The Collaborative Center of Southern California Puts Families First in the South Bay
Hermosa Beach office provides assistance for struggling marriages all under one roof.
By Jon Kramer, LCSW and Kimbery Davidson, ESQ.
Conceptualizing divorce and reconciliation differently…When a couple senses “something” is not working in their relationship, they may wonder where to turn first. Frequently, they become emotionally paralyzed with what to do. Would a marriage counselor, a lawyer, or a financial adviser help? Maybe all three? If their first move is to the Collaborative Center of Southern California (CCSC), they will find all of these professionals under one roof and ready to clear a path.
Another such comprehensive center may exist somewhere, but not within Los Angeles County, and not even west of the Mississippi. Yet, here is a unique collaboration right in our own Beach Cities.
What makes CCSC innovative is that its three pillars of professional care for troubled couples and their families — financial, legal, and mental health — are all in one location.
The advantage of this physical arrangement is three-fold. First, it satisfies the individual desires of both parties, whether one’s priority is to reach an efficient, cost-effective solution, or to preserve the families’ financial and emotional security. Second, it simplifies the coordination of the professionals, who collaborate for the well-being of the couple. Third, if a couple opts to divorce, it smooths the process without destroying families or spending the children’s college funds.
The team of experts at CCSC offers a spectrum of services for struggling couples. These range from individual and family counseling, workshops, and resources for married couples, newlyweds, parents, and families of all makeups.
If a couple is unhappy in their marriage and not sure what direction to take, CCSC provides Discernment Counseling, a proven and effective resource for this common and frequently overwhelming marital situation. It is a way for couples to understand their options, from reconciliation to separation to divorce. This works best when one partner wants to preserve the relationship, whereas the other is leaning towards ending it. Discernment counseling helps the couple explore all of their alternatives in a safe and secure environment.
The feelings of safety and civility are important to founding partners, attorney Kimberly Davidson and family therapist Jon Kramer.
Davidson realized through her own divorce that there must be a better way for everyone involved. The experience moved her to enhance her counseling psychology background with a law degree. Now she practices exclusively as a mediator and collaborative attorney and has been a pioneer in the South Bay law community for her work in no-court options for divorce.
Kramer has been a practicing psychotherapist and Relationship Coach for over 20 years, receiving the Best of Psychotherapy Award by the Hermosa Beach Award Program for four consecutive years (2013-2016). He has seen repeatedly the emotional damages caused to children and families when couples end up in nasty litigation as opposed to a more dignified process. With a focus on children, couples, and families, Kramer’s listening skills and concrete feedback assist clients struggling with divorce or reconciliation, and everything related to this complex issue.
Other experts on site include financial advisers, therapists, and attorneys. All of this under one roof, on one corner of Hermosa Beach.
The Collaborative Center of Southern California is located at 2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 312, Hermosa Beach, CA, 90254; Phone (310) 374-2025; website www.collabctr.com.