Christine Hissong is a Collaboratively trained family law attorney, certified mediator, and transformative coach practicing in Northern Virginia. A former litigator, Christine has remodeled her practice to serve her clients in out-of-court resolution processes, including mediation, Collaborative divorce, negotiation, and coaching. Over the years, litigation has become more costly, more contentious, and more devastating for families, and access to the Courts has become increasingly difficult. Christine thinks it is imperative that her clients have the opportunity to engage in more cost-effective, respectful, and productive ways to address their Cohabitation Agreements, Pre-nuptial Agreements, separations, and divorces. Further, keeping in line with self-determination and empowerment during transformation, Christine has studied as a transformative coach, and she partners with her coaching clients as they discover their passions and find the answers they need to transform their lives in ways to increase peace and joy. Christine has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Virginia Super Lawyer. She is a Virginia Lawyers Weekly Honoree in the 2021 class of Influential Woman of Law in Virginia. Christine has been certified as a mediator by the Judicial Counsel of Virginia, and she serves as a roster mediator for the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. She is the past President, past Membership Chair, and current Secretary of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia. Christine is the Co-Chair of the Fairfax County Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
Before starting a Collaborative process, please satisfy yourself that the skills and experience of the practitioners are a good fit for you and ask if they follow and meet the IACP Ethical and Practitioner Standards. IACP does not verify the information provided by the practitioners listed.
CURRENT:
Secretary of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia
Chair of the Fairfax Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
Roster Mediator for the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
PRIOR:
Membership Chair of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia
President of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia
Secretary of the Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia
Director of the National Association of Divorce Professionals
Year | Course Title | Instructor | Hours |
---|---|---|---|
Basic/ Introductory Collaborative Law or Interdisciplinary Collaborative Team Training. | |||
2009 | Basic Training in Collaborative Law Practice | CTS | 16 |
30-Hr Interest-Based Negotiation & Mediation Skills | |||
2009 | Family Mediation Skills and Process | NVMS | 20 |
2009 | Advanced Mediation Skills | NVMS | 16 |
Additional 15 hours Intermediate/ Advanced interest-based negotiation, communication skills, collaborative, or basic professional coach training | |||
2012 | Collaborative Divorce | Montgomery County Bar Association | 6 |
2012 | CPNV practice meetings | CPNV | 9 |
Annual 4 hours collaborative continuing education (basic, intermediate, or advanced) | |||
2024 | Triggers that Make Attorneys Protective of Clients, and What is Zealous Advocacy in Collaborative Cases? | Sarah Goding, Stephanie Smith, Lynn Hawkins, Natalie Goldberg | 1.5 |
2024 | Setting A Good Foundation - Initial Team Conversations | Natalie Goldberg, LCSW and Elizabeth Bookwalter, Esq. | 1.5 |
2024 | Pre- and Post-Divorce Financial Planning | Jordan Egert, Stephanie Anderson | 1.5 |
2024 | Managing the Negotiation Within - Both our clients' and Our Own | David Hoffman, Esq. | 6 |
2024 | Impasse and Deadlock: Our Monsters of the Deep | Lisa Herrick, Ph.D. and Brian Hirsch, Esq. | 1.5 |
2024 | Divorce and the Marital Home | Margie Hofberg | 1.5 |
2024 | Avoiding Splitting the Team in Collaborative Practice (17th VaCP) 11-11-24 | Loretta “Lori” Gephart, M.A. | 3.4 |
