MEET DEANNA & RITA
Meet Your Mediation Team
Two experienced professionals. Two complementary areas of expertise. One shared commitment to helping families move forward.
OUR APPROACH
Legal and Psychological Expertise at the Same Table
Divorce is a legal process, but its impact reaches far beyond legal documents.
That's why Family Forward Mediation combines family law expertise with a deep understanding of psychology, child development, and family dynamics. Meet the two professionals who will help guide your family through the process.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST & MEDIATOR
Dr. Deanna Conklin-Danao
Clinical Psychologist | Divorce Coach |
Child Specialist | Mediator
Dr. Deanna Conklin-Danao has been a clinical psychologist specializing in children and adolescents for more than 25 years. For the past 15 years, she has worked with families as a divorce coach and child specialist in Collaborative Divorce and mediation.
Deanna helps divorcing families navigate strong emotions and difficult decisions in respectful and constructive ways, with the goal of reducing the time, expense, and emotional toll of the divorce process.
Her extensive experience with children and families brings an important perspective to mediation, helping parents consider not only the decisions they need to make today, but also how those decisions may affect their children and their family's future.
Deanna is a member of Collaborative Divorce Illinois, where she led the North Shore Practice Group for many years, the Association of Family Conciliation Courts, and the Illinois Psychological Association.
FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY & MEDIATOR
Rita Mookerjee Ghose
Family Law Attorney | Mediator | Collaborative Practitioner
Rita Mookerjee Ghose is a family law attorney, mediator, and Collaborative practitioner who has dedicated her career since 2002 to helping families resolve complex family disputes in a thoughtful, non-adversarial manner.
As an attorney, Rita helps clients make informed, values-driven decisions and advocates for what matters most to them. As a mediator, she facilitates productive conversations designed to lead to mutually acceptable resolutions grounded in each party's core needs and interests.
Rita is a Fellow of Collaborative Divorce Illinois and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including President, Board Member, and Committee Chair. She is also a member of the Association of Family Conciliation Courts, Mediation Council of Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association, and Chicago Bar Association.
Upon recommendation by her peers, Rita has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, Best Lawyer, and Leading Lawyer.