About us /

Diane’s work with adults and families in therapy and mediation is informed by a rich professional background that spans decades.
A seasoned social work practitioner, Diane has had an extensive career in the mental health field, where she has held clinical, supervisory and administrative roles in the public, private and non-profit sectors. She has worked in a variety of settings, including residential, clinic, crisis center and hospital, with domestic violence survivors, disabled and underprivileged populations, severely mentally ill individuals, and many other groups.

While working in the New York State psychiatric system, Diane served in several elected union positions, representing her colleagues on local, regional and statewide levels in the NYS Public Employees Federation. Her various union positions, including local steward, Executive Board member, regional chair of labor/management committee, and statewide chair of the PEF Women’s Program, gave her ample opportunities in negotiation and mediation-type interactions.

These experiences led her to a fierce interest in effective conflict resolution. Diane left New York and relocated to Austin in 1993. In 1999, she found the 40-hour mediation training course offered locally, and immediately signed up. After the class, she began volunteering her services at the Austin Dispute Resolution Center and a few years later, began coaching in their trainings.

Diane incorporated mediation into her private therapy practice in 2000. She often combines skills from each discipline while working in high-conflict situations. While she does mediate divorce and contract issues, mediations in her office can also be large family meetings centering on family dynamics or how to handle tense situations, or co-workers trying to improve their working environment.

Diane now teaches mediation, both the basic Mediation and Advanced Family Mediation classes since April of 2019, after years of serving as a coach in mediation trainings. She is a leader in the mediation community, having served on the boards of local and statewide organizations – Texas Association of Mediators (Past President), Texas Mediator Credentialing Association (Board Member) and Austin Mediators Association (Past President). A frequent speaker and workshop leader for a variety of local, statewide, and national groups, her topics focus mainly on conflict resolution, mediation, communication and mental health issues. Additionally, she served for several years as an off-site field instructor for University of Texas BSW students at the Workers Defense Project.
In 2015, NASW-TX Capital Branch honored her as the 2014 Social Worker of the Year.