2025 Mediation Training: Faculty Biographies

2025 AAML Mediation Training: Faculty Biographies

Click on the drop downs below to learn more about member of the 2025 Mediation Training faculty.

Michelle Acuña, LCSW

Screening for Domestic Violence
Listening Skills
Mental Health Impairments
Implicit Bias
Dealing with Complex Financial Situations

With over 20 years of experience as a School Social Worker and nearly 20 years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Michelle is deeply committed to helping individuals and families navigate the challenging process of divorce with compassion and professionalism.

Michelle is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a fellow of Collaborative Divorce Illinois, a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She has completed specialized training in mediation through Northwestern University and Collaborative Divorce Training through the Tampa Bay Institute. Michelle also has extensive training in Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence and has served on the board of the Northwest Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Having grown up in the diverse North Shore suburbs of Chicago, Michelle developed a unique ability to understand and appreciate the experiences of people from all walks of life. This upbringing, combined with extensive professional experience, allows Michelle to connect with clients from various backgrounds and provide the support they need, no matter their situation. As someone who understands the importance of maintaining normalcy during times of transition, Michelle recognizes that the impact of divorce extends far beyond the finalization of paperwork. Divorce can leave both emotional and logistical challenges in its wake, especially for children and families with neurodiverse needs. Michelle has worked with countless families, guiding them through divorce in ways that minimize conflict and reduce the long-term impact on everyone involved.

Specializing in collaborative divorce and mediation, Michelle is passionate about helping clients resolve their issues outside of the courtroom, saving both time and money. By acting as a divorce coach, parenting/co-parenting coach, child specialist, therapist, or parenting coordinator, Michelle works alongside a team of professionals to help restructure families in a healthy, sustainable way. Mediation offers a powerful alternative to the adversarial litigation process, allowing couples to maintain control over their decisions and avoid the financial strain of traditional divorce proceedings. In addition to divorce coaching and mediation, Michelle has deep expertise in co-parenting issues, parenting plans, and addressing post-decree matters. She also has experience working with high-net-worth families. Michelle provides therapeutic services for adults and children of divorce, helping them navigate emotional and psychological challenges before, during, and after the process.

As a bilingual professional fluent in both English and Spanish, Michelle is able to offer services to a wide range of families. Michelle is driven by a deep passion for helping individuals rebuild their lives after divorce. By partnering with clients and other professionals such as attorneys and financial neutrals, Michelle works as a compass, guiding them through the process while respecting their autonomy and decisions. Whether helping families with neurodiverse needs, navigating co-parenting dynamics, or finding creative solutions through collaborative divorce and/or mediation, Michelle strives to create the best possible future for families.

Dr. Kara Anast, PsyD Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Counseling Connections

Screening for Domestic Violence
Listening Skills
Mental Health Impairments
Implicit Bias
Dealing with Misbehavior in Mediations
Re-Framing Skills

Dr. Kara Anast is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Anast graduated with her bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from Carthage College and went on to receive her master’s and doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Anast has worked in a variety of settings servicing a wide range of individuals with varying levels of psychopathology. She began her career working as the Lead Crisis Specialist at a psychiatric hospital. She then moved to working in a therapeutic day school for individuals on the Autism Spectrum before moving to Counseling Connections, the private practice where she is currently working. She began her private practice career by providing therapeutic support to individuals with a wide variety of psychopathology including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, Personality Disorders, and Mood Disorders. She also completed neuropsychological testing for individuals with Autism, AD/HD, Anxiety, Depression, Personality Disorders, and Mood disorders.

While she continues to provide psychological testing, she decreased her therapy caseload to begin training to complete child custody evaluations and court ordered psychological testing. She trained for a year before being added to the Lake County Evaluator’s list and being appointed to her first case in 2018. Since her first appointment, Dr. Anast has been appointed in over 100 cases in multiple counties. She has also published an article on child custody evaluations with individuals on the Autism Spectrum and presented on this topic as well as on parental alienation, psychological testing, neurodivergence, interviewing children, Personality Disorders, and the differences between 215 and 604 evaluations at various conferences. She is a member of the Lake County Bar Association and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Jeffrey W. Brend, Principal, Levin & Brend, P.C.

