peer Group Since 2015 • Collaborative Presentations: “Oops, I Meant To Say – Why Words Matter In Collaboration” o IACP 15th Annual Networking and Educational Forum The Art of Holding Hope: Using Collaborative Skills to Open Doors in Vanvouver, BC, Canada o Florida Dispute Resolution Center 23rd Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, United States o Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida 2015 Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, United States o 5th European Collaborative Practice Conference: BEYOND WORDS May 26-28, 2016, in Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam, The NetherlandsUndergraduate Education
University of Maine - Presque Isle, Maine: Bachelor of Arts, May 1983
Elmira College - Elmira, New York: Associate Degree, May 1981
Postgraduate Education
Norwich University - Montpelier, Vermont: Master of Arts, November 1994
Practicum Thesis: ADHD & Family Dynamics
Carolina University of Theology - Stanley, North Carolina: Doctorate in Christian Counseling Psychology, August 2002
Practicum Thesis: Family Dynamics- Parenting Skills
1. Oops, I meant to say – why words matter in collaboration
2. Neutral Mental Health Training
3. What is your personality color and why does knowing who you are matter
1. Oops, I meant to say – why words matter in collaboration
2. Neutral Mental Health Training
3. What is your personality color and why does knowing who you are matter
“Oops, I Meant To Say – Why Words Matter In Collaboration”
o IACP 15th Annual Networking and Educational Forum The Art of Holding Hope: Using Collaborative Skills to Open Doors in Vanvouver, BC, Canada
o Florida Dispute Resolution Center 23rd Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, United States
o Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida 2015 Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, United States
o 5th European Collaborative Practice Conference: BEYOND WORDS May 26-28, 2016, in Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam, The Netherlands
St. Pete Bar Association Collaborative Law Section, February 17, 2017, presented “Collaborative Law: Expanding Horizons”, also with Todd Burg, CPA
17th Annual IACP Forum, October 27-30, 2016 – Las Vegas, Nevada, presented “The Spoken and Unspoken Language of Collaboration”
2016 Florida Dispute Resolution Center Conference, August 11-13, 2016, Orlando, Florida, presented “Body Language Speaks Louder Than Words"
5th European Collaborative Practice Conference, May 26-28, 2016, Amsterdam, Holland, presented “Oops: What I Meant to Say”
2015 Florida Dispute Resolution Center Conference, July 31 – August 1, 2015, Orlando, Florida, presented “Oops: What I Meant to Say”
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