About Our Founder
From the beginning- dating back to over 15 years of experience- Balance Divorce Mediation’s founder Amy Wilhelmi has worked with children, families, and couples. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the States of Illinois and Wisconsin. Since the very start, she has worked with complex family dynamics and with the most extreme cases-with families that came from very strained backgrounds including severe situations of trauma, abuse, neglect, and foster care. Along with the complex cases- she also seen a ton of “regular” couples and families in her practice. What she learned quickly is that unfortunately most couples do not go to couples therapy until their relationships were much too severed to improve upon. Today, Wilhelmi is a staunch advocate for preventative couples work. Like eating clean, going to the gym, o getting enough sleep- Relationship betterment should be included in ones “self care” routine.
“I help clients focus on their families and their children and see the bigger picture of what they want their lives to look like. I understand complex family dynamics having worked with children, being a parent myself, having been divorced, being a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an entrepreneur,
and a business owner. I can divorce you, keep your business intact,
and your family running.” – Amy Wilhelmi, LMFT
Unfortunately life took a toll on her own marriage. And after ten years- she found herself facing her own relationship “red flags” that were not able to be resolved with a TON of couples therapy and individual work. Over time- after doing a lot of research and contacting several attorneys (which were great professionals themselves) there was still this gnawing feeling within her that there MUST be a more peaceful and financially responsible way than the “two attorney litigation model” to end this stage of their lives called Marriage. After all- the parties had hurt each other enough and divorce was hard enough. She couldn’t foresee enduring more damage by engaging in the court-system. Her priorities were her (3) children’s future.
The therapist, researcher in her, and lover of peace and life led them down the path of gentle mediation. There were many supportive people in their lives rooting for kindness and many strained nights around the kitchen table. Wilhelmi and her ex- spouse were able to successfully over a course of months unwind their lives in a way that felt better to them and their family.
They have a motto in their home “We will always be a family, even if it looks different”. The judge at the one and final Divorce hearing that they attended together (and themselves without an attorney or representation)- with their documents carefully prepared by their mediator- said it was “the most peaceful divorce I have ever seen.”. (note: just because it was peaceful at that moment DOES NOT mean that it was always peaceful, it was really hard at times BUT we were committed to the process).
This personal story of success in an extremely difficult situation- working hard to do the work, and having been there is the passion behind this practice.
You will meet your mediator who has gone through it and is now on the other side. You will be met with a depth of empathy that is only known through experience.
“The only way through is through.” – Amy Wilhelmi, LMFT