In July of 2021, Veronica York started working as my assistant with the hope and expectation this would lead to a professional partnership. The first time we met in person was for my testimony in a difficult Texas case. The court recognized the enormous harm caused by the abusive father, the children’s lives were saved, and they never had to be exposed to their abuser again. This successful case was the start of a successful relationship that has provided great benefits to clients, children, and our movement.
After a 20 year Sales and Marketing career in the Television Industry, Veronica York felt a passion and a calling to make a career change. Following a 10 year marriage that was both mentally and emotionally abusive, and going through a difficult custody battle, she started her High Conflict Coaching practice. During her experience with the family court system, she realized that the best interest of the children was not the first priority. Parental rights are trumping children’s rights and children are suffering unnecessarily due to the outdated practices of judges and other court professionals. Along with helping her clients navigate their custody battles, she is also an advocate for change in the family court system as well as a champion for Domestic Violence training and education. Veronica is certified with the High Conflict Divorce Certification Program and has advanced training in family law mediation. She performs speaking engagements and writes articles regarding the topics of Child Custody Issues that involve Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse. She also does training on the misuse of Parental Alienation and the effects of Post Separation Abuse during a divorce.
Thilanka Dissanayake is a certified victim's advocate, specializing in intervention, response, and justice, as well as an empowerment coach, consultant, advisor, and a dedicated supporter of women’s rights and victims’ rights. Her career began as a successful Chemical Engineer, but her own experience and her witness to the injustices to numerous victims by the institutions meant to protect them ignited her passion for advocacy and the desire to strengthen women’s confidence. She is on a mission to bring awareness to systemic injustices and contribute to policy changes on violence against women, provide empathetic support and guidance to victims and survivors, and guide women to strengthen and rebuild their identities. Thilanka sees her efforts as her life's work and a way of making the world a better place for her children and future generations. Thilanka enjoys reading, writing, painting, meditating, and spending time with her children.
Barry Goldstein is one of the leading national and international experts regarding domestic violence. He has a unique range of experiences that include service as a board member to a local battered women’s shelter, attorney for domestic violence survivors, instructor in a NY Model Batterer Program and writer of some of the leading books and articles in the field. He has a strong grasp of the most current and important research concerning domestic violence and innovative ideas for using the research to create the needed reforms.
Barry is a powerful and engaging speaker.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Battered Mothers Custody Conference regularly rely on him for important speeches and trainings. He has provided workshops and trainings for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, U. S. Department of Justice, Oklahoma Attorney General, Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence and many colleges and domestic violence agencies. In August of 2018, Barry was the plenary speaker at an International Conference in Melbourne Australia that focused on the health and safety of children involved in contested custody cases.
Much of Barry’s speaking and writing focuses on the crisis in the custody court system that has resulted in thousands of children being sent to live with dangerous abusers. His new book with Elizabeth Liu, Representing the Domestic Violence Survivor is designed to train attorneys to present the strongest possible cases. He is available to teach court professionals about the best practices to protect children in domestic violence cases. He also works with domestic violence advocates so they can offer their clients the most useful information.
He is familiar with the recent research about the medical impact of domestic violence and other trauma on children. This information should be highly persuasive in convincing court professionals to reconsider standard practices that are actually likely to shorten children’s lives. Barry has also written extensively about best practices for drastically reducing domestic violence crime. He can show communities the practices that will reduce these crimes and save substantial financial and other resources. Nationally these practices would save $500 billion per year which equals $1500 per person.