March 20, 2020

Greetings, DLG Community:

It has been a strange week for most as everyone adjusts to all of our schools being closed, restaurants and other locations all around the Puget Sound being closed for seating and in general, and people spending far more time at home – often in close quarters. How do we cope? When does this end? Is this real life? Many people have concerns about jobs, finances, childcare, relationships. These are already high stress issues. Add to it the uncertainty of COVID-19 and it can begin to feel like an unmanageable situation.

Mental Health Services
At DLG, we are big believers that the world you live in is the one that you allow to exist in your own head. Mental health is just as important as physical health. During this time, more than ever.

This situation made us think it is a good time to let our community know about a secret weapon that we have. We have our own Wellness Coordinator. Not every workplace is so lucky. DLG has an on-staff mental health consultant, Melissa Rosenberg, LICSW, who is also a licensed mental health professional with a private practice – Better You – that serves individuals for therapy, provides couples counseling (she is even Gottman Institute trained!), and can work with parents dealing with co-parenting challenges. Melissa offers a free intake to those interested in exploring individual or couples’ therapy. She can do phone, video, and also in-office sessions in a sterile and socially distanced setting. There is no time like the present to make the call (206-489-4758) or request a free consultation if you have been thinking about therapy or need extra support during this time.

Melissa is also our operations executive that keeps things running smoothly at the firm and as noted, the DLG team’s Wellness Coordinator. Our team knows we must take care of ourselves to be able to take care of our clients. Melissa helps us maintain this focus and reality. There is no one better to talk to when things seem overwhelming or you need some help. Whether you reach out to Melissa or another provider, we encourage you to simply reach out to someone if you are struggling. We also often encourage our clients to work with a therapist during their family law matters since the stress and life changes that accompany these situations are best served with a full complement of support. At DLG, we listen with empathy and offer support, but we know that we are not mental health professionals and that often clients pay more talking to legal professionals about issues that can more cost-effectively discussed with a therapist for solutions-oriented results.

Weekends in COVID-19 Land
When working from home and staying in far more than normal, life can begin to feel like Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day. What does a weekend even mean? It means, it is time to put away the work, breathe the fresh air, take advantage of the sunny weather in the Northwest right now, and boost your mental health and fitness game with a walk around your own neighborhood or a trip to a local park (still okay so long as you are socially distancing). If you have never walked the loop at Discovery Park on a beautiful Seattle day, you are arguably missing one of the best parts of living here. You will be largely alone as you approach the bluff and look out over the Sound. Have you visited Kubota Garden? Some people who have lived in the Northwest their entire lives have never visited this 20-acre Japanese Garden in the Rainier Beach area. Seattle Parks are open. Facilities are not, but our outdoor spaces are. If parks are not your thing and you want to get out of your own neighborhood, a walk along Shilshole Bay Marina, starting at the Golden Gardens end and ending down past Ray’s Boathouse when you get tired is a great way to get out and stretch your legs. Little Coney is a small local to-go spot near Golden Gardens that still has the same soft-serve it did when my grandma took me there as a child to watch the windsurfers and people fishing off the dock. This is your weekend to focus on what we have – not what we do not. We do not have the option to go out to eat or to a bar. We do not have the option to go out to a movie. We do have the option to get outdoors and reconnect with ourselves, our families, and the beauty around us.

Please stay healthy both mentally and physically during this time. Thank you for being part of our community. If we can answer questions for you that are coming up for you, or if you need support of any kind, please reach out.

Best Regards,
Dellino Family Law Group