Client Testimonials

Bankruptcy

“I just received my discharge Monday! I can’t imagine what it would have been like to go through this process without Kelly. She helped me stay focused on what it would feel like on the other side of this. Without that support, I would have let shame and regret and embarrassment wear me down. But today, I physically feel lighter and I’m so grateful for this fresh start. Deep, deep thanks Kelly!”

- T.R., Bankruptcy

“I can’t begin to describe how helpful Kelly was in dealing with my financial burdens. Her grace and determination, her knowledge, but most of all her compassion made this a better experience than I could have imagined. She made dealing with my debt manageable and understandable, and she advocated for me in a way I’ve never felt from a lawyer. Kelly helped me through a really scary time and I’m not exaggerating when I say she gave me hope when I had none left. I will be forever grateful. 

I mean every word, you are a gift and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

- T.N., Bankruptcy

Mediation

“After years of emotional separation from my husband, I chose to finally move out of my home and finalize our divorce. This was a step long avoided because of the upheaval and hurt I feared it would cause. In spite of our many differences, however, my husband and I were both deeply committed to our children's welfare. We both wanted to avoid the hateful, revenge-seeking behaviors that often go along with divorce to minimize damage to our children and to improve our chances of successfully co-parenting for the longterm.

We turned to Kelly to help us mediate the property settlement and child custody agreement and the experience was absolutely excellent. Kelly kept us focused on the future and what we wanted for our children and ourselves going forward, rather than allowing us to devolve into finger-pointing and accusations of the past.

Perhaps the most important thing is that Kelly was not on either side, as divorce attorneys are, but truly, simply, mediated the conversation between us so that we could express our fears, our needs, and even our demands, calmly. The result was that we could find our way to an agreement that we believe is best for our family - which we will always be, in spite of a divorce. This is not to say that there were never tears or angry words throughout the process, but Kelly's calm yet firm command of the situation and her keen awareness of when we should be working together and when we should be working separately, were priceless and absolutely key to our success. 

A friend and counselor once told me that the ability to work through a divorce as amicably as possible is key to the longterm welfare of the children involved because, 'if you didn’t learn to work out your differences as a married couple that was supposed to love each other, imagine how hard it's going to be as a divorced couple!' Truer words were never spoke and I would encourage any couple facing a divorce to work with Kelly because the benefits of a compassionately and collaboratively constructed agreement will benefit your family forever.”

- R.C., Mediation Participant

"Before Kelly came into my life I felt like I wasn't being heard as an equal because "I wasn't grown up enough." Over the course of our meetings together she has helped me get clear about how I'm feeling and even changed how my family listens to me and especially understands what my needs are."

- W.J.A., Mediation Participant

"We were grandparents, raising our 16-year-old adopted grandson, as our son. We needed help. Kelly McGrath, through her application of NVC principals, keen intuition, empathy and knowledge, guided our increasingly troubled family communications and relationships into a place of trust, comfort and peace. We first contacted Kelly to help us facilitate our communication (really though, I thought she would be "on our side", the side of parents.) Boy, did we have a lot to learn!

We sat together weekly in the comfort of our living room learning to express our needs and our feelings, and how to make and honor our agreements. We observed our sometimes sullen son open up and share with us what was deep in his heart. We observed (our sometimes angry) selves learning to really listen to one another.

Kelly taught us how to find and express the positive in our relationships with one another. She put our feet on a path of growth, hope and harmony. Our son is 19 now, soon to start college. I cannot imagine the problems we were spared. We still call Kelly in to keep us tuned up occasionally...and through her guidance and the NVC skills we have acquired we come away from our times together feeling a renewed sense of our family's unity. "

- G.M., Mediation Participant

"I am a 70 year old man raising an adopted teenage grandchild. For the last decade and a half my wife and I have been committed to ensuring his best welfare. During these years, a perilous time in our world, we faced many challenges. Communication was our main challenge. We simply were not speaking the same language as our son. There was a lot of anger and frustration on all of our parts.

