Melanie Samaroden

Family Specialist

I am a Registered Psychologist in Edmonton, Alberta.  My role within the Collaborative Family Law process primarily involves parenting issues.  In the most simple cases, I help parents craft a basic parenting plan to then review with their lawyers in a CFL meeting.  In more complex cases, I may be retained to assist with a specific difficult parenting issue, or even to assist with trauma.

In many cases, parents involve me to perform a Family Systems Analysis and report back to the lawyers and clients in a CFL meeting with my observations and suggestions.  Family systems theory views people as complex beings within a system, where the parts are interrelated and cannot be understood independently. The structure and organization of the family are important factors in determining the behavior of its members, and therefore what solutions might work best for the family.

My past work experience includes working as a junior high and high school teacher, and prior to that as a community support worker and intensive child and youth care worker.

My credentials include:

• 2020: Masters in Psychology from Athabasca University
• 2011: Bachelor of Education from University of Alberta
• 2004: Bachelor of Arts (English) from Concordia University College of Alberta
• 2002: Bachelor Arts (Psychology) from University of Calgary
• Hakomi accreditation