Jeffrey W. Brend, Principal, Levin & Brend, P.C

Advanced Mediation Tips and the ABCs of Mediating
Negotiating and Generating Options
Working With and Without Lawyers
Simplifying Business Valuation for the Participants
Developing and Explaining a Marital Balance Sheet
Dealing with Complex Financial Situations
Re-Framing Skills
Use of Outside Resources

Jeffrey W. Brend is a Principal of the nationally recognized family law, mediation, forensic accounting, tax and business valuation practice Levin & Brend, P.C in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Brend is a Past President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Illinois Chapter. Mr. Brend is a CPA who is also a AAML Certified Family Law Arbitrator and Arbitrator. He is the only person in the country who is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers, Accredited

Barbara Burr, Founding Principal, Burr Law Firm

Mediation Styles
Mediation Tools in the Toolbox

Barbara A. Burr, J.D. is a lawyer focusing on family matters. Barb has many years of experience representing men and women in all aspects of domestic relations law, from divorce and custody to property distribution and financial support. Her practice is client-focused, emphasizing family-friendly approaches that minimize conflict and help clients move forward with their lives in the most positive way possible. She serves as Collaborative counsel, negotiates amicable resolutions and frequently serves as a mediator. Barb also routinely serves as a trainer in the art and skill of conflict resolution, including Mediation and Interest-Based Negotiation Skills, Basic Collaborative Practice, and a variety of Advanced Conflict Resolution, Mediation and Collaborative Skill trainings. For ten years, Barb co-coordinated the Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington, providing space to a collection of individuals with the shared vision of changing the way people resolve disputes. Barb helped found two non-profit organizations to bring pro bono and low-fee Collaborative Practice to families of modest means in Washington, DC and Maryland and continues to serve as President of the Collaborative Access Project of DC.

Barb has been named a top lawyer by many organizations, including the Washingtonian, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She received her law degree with honors from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Washington. She previously received certification as a CPA. Prior to family law, Barb clerked for the Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, then served as a civil rights attorney for close to a dozen years, first with the United States Department of Justice and then with the National Women’s Law Center. She is admitted to practice in Washington, DC and Maryland.

John Christensen, CFA, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA, CFE

Understanding Financial Statements
Simplifying Business Valuation for the Participants
Executive Compensation Challenges
Dealing with Complex Financial Situations

John Christensen is the managing director of business valuations and forensic accounting for Levin & Brend, P.C. in Chicago, Illinois and Cleveland, Ohio. At Levin & Brend, he specializes in the areas of business valuation, forensic accounting, shareholder disputes, transactional advisory services, and litigation support services. Mr. Christensen has extensive experience in working with attorneys from around the country as a testifying expert in complex financial cases, including family law and corporate disputes. In addition to his work at Levin & Brend, Mr. Christensen has also worked in mergers and acquisitions at Reyes Holdings, LLC, a $40 billion food and beverage distributor, and at Arthur Andersen, LLP in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Christensen has presented numerous continuing education seminars on business valuation, forensic accounting, and other financial topics. Mr. Christensen is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in both Illinois and Ohio, a CFA Charterholder, an Accredited Senior Appraiser, Accredited in Business Valuation, Certified in Financial Forensics, and a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Jon Fields, Founding Partner, Fields and Dennis LLP

Virtual Mediations
Preparing the Participants for Mediations
Role Play/Observation – Mediation Open
Role Play – Conducting Mediation
Role Play/Observation – Custody Parenting
Role Play/Observation – Mechanics of Parenting Agreements
Role Play/Observation – Financial

Jonathan E. Fields is a founding partner of Fields and Dennis LLP in Wellesley, where he practices exclusively in family law as an attorney, mediator, and arbitrator. Mr. Fields has been practicing law for 34 years and is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. His firm has been consistently ranked as one of Boston’s “Top Tier Family Law Firms” in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Firms” since 2016. Mr. Fields has also been listed since 2015 in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of family law and named to Massachusetts Super Lawyers since 2014. He publishes and lectures nationally on a wide variety of family law topics, including trusts and inheritances, grey divorce, cryptocurrency, and removal of children matters. He served as a member of the 2017 Child Support Guidelines Task Force, assisting in the drafting of the guidelines. Mr. Fields received a J.D. from Boston University School of Law and holds a B.A., cum laude, from Amherst College.

