Kate Scharff
Bethesda, Maryland 20816
United States
Profession(s)
Mental Health ProfessionalI am a individual, couple and family psychotherapist, senior Collaborative Divorce professional, Collaborative Divorce trainer, mediator, divorce consultant, and author. For the past 15 of my 25 years in the mental health field I have dedicated a large part of my practice to helping individuals and families navigate the emotional complexities of separation and divorce. Over the past eight years I have served as a coach or child Specialist on over 150 Collaborative cases.
In working on Collaborative teams I draw on my extensive experience in psychotherapy, child development, family systems, and separation and divorce. I am a founder and former President of the D.C. Academy of Collaborative Professionals (DCACP), and was a founding faculty member of the Collaborative Professionals Training Institute (CPTI) from 2001-2017. I continue to conduct professional trainings nationally and internationally. In September, 2010, I co-founded the Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington, where attorneys, mental health professionals and financial experts share space and work side by side on Collaborative ventures. I have written widely in the areas of psychotherapy and Collaborative Practice, and divorce. With Lisa Herrick, PhD, I am the author of 'Navigating Emotional Currents in Collaborative Divorce; A Guide to Enlightened Team Practice" (ABA, 2010) and "Mastering Crucial Moments in Separation and Divorce: A Multidisciplinary Guide to Excellence in Practice and Outcome" (ABA, 2017).
I blog at DivorceonPlanetEarth.com, and have a Youtube channel and podcast of the same name (the latter is available in iTunes).
Professional Activities
Past President, founding member DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals Co-founder, former faculty, Collaborative Practice Training Institute Founder/Principal, Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington Former President, Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable Founding Board Member, Collaborative Project of Maryland Founding Board Member, Pro-Bono Collaborative Project of DC Private Practice, Psychotherapy Independent trainer, Collaborative Practice, Multi-disciplinary divorce work, psychotherapy Author, Blogger, PodcasterUndergraduate Education
Franklin and Marshall College
Postgraduate Education
Columbia University School of Social Work ('89)
Professional Education
Institute for Child, Adolescent and Family Studies (4-year psychotherapy training program)
International Psychotherapy Institute (5-year psychotherapy training program in individual and couple therapy)
Extensive training in mediation and Collaborative Law (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Team), parent coordination, and custody evaluation.
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See "Endorsements" at katescharff.com
Comments
I have now worked on approximately 150 Collaborative cases in the Greater Washington, DC area, serving either as the Child Specialist or Divorce Coach (in both the one- and two-coach models). In recent years I have been active in providing national trainings to professionals who want to learn the Collaborative approach. While divorce is always painful and difficult, the Collaborative model offers a family the support it needs to move through the transition in a way that preservies financial and emotional resources and guides them in developing a comprehensive, durable parenting plan. Particularly significant to me is the unique and sensitive way in which Collaborative Practice includes the voice of the child/ren in making custody-related decisions.