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My overall mission is to provide a non-judgmental perspective that allows clients to feel comfortable and meet their goals, whether it is through therapy, mediation or the collaborative divorce model. My approaches are interactive and solution-focused. I provide support and practical feedback to help my clients effectively address their personal challenges.
I do not believe that therapy, mediation, parenting coordination or a collaborative divorce needs to be a lengthy process. My goal is to build trust and facilitate communication and decision-making in a calm and controlled environment. I will work with you to meet your needs and personal goals in a way that is collaborative and client-centered.
Therapy
I am a licensed clinical social worker who has provided counseling and therapy to children, adults, couples and families for over 15 years. My approach is psychodynamic, meaning I utilize whatever style I feel would be most effective with each individual client and situation. I focus on helping clients to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their concerns so that they are empowered to make positive changes in their lives. I work to build a trusting relationship to assist clients in attaining their personal goals.
I have had the privilege of working with individuals of all ages, genders, races and income levels.
My diverse experience in treating anxiety and depression, life transitions, and relationship dynamics allows me to best help my clients make effective changes and achieve personal health and balance.
I specialize in the following issues:
I am a licensed clinical social worker who has provided counseling and therapy to children, adults, couples and families for over 15 years. My approach is psychodynamic, meaning I utilize whatever style I feel would be most effective with each individual client and situation. I focus on helping clients to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their concerns so that they are empowered to make positive changes in their lives. I work to build a trusting relationship to assist clients in attaining their personal goals.
I have had the privilege of working with individuals of all ages, genders, races and income levels.
My diverse experience in treating anxiety and depression, life transitions, and relationship dynamics allows me to best help my clients make effective changes and achieve personal health and balance.
I specialize in the following issues:
- anxiety
- depression
- physical disabilities
- relationship problems
- chronic illness
- grief counseling
- pregnancy and postpartum depression
- infertility
- body image concerns
- trauma
- family counseling
- self-esteem issues
- couples counseling
- parenting support
Mediation/Parenting Coordination
Conflict is a fact of life. Mediation is an increasingly popular, more efficient, and less expensive path to divorce or other conflicts. As your mediator, it is my role to identify the conflicts, provide new perspectives on the issues dividing parties, and ultimately come to cooperative, finite resolutions. I will meet with all parties in joint sessions and/or private meetings to explain the the negotiation process, clarify the sequence of steps so that roles and expectations are clear, and continuously gain feedback to ensure forward progress. Unlike legal courts that declare winners and losers, mediation is about finding a solution that is mutually satisfactory for all involved.
Parenting Coordination is a child centered process for conflicted divorced and divorcing parents. It is a form of dispute resolution for parents in which traditional mediation would be inappropriate or ineffective due to high levels of conflict. As your parenting coordinator my goal would be to assist you both in establishing and maintaining a healthy co-parenting relationship by reducing parental conflict and the risk factors that influence a child’s post-divorce adjustment. My overall emphasis is to offer children the opportunity to grow in a home environment free from the devastating stress of being caught in the middle of parental conflict. I utilize my mediation skills in order to meet the needs and interests of the child so that the parents may enhance the child's confidence and self-esteem by creating an optimal custody situation.
My experience as a therapist is extremely beneficial when I interact with you as a parent coordinator or mediator. I am used to being in stressful conflictual situations. I have dealt with people enduring extreme stress and anxiety. I have advocated for children as a social worker and will continue to do so in my role as a parent coordinator and mediator. I am able to maintain boundaries and be a neutral third party in helping you to negotiate a settlement. I maintain a controlled atmosphere and will keep you both focused until you can reach a mutual decision.
In addition, it is not necessary for cases to have legal issues or law suits pending. I can assist you in mediating the following situations:
• Divorce
• Child Custody Arrangements
• Family disputes
• Elder care issues
• Adoption issues
• other situations requiring a third neutral party
* If the conflict requires the court's involvement, mediation is not a substitute for having an attorney. You and the other party will need your own attorneys to review the written memorandum of agreements and file them as legal documents.