Hon. Diana Gould-Saltman

Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman

Mediation Mentality
Dealing with Impasse
Role Play/Observation – Mediation Open
Role Play – Conducting Mediation
Role Play/Observation – Custody Parenting
Mechanics of Reaching Agreements
Role Play/Observation – Mechanics of Parenting Agreements
Developing a Mediation Practice
Role Play/Observation – Financial
Clarification of Issues
Memorialization of Agreements
Use of Outside Resources
Ethics Rules/Guidelines for Mediators

Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman (Ret.) is a well-respected family law attorney and was a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. She brings 40 years of experience and a deep understanding of the human complexities that often accompany legal disputes to her new role as Signature Resolution mediator, arbitrator, and judge pro tem.

Judge Gould-Saltman’s distinguished career in law is marked by extensive judicial service and a substantial background in family law. She gained support from the family law bar and was appointed to the bench in 2010. Shortly after joining the bench, she transitioned to family law, where she presided over multi-week trials of high-net-worth parties, including complex child custody cases. Judge Gould-Saltman most recently sat in a direct trial (long cause) family law court in the Los Angeles Superior Court from 2017 until her retirement from the bench in 2024. Prior to her taking the bench, she practiced family law for 25 years and was certified as a family law specialist in 1992.

Motivated by a passion for connecting with people and understanding human behavior, Judge Gould-Saltman pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She then pursued her juris doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law. She began her family law career in 1984 at the Law Offices of Lorraine C. Gollub. In 1994, she opened her own practice. Her firm achieved great success, and within two years, her husband, also a certified family law specialist, joined her in managing the firm’s caseload. They were partners for over 13 years, specializing in family law litigation, negotiation, and mediation, before she took the bench.

In addition to her professional experience, Judge Gould-Saltman is also an experienced teacher, lecturer and scholar. She is a Judicial Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Law, having been elected to the Academy in 1996, a month after she first qualified for fellowship. She is also a Judicial Fellow of the International Academy of Family Law and served as the 2018-2019 President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She received the Pasadena Bar Association Family Law Section 2013 Family Law Judge of the Year award, the AAML, Southern California Chapter 2014 Don Mike Anthony Award as Los Angeles County Family Law Judge of the Year, the Levitt and Quinn Family Law Center 2015 Outstanding Community Service Award, the 2015 Association of Certified Family Law Specialists Hall of Fame Award, the 2023 AFCC John E. Van Duzer Distinguished Service Award, and the Los Angeles County Bar, Family Law Section’s 2023 Spencer Brandeis Award, among many other awards and recognitions.

David Hazel, Attorney at Law, David Hazel Mediation

Dealing with Impasse
To Caucus or Not to Caucus
Developing a Mediation Practice
Clarification of Issues
Tactics and Tips
Role Play/Observation – Misbehavior and Ethics

Dave has practiced law in Washington state since 1977, where he learned trial skills as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and civil litigator. His practice has been limited to family law since 1985. He was admitted to AAML fellowship in 1993 and is currently Washington’s governor to the national AAML. Since 2022, Dave has limited his practice exclusively to mediation and arbitration and has mediated a large volume of complex family cases. He is a frequent speaker on family law topics sponsored by the AAML, including teaching family law to all Washington state Superior Court judges.

Elizabeth Hill, The Hill Law Firm, P.C.