2023 | When a Collaborative Case Goes to Trial - And is Appealed | Jennifer Bradley, David Ginsberg, Steven Goldman | 1.5 |
2023 | Tuning In, Speaking Up, Being Brave in Collaborative Meetings | Lisa Herrick, Ph.D. | 1.5 |
2023 | Trauma-Responsive Collaborative Practice (16th VaCP) 11-13-23 | Dana Baerger, J.D., Ph.D. | 6 |
2023 | The Civility Project | Lynne Golodner, Nolan Finley, Stephen Henderson | 1.5 |
2023 | Sushi for Lunch? Adapting Collaborative Process for Cultural Needs | IACP Forum | 1.5 |
2023 | Red Brain, Green Brain: The Art of Collaborative Practice, Advanced Skills for Managing Dynamics as a Collaborative Team | IACP Forum | 3.25 |
2023 | Parenting Plan - Part Two | Karen S. Bonnell, M.S. | 1.5 |
2023 | Embrace the Dissonance: Understanding Couples as They Come Apart | Barbara Burr and Lisa Herrick | 1.5 |
2023 | Drafting Effective Parenting Plans | Lynn Hawkins, Esq. | 1.5 |
2022 | Collaborative Clients: When Kumbaya is Not Enough | Barbara Burr, Esq. | 1.5 |
2021 | Understanding Domestic Violence and the Challenges in Getting it Right | Viola Vaughan-Eden, Ph.D. | 1.5 |
2021 | The Flexible Potential of the Child Specialist Role | Natalie Goldberg and Lisa Herrick | 1.5 |
2021 | The Expanding Boundaries of Coupledom: Plyamory and Consensual Nonmonogamy | Dr. Magdalena J. Fosse | 1.5 |
2021 | A Deeper Dive into the Role of the Child Specialist (14th VaCP) | Natalie Goldberg, LCSW & Lisa Herrick, Ph.D. | 2.75 |
2021 | Virginia's Uniform Collaborative Law Act: What it Means for Your Collaborative Practice | Jennifer A. Bradley, J.D., Anne White, J.D., Karen Keyes, J.D. | 1.5 |
2021 | Transform Them | Jonathan Foust, MA, CSA | 1.5 |
2021 | No Justice no Peace | Barbara Burr and Natalie Goldberg | 1.5 |
2021 | Maximizing the Role of a Financial Neutral in Unprecedented Times (14th VaCP) | Jane Rowny, CPA, CFP, CDFA, Jamie Blum, CPA, ADFA, & Jordan Egert, CPA, CFE, CDFA | 2 |
2021 | Hold Onto Your Hats: Strategies for Streamlining Collaborative Practice | Jennifer Bradley, J.D., Lynn Fletcher, J.D., Natalie Goldberg, Jane Rowney | 1.5 |
2021 | Changes, Practical Applications and Issues now that the UCLA Statute has been Enacted (14th VaCP) | Teresa Cole, J.D., Karen Keyes, J.D., & Cheryl Smith, J.D. | 1.25 |
2021 | Beyond Spread Sheets and Cash Flow | Debbie May and Robin Taub | 1.5 |
2021 | Adult ADHD in Collaborative Practice | Kate Scharff | 1.5 |
2020 | Yikes My Client is Recently Sober-Integrating Substance Abuse Recovery into a Parenting Plan | Natalie Goldberg, LCSW and George Young | 1.5 |
2020 | The Psychological and Ethical Dimensions of Collaborative Practice | David A. Hoffman, Collaborative Attorney & Mediator | 6 |
2020 | The New Normal | Lisa Herrick, Ph.D., Natalie Goldberg, LCSW, Steven Goldman, Patrice Garver | 1.5 |
2020 | Prenups the Collaborative Way | Michael McHugh, J.D. & Lynn Fletcher, J.D. | 1.5 |
2020 | Disclosure? Distraction? Denial? Dunno Addressing Full Disclosure of Ambiguous Adultery in Collaborative Divorce | Steven Goldman, J.D. & David Ginsberg, J.D. | 1.5 |
2020 | DCACP during Covid-19: Impacts adn Opportunities | Lisa Herrick, Ph.D., Sue Soler, LCSW, Natalie Goldbert, LCSW, Grant Moher, J.D., and Jennifer Bradley, J.D. | 1.5 |
2020 | Cash, Covid, and Collaboration: Financial considerations for assisting your clients | Jordan Egert and Jane Ochsman Rowney | 1.5 |
2019 | UCLA Coming to virginia Soon | Teresa Cole, J.D. and Karen Keyes, J.D. | 1.5 |
2019 | Managing Client Expectations about the Collaborative Process | Jennifer Bradley, J.D., Debbie Beach, Dwayne Grady, Caroline Girgis | 1.5 |
2019 | Difficult Moments in Collaborative Cases | Lynn Fletcher, J.D. and Jennifer Bradley, J.D. | 1.5 |
2019 | Difficult Moments in Collaborative Cases | Lynn Fletcher, J.D. and Jennifer Bradley | 1.5 |
2019 | Collaborative Bootcamp - VaCP Annual Conference | Lisa Herrick and Barbara Burr | 5.5 |
2019 | the Space Between: The Richness of Our Work with Clients Before and After and in Between Tem Meetings | Adele D'Ari and Paul Smoller | 1.5 |