Conflict is a fact of life. Mediation is an increasingly popular, more efficient, and less expensive path to divorce or other conflicts. As your mediator, it is my role to identify the conflicts, provide new perspectives on the issues dividing parties, and ultimately come to cooperative, finite resolutions. I will meet with all parties in joint sessions and/or private meetings to explain the the negotiation process, clarify the sequence of steps so that roles and expectations are clear, and continuously gain feedback to ensure forward progress. Unlike legal courts that declare winners and losers, mediation is about finding a solution that is mutually satisfactory for all involved.
Parenting Coordination is a child centered process for conflicted divorced and divorcing parents. It is a form of dispute resolution for parents in which traditional mediation would be inappropriate or ineffective due to high levels of conflict. As your parenting coordinator my goal would be to assist you both in establishing and maintaining a healthy co-parenting relationship by reducing parental conflict and the risk factors that influence a child’s post-divorce adjustment. My overall emphasis is to offer children the opportunity to grow in a home environment free from the devastating stress of being caught in the middle of parental conflict. I utilize my mediation skills in order to meet the needs and interests of the child so that the parents may enhance the child's confidence and self-esteem by creating an optimal custody situation.
My experience as a therapist is extremely beneficial when I interact with you as a parent coordinator or mediator. I am used to being in stressful conflictual situations. I have dealt with people enduring extreme stress and anxiety. I have advocated for children as a social worker and will continue to do so in my role as a parent coordinator and mediator. I am able to maintain boundaries and be a neutral third party in helping you to negotiate a settlement. I maintain a controlled atmosphere and will keep you both focused until you can reach a mutual decision.
In addition, it is not necessary for cases to have legal issues or law suits pending. I can assist you in mediating the following situations:
• Divorce
• Child Custody Arrangements
• Family disputes
• Elder care issues
• Adoption issues
• other situations requiring a third neutral party
* If the conflict requires the court's involvement, mediation is not a substitute for having an attorney. You and the other party will need your own attorneys to review the written memorandum of agreements and file them as legal documents.
Why choose mediation?
- Mediation is non-adversarial. The participants want to problem solve because they understand the importance of maintaining their ongoing relationships.
- Mediation is private. Choosing a mediator limits the outside intervention to one professional and allows both parties to speak to each other in a safe impartial environment
- Mediation is cheaper. Since only one professional is involved who charges significantly less than litigators, the cost of resolving the dispute is minimized through the entire process
- Mediation is faster. Since all discussions are face to face, the dispute is resolved quicker than in the adversarial legal system. I hope to resolve conflicts in as few sessions as possible to ease the emotional stress and achieve closure.
Collaborative Law
Collaborative law, like mediation, is a dispute resolution process based on a shared commitment of the parties to search for resolutions that meet the needs of both clients without the threat of litigation. Collaborative Practice is different from mediation in that there is the opportunity to work with other professions on an interdisciplinary team.
In a collaborative divorce, both parties must be willing to participate with one another in face to face meetings with the assistance of their lawyers and other team members to communicate honestly and directly. It is designed to reduce conflict and to help the clients consider creative solutions that fit their specific circumstances and goals.
The team members include:
-Attorneys: Both clients hire a collaborative attorney to be their advocates in educating them about the law and providing legal advice.The attorneys will help their clients manage conflict and move forward towards reaching an agreement.
-Financial Specialist: The financial specialist is a neutral financial professional who helps to parties to gather and analyze their financial data. The financial specialist will assist the clients in making financial decisions regarding property division, cash flow, income tax, etc
-Mental Health Professionals: There are two types of mental health professionals that may be part of the interdisciplinary team. I am trained in both of these disciplines.
Collaborative divorce, like mediation, has many advantages. You would avoid expensive divorce litigation and the interdisciplinary model brings the focus back to your needs and goals as well as prioritizing your child's best interests. It is faster than litigation. Collaborative Practice has the potential for you to improve your communication and hopefully preserve a positive relationship with your partner.
Collaborative law, like mediation, is a dispute resolution process based on a shared commitment of the parties to search for resolutions that meet the needs of both clients without the threat of litigation. Collaborative Practice is different from mediation in that there is the opportunity to work with other professions on an interdisciplinary team.
