Ria Severance

Ria Severance is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice. She also serves as a Collaborative Divorce Coach, Child Specialist, Co-Mediator, Co-Parenting Specialist and Executive Development Consultant.

Drawing from her work with 100’s of children and parents, Ms. Severance, with other collaboratively trained professionals, helps families stay out of court by empowering separating or divorced parents to develop a parenting plan and form an alliance and skill set that puts the best interests of children first, while addressing the needs of all family members.

Ria offers a variety of therapy options to assist parents at various points in the divorce process, including: short-term Decision Counseling to determine whether or not to divorce, Couples Counseling, Reunification work when parents are alienated from their children, in-home Parent Coaching for parents dealing with their children’s behavioral challenges, Co-Parent Training, and divorce-related Individual Therapy to work through divorce challenges while creating a new life. She has also developed a form of co-parenting work that includes two Divorce Coaches to facilitate a more neutral, effective way to train parents to align with their higher values so they can put their children's need for a viable relationship with both parents in the forefront, before, during or after any kind of divorce.

A bilingual/bicultural Latina, Ms. Severance has 30 years of clinical experience developing relationships with people of diverse cultures, classes, interests and needs. She is a dynamic speaker and offers monthly free trainings in Pasadena, California, for clinicians and the public regarding the pros and cons of different divorce options. Ria also provides professional trainings at annual conferences for Collaborative Practice California (CPCal) and the International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP).

Ms. Severance is active as the Marketing Chair for Pasadena Collaborative Divorce, a Board Member for Los Angeles Collaborative Family Law Association (LACFLA), a Founding Member and Marketing and Training Committee Member for Civil Collaborative Professionals, and she also volunteers as a Co-Mediator and Divorce Coach at Loyola Law School.

For more information go to riaseverance.com or call 626-354-4334.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT RIA'S CHAPTER IN "THE COLLABORATIVE ADVANTAGE:"

"Ria, as I read your wonderful contribution to “The Collaborative Divorce Advantage,” I wanted to immediately share it with all my practitioner friends and all the unknown prospective clients with children. I loved your initial quote, which I have already shared with several local Child Specialists. Beautiful!" Stu Webb, Founder Father of Collaborative Law

"In complex and emotionally demanding situations, negative emotions can get in the way of effective decision-making and a necessary focus on long-term goals. And, few situations are as scary, sad, overwhelming emotionally and financially, and seem as threatening as impending divorce. Being self-righteous can seem more important than self-respect or our children’s well-being. In this chapter, Ria Severance shows you how to regain your self-respect while acting in the service of your values and goals, and not on behalf of your worst short-term, often vengeful, reactions. This is a must read for every adult with children who has even considered separation and divorce." Dr. Alan E. Fruzzetti, international DBT expert, researcher, and speaker, and author of “The High Conflict Couple: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Guide to Finding Peace, Intimacy and Validation.”

"In the 'Collaborative Divorce Advantage,' Ria captures the contributions of the Child Specialist in a way that any parent undergoing divorce can understand. She explains how children actually feel in divorce and how having a voice in an often "voiceless" process can make an incredible difference for a child. If a parent going through divorce reads only one thing, I'd like it to be Ria's chapter on the Child Specialist. I plan to recommend this to every parent I work with in helping them understand how their choice of a Child Specialist can affect their children's well-being for years to come." Nancy Ross, LCSW, BCD, Co-Author of "Divorce, A Problem to be Solved; Not a Battle to be Fought,” Co-creator of the Collaborative Interdisciplinary team concept, Collaborative Divorce Coach, Mediator, Trainer, Psychotherapist, & Collaborative Communication Specialist for Trusts & Estatesbsrcounselingservices.com/biographies

"In complex and emotionally demanding situations, negative emotions can get in the way of effective decision-making and a necessary focus on long-term goals. And, few situations are as scary, sad, overwhelming emotionally and financially, and seem as threatening as impending divorce. Being self-righteous can seem more important than self-respect or our children’s well-being. In this chapter, Ria Severance shows you how to regain your self-respect while acting in the service of your values and goals, and not on behalf of your worst short-term, often vengeful, reactions. This is a must read for every adult with children who has even considered separation and divorce." Dr. Alan E. Fruzzetti, international DBT expert, researcher, and speaker, and author of “The High Conflict Couple: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Guide to Finding Peace, Intimacy and Validation.”

"In her chapter, Ria eloquently illuminates the child specialist’s pivotal role as the voice of the children and as the provider of related feedback to parents in a Collaborative Divorce. Ria brings to life how this often-gifted professional assists parents to break an impasse over shared parenting time, in favor of valuing their children's wellbeing." Vicki Carpel-Miller, Collaborative Professional and Trainer, Author of "Just Stop!" series, "Secondhand Shock," "Surviving and Overcoming Vicarious Trauma," & "Secondhand Shock Workbook."

"In this game-changing book, Ria Severance clearly and compassionately delineates the need for and powerful benefits of a Child Specialist during a Collaborative Divorce. As an advocate for women and children and Executive Director of a nonprofit, I have witnessed first hand how divorce adversely impacts every aspect of a family's life. When children are involved, they are especially vulnerable to divorce-fallout, as they lack the emotional tools to navigate parental conflict and tension. The Collaborative Child Specialist's mandate is to help parents consider their kids throughout the divorce - a gift to everyone in the family." Pauline Field, Business Consultant and Author of "Feisty & Fearless: Nice Girls CAN Be Leaders"