Mediation Mentality
Negotiating and Generating Options
Role Play – Conducting Mediation
To Caucus or Not to Caucus
Working With and Without Lawyers
Developing a Mediation Practice
Dealing with Misbehavior in Mediations
Tactics and Tips
Ethics Rules/Guidelines for Mediators

Elizabeth Hill of The Hill Law Firm, P.C. Elizabeth Hill is a dedicated family law attorney serving Missouri and Kansas since earning her J.D. from UMKC School of Law in 1987. A recognized leader in the field, she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and an active member of several professional organizations, including the Missouri Bar Family Law Section, the Kansas Bar Association, and the Johnson County Bar Association. She also holds leadership roles within the Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Greater Kansas City and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Elizabeth is the Past-President of the Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Kansas City. With a focus on collaborative divorce and mediation, Elizabeth guides individuals and families through the process of restructuring their lives with dignity and clarity. She works closely with clients to resolve financial matters, parenting schedules, and family support in a cooperative environment centered on solutions. Her holistic approach ensures that each family’s goals and interests remain the priority, empowering clients to envision their future and take an active role in shaping it. Beyond her legal practice, Elizabeth is the owner of Woodson Hill Equestrian Center, LLC and the Founder of Unbridled Journey, an organization dedicated to providing equine-assisted therapy for both children and adults.

David Horowitz, Partner, Warner Angle Hallam Jackson & Formanek PLC

Introducing Mediation Tenets and Mediation Opening
Establishing the Size of the Box
Dealing with Complex Parenting Situations
To Caucus or Not to Caucus
Mechanics of Reaching Agreements
Maintenance and Child Support Options
Dealing with Misbehavior in Mediations
Memorialization of Agreements
Tactics and Tips
Ethics Rules/Guidelines for Mediators

David Horowitz specializes in family law and domestic relations matters, including divorce, paternity, child custody, legal decision making, parenting time, child support, mediation and arbitration.

David has significant experience in all child-related issues, including step-parent adoption, grandparents’ rights, parenting coordination, same-sex parenting, and guardianship/conservatorship. His practice also offers guidance with prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, complex divorce (including business valuation and complex custody and child support issues), collaborative divorce, mediation, arbitration, and court-appointed special master services. He is also a respected mediator in family law disputes and serves as a judge pro tem for the Maricopa County Superior Court.

David is a Certified Family Law Specialist (Arizona Board of Legal Specialization) and a Super Lawyers honoree. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, serves on the Academy’s board of governors, and chairs its Mediation Committee. He is the current chair of the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Legal Specialization Family Law Advisory Commission and an officer of the State Bar’s Family Law Executive Council.

David teaches Family Law and Legal Studies at Phoenix College and has been an adjunct faculty member at the Phoenix School of Law and Arizona Summit Law School. He has been practicing in Arizona for over 30 years. He received his B.S.B.A. in Business Economics (1987) from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management and his J.D. (1990) from the University of Arizona College of Law.

Mario Ventrelli, Partner, Ventrelli Simon LLC

Deception and Detecting if People are Telling the Truth

Mario Ventrelli is an experienced lawyer who has dedicated his entire career to helping his family law clients move forward successfully after divorce. For nearly two decades, he has served divorce and family law clients in the Greater Chicagoland Area. Mario is skilled in all aspects of matrimonial work including child custody and support, property allocation, prenuptial agreements and maintenance/alimony awards. He also has extensive experience in valuation of closely-held businesses and corporations, allocation of retirement plans and benefits, analysis of executive compensation and personal and corporate taxation issues. While his primary practice is in Lake and Cook County, Mario regularly handles cases in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Winnebago, McHenry and Will Counties.

When strategizing financial matters with a client, Mario analyzes and quantifies all aspects of the case and then takes a cost/benefit approach to the litigation. He distills complex matters into basic dollars and cents for his clients and uses his experience to guide them in their decision on whether to settle matters or to take them to trial. In child-custody matters, Mario takes holistic approach designed to achieve client goals while minimizing damage to the family.

As a result of his litigation prowess, Mario is a sought-after, national lecturer and presenter on a wide variety of family law topics including trial advocacy, compensation structures, negotiation and mediation tactics, asset and income discovery and classification, pre-marital agreements, property division, trusts, business valuations and the impact on children in a divorcing society. A professor at the DePaul University – College of Law and faculty member of the prestigious American Bar Association Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute, Mario teaches other family law attorneys around the nation the skills necessary to be successful in the courtroom. He has been named a Super Lawyer, a SuperLawyer Rising Star and an Illinois “Leading Lawyer” each year since 2008. He has been selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association and has been named as one of the Best Lawyers in America by the Naifeh & Smith publication each year since 2010.