In a collaborative divorce, both parties must be willing to participate with one another in face to face meetings with the assistance of their lawyers and other team members to communicate honestly and directly. It is designed to reduce conflict and to help the clients consider creative solutions that fit their specific circumstances and goals.
The team members include:
-Attorneys: Both clients hire a collaborative attorney to be their advocates in educating them about the law and providing legal advice.The attorneys will help their clients manage conflict and move forward towards reaching an agreement.
-Financial Specialist: The financial specialist is a neutral financial professional who helps to parties to gather and analyze their financial data. The financial specialist will assist the clients in making financial decisions regarding property division, cash flow, income tax, etc
-Mental Health Professionals: There are two types of mental health professionals that may be part of the interdisciplinary team. I am trained in both of these disciplines.
- Divorce Coach: The role of the divorce coach is to identify the concerns of the client, provide emotional support around the stressors of coping with a divorce, assist the client in making a parenting plan, and to facilitate the collaborative process so that the team understands the client's emotional state. As your divorce coach my goal would be to provide support and to help you to move through the difficult divorce process as efficiently as possible. I will help the team to understand your perspective so that you feel your needs and interests are prioritized.
- Child Specialist: A child specialist has specific training in child development and working with families going through a divorce or a custody related dispute. My goal as your child specialist will be to work with your child around his feelings and concerns. I will help you to guide your child through the divorce process and I will provide insight to the team around a co-parenting plan. I can meet with you to discuss how to talk with your child about your divorce which can be an extremely difficult conversation. I will advocate for your child around issues of custody and I will provide emotional support to him throughout the divorce process.
Collaborative divorce, like mediation, has many advantages. You would avoid expensive divorce litigation and the interdisciplinary model brings the focus back to your needs and goals as well as prioritizing your child's best interests. It is faster than litigation. Collaborative Practice has the potential for you to improve your communication and hopefully preserve a positive relationship with your partner.
Rachel Levitsky MSW, LCSW
I have been practicing social work in the public and private sector for over 15 years. I graduated with a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1994 and received my Masters of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. I then obtained my mediation and collaborative law training from the Center for Conflict Resolution and the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, respectively. I am a certified mediator, divorce coach and child specialist and nationally accredited in parenting coordination and child custody evaluation.
I have had extensive experience in school social work, medical social work, adoption, and private practice. In the hospital setting I counseled women with post-partum depression, pregnancy related stressors, and pregnancy loss. I worked with physically and sexually abused children in the Emergency Room, and children and adults with chronic medical conditions. My most recent medical experience was with children with cancer at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In that setting I provided therapy and support to children and their families enduring the trauma associated with a cancer diagnosis, and I provided bereavement counseling.
For several years I was part of a large private practice where I provided therapy to individuals. This is when I discovered my interest in working with children, couples, adults, and families around issues of family conflict and divorce. I then went on to create RL Therapy and Mediation so that I can focus on these issues. I feel advocating for children is essential which is why I am passionate about parenting coordination and providing child custody evaluations. I view being a therapist, mediator, divorce coach and child specialist as an opportunity for me to help empower my clients to achieve personal growth and make positive life choices.
I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers and I am a collaborative law fellow at the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. I am nationally certified in both Parenting Coordination and Child Custody Evaluation.
I have been practicing social work in the public and private sector for over 15 years. I graduated with a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1994 and received my Masters of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. I then obtained my mediation and collaborative law training from the Center for Conflict Resolution and the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, respectively. I am a certified mediator, divorce coach and child specialist and nationally accredited in parenting coordination and child custody evaluation.
I have had extensive experience in school social work, medical social work, adoption, and private practice. In the hospital setting I counseled women with post-partum depression, pregnancy related stressors, and pregnancy loss. I worked with physically and sexually abused children in the Emergency Room, and children and adults with chronic medical conditions. My most recent medical experience was with children with cancer at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In that setting I provided therapy and support to children and their families enduring the trauma associated with a cancer diagnosis, and I provided bereavement counseling.