2019 | What's IACP Got To Do With It? | Chris Farish, J.D. | .5 |
2019 | Real Estate Transactions & Family Law | Molly Craig, Esq. | 1.5 |
2019 | Parent Child Contact Problems and Applying Collaborative Principals | Patrice Garver and Lynn Hawkins | 1.5 |
2019 | Collaborative Bootcamp: An Experiential Day of Refining Skills and Deepening Team Cohesion (12th VaCP 11.11.19) | Barbara Burr, J.D. and Lisa Herrick, Ph.D. | 5.5 |
2019 | A Collaborative Case Study | Jennifer Bradley, Lynn Fletcher, and Lisa Herrick | 1.5 |
2018 | Spiritual Jouneys in a Material World | Larry Gaughan | 1.5 |
2018 | Collaborative Team Protocols | Christine Hissong, J.D. and Mary Szpanda | 1.5 |
2018 | UCLA Panel: What's in it for Me? (11th VaCP 11.12.18) | Del. David Toscano; Robert Merlin, PA; Teresa Cole, J.D., and Cathleen Rea, Ph.D. | 1.25 |
2018 | Support Redux: Navigating the New Tax Laws and the Emotional Challenges They Create for Spouses (and Teams) (11th VaCP 11.12.18) | Sanford Cassel, Ph.D., Frank Morrison, J.D., Gigi Robson, CPA, ADFA, and Paul Smollar, J.D. | 3.25 |
2018 | Avoiding Financial Errors in Divorce Settlement | Adam Morgan | 1.5 |
2017 | What Does Neutrality Look Like | Lisa Herrick and Natalie Goldberg | 1 |
2017 | Stop Driving at the End of Your Hood | Michael McHugh, J.D., Patrice Garver, Erika Schleifman | 1 |
2017 | Creating the Conditions for Growth As We help Our Cleints Navigate Separation and Divorce | Lisa Herrick and Kate Scharff | 6 |
2017 | Business Valuations in Collaborative Divorce | Jennifer Bradley | 1 |
2016 | The Uniform Collaborative Law Act (UCLA) | Jan White and Kathleen O'Brien | 1 |
2016 | Virginia mediator Ethics | Jeannette Twomey | 2 |
2016 | Solving Ethical Dilemmas in Mediation | Susan Butler | 1 |
2016 | Motivational Interviewing and Collaborative Divorce | Natalie Goldberg | 1 |
2016 | J&DR Mediation Observation Practicum | Christine Hissong | 7 |
2016 | Intuitive Reasoning: A Whole Brain Approach to Problem Solving | Mary Elizabeth Lynch | 7 |
2016 | Equitable Distribution Mediation Observation Practicum | Christine Hissong | 7 |
2016 | Discernment Counseling | Rona Hitlin-Mason | 1 |
2016 | Collaborative Team | Michael McHugh | 1 |
2015 | VaCP Annual Conference | Multiple Instructors | 7.5 |
2015 | Master Class in Collaborative Practice, Neurobiology and Decision Making | Pauline Tesler | 12 |
2015 | Emotional Intelligence in Teams | Diana Coverdale | 3 |
2014 | Breaking Down Barriers to Support | Paul Smollar | 6 |
2014 | VaCP Annual Conference | Yuval Berger and Lisa Alexander | 6 |
2014 | CPNV | CPNV | 6 |
2013 | VaCP Annual Conference | Nina Meierding | 6 |
2013 | CPNV | CPNV | 8 |
2009 | Mediation Skills and Process | NVMS | 20 |
2009 | Resolving Economic Issues in Divorce | NVMS | 12 |
2009 | Preparing Memoranda and Agreements | NVMS | 4 |
2009 | Organizational Problem Solving | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Negotiation Skills | NVMS | 16 |
2009 | Mediation EEO and Workplace Disputes | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Mediating Child Support Issues | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Family Mediation Role Play: Juvenile and Domestic Relations | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Family Mediation Role Play: Circuit Court Family | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Facilitation and Group Consensus Building | NVMS | 16 |
2009 | Facilitation and Group Consensus Building | NVMS | 16 |
2009 | Domestic Violence Assessment | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Developing Reflective Practice | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Designing Conflict Management System | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Cultural Issues in Mediation | NVMS | 8 |
2009 | Cognitive Barriers To Conflict Resolution | NVMS | 4 |
2009 | Alternative Dispute Resolution: Beyond Mediation | NVMS | 4 |