Kelly McGrath encouraged us to try working with the concept of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). I was uncertain. I didn't know whether anything could help. Boy was I wrong! With Kelly working weekly with our family, we slowly came to understand that there was a better, more wholesome way of communication with our child. Working with new concepts, like sharing feelings and needs, we soon learned how to listen to each other from their perspective rather than coming from the place where we thought as parents we were "always right", trying to "guide" our son to follow in the direction we "knew" was right.

Three years later I enjoy a great, honest relationship with our child. We know he's on his own path. I honor his direction because I can now speak and listen working with the honest communication skills that Kelly McGrath taught."

- C.T., Mediation Participant

"If there is a portrait of patience, compassion, intelligence, ingenuity and integrity, it is Kelly McGrath as a mediator. My near-interminable mediated divorce would have tested the patience of Job. She never lost her cool. Not once. In my experience, the worst thing a divorcing couple can do is hire a couple of combative divorce lawyers who bask in the adversarial process—causing irreparable spiritual and familial pain and harm.

Kelly is able to hover above the pettiness and suffering, having the strength of character to acknowledge it without being sucked into it. She comes from a place of compassion and empathy and stays in the solution, not the problem (where the money is!). Divorce may well bring out the worst in many of us. We can become manipulative, deceptive and even cruel in our anger and pain. Kelly mollified all that by acknowledging the pain and anger and lingering with each of us in it just long enough to get to constructive problem-solving. She guided us through the process, despite my resistance and orneriness.

Based on my experience with Kelly, it is my belief that mediation, especially in divorce, is the only way to go. But there are mediators and there are mediators. Anyone who knows Kelly, knows she is a positive force in the Universe and one of the Good Ones. Divorce sucks. No matter how you slice it. But, thanks to Kelly, I believe my ex, my kids and I have been able to get past the shock and disappointment of it all more quickly than if we had not worked with her. I count my blessings that Kelly McGrath appeared in my life when she was most needed. Thank you, Kelly."

- B.C., Mediation Participant

Restorative Justice

“Kelly’s vast knowledge of mediation practices in combination with her deep compassion, wisdom and intellect offered a unique healing experience for me during a very difficult time. She was able to make me feel safe and heard. She helped me communicate my feelings in a way that ended up being connecting and ultimately healing. I experienced a dramatic shift from feeling charged with emotional turmoil because of the conflict to at peace with it in only a handful of visits. Kelly really stands out as one of our community’s best conflict resolution professionals around.”

- A.H., RJ Participant

"Several years ago our neighbor girl, along with a friend, entered my garden and destroyed some of my precious plantings. Her parents contacted me after discovering it was their daughter that done the mischief. They were extremely upset and unsure of how to respond. I suggested they contact Kelly McGrath to hold a Restorative Justice meeting with us.

Kelly spoke to me by myself first. Then Kelly organized a meeting with myself, the young girl and her parents. Through Kelly's incredible understanding of Restorative Justice the child was able to realize the harm she had caused. I was able to express to the child face to face my feelings. Together we came to the idea that she would work with me in my garden. And she did.

Those times working in my garden with the young girl became so very special to both of us. She no longer had to feel guilty for her harmful actions She is now a young woman. When ever we see one another we both recognize the special bond that was created between us. She was able to not only repair the harm done, but contributed more than had been expected. I truly believe that through Restorative justice we can create positive changes that last a lifetime and that resonate throughout our communities and our world."

- G.M., RJ Participant

“Before the conference, Kelly scheduled time with us to explain the process and to listen to our views of the conflict and hoped-for outcomes.  She gave us a listing of universal human needs - among them the need for well-being, connection, meaning, and belonging. Kelly also shared a list of words that we could draw from to connect with our feelings and express those feelings in non-threatening ways.   

During the conference, Kelly’s caring energy and gentle presence provided us the safety needed to express our feelings and needs in an honest and open way to the person we were in conflict. We believe that person felt the same. Kelly encouraged good listening – often having us repeat each other’s words so that communications were clear. Working through our conflict was emotionally hard, but it opened the door to healing.”

- LD & ED, RJ Participants