For several years I was part of a large private practice where I provided therapy to individuals. This is when I discovered my interest in working with children, couples, adults, and families around issues of family conflict and divorce. I then went on to create RL Therapy and Mediation so that I can focus on these issues. I feel advocating for children is essential which is why I am passionate about parenting coordination and providing child custody evaluations. I view being a therapist, mediator, divorce coach and child specialist as an opportunity for me to help empower my clients to achieve personal growth and make positive life choices.
I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers and I am a collaborative law fellow at the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. I am nationally certified in both Parenting Coordination and Child Custody Evaluation.
Please contact me for further information regarding fees and appointments.
Rachel Levitsky Therapy & Mediation
8401 Crawford Avenue
Skokie, IL 60076
847-345-6824
8401 Crawford Avenue
Skokie, IL 60076
847-345-6824
If you and your ex-spouse find that you cannot agree on a custody and visitation plan, even after mediation and other settlement efforts, you might be ordered to participate in a child custody evaluation. A child custody evaluation is a process in which a mental health expert evaluates your family dynamics and makes a recommendation to the court for a custody / visitation or parenting plan that is in your child's best interests.
What is a Child Custody Evaluation?
Unlike mediation or other settlement techniques, in which you and your ex-spouse are encouraged to reach your own agreement about custody and visitation and develop a parenting plan for your children, when you have a child custody evaluation, your evaluator will be recommending a particular plan to you and the court. It is not a settlement process like mediation. Rather, it is a process in which the evaluator gathers information about your family and makes a recommendation based on that information. In an ideal situation, you and your ex-spouse can use that recommendation to reach a settlement, but if not, the judge can use the evaluation, along with all other testimony, to make an order for your family.
My role as a child custody evaluator is to provide the court with information it needs to determine a child’s best interest when the parties cannot agree on custody themselves. I will assess the following issues:
The Evaluation Process
My evaluation will likely include:
As a therapist, parenting coordinator and child specialist I have extensive experience working with children and families going through life transitions such as divorce. My goal is to enter the child custody evaluation with a neutral perspective so that I can determine the safest and most nurturing environment for the child.
What is a Child Custody Evaluation?
Unlike mediation or other settlement techniques, in which you and your ex-spouse are encouraged to reach your own agreement about custody and visitation and develop a parenting plan for your children, when you have a child custody evaluation, your evaluator will be recommending a particular plan to you and the court. It is not a settlement process like mediation. Rather, it is a process in which the evaluator gathers information about your family and makes a recommendation based on that information. In an ideal situation, you and your ex-spouse can use that recommendation to reach a settlement, but if not, the judge can use the evaluation, along with all other testimony, to make an order for your family.
My role as a child custody evaluator is to provide the court with information it needs to determine a child’s best interest when the parties cannot agree on custody themselves. I will assess the following issues:
- The quality and emotional ties between the parents and child;
- The capacity of each parent to educate, raise, guide, and love the child;
- The ability of each parent to provide food, clothing, and medical care;
- Each parent’s abilities and possible disabilities;
- The psychological functioning and developmental needs of the child;
- The child’s need for stability with regard to the living arrangements;
- The parties’ value structure regarding parenting;
- A parent’s capacity to encourage the other parent’s relationship with the child;
- The wishes of the child, if the child has reached an age where his wishes can be articulated to the court with understanding and maturity.
The Evaluation Process
My evaluation will likely include:
- At least two, and perhaps three, individual interviews with each parent.
- At least two individual interviews with each child.
- Observations of your children with each parent.
- Review of court documents and other appropriate written information.
- Contact with some collateral sources (e.g. therapists, teachers, day-care personnel, pediatricians)
- A written report with specific recommendations about custody / visitation, and which addresses all of the major concerns raised by you and your ex-spouse.
As a therapist, parenting coordinator and child specialist I have extensive experience working with children and families going through life transitions such as divorce. My goal is to enter the child custody evaluation with a neutral perspective so that I can determine the safest and most nurturing environment for the child.
Rachel Levitsky
Therapy & Mediation
847-345-6824
8401 Crawford Avenue Skokie, IL 60076
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