Hi! I'm Edina Adler, LCSW
Stepmom, Stepfamily Coach, Mindfulness-Based Therapist and, Certified Family Court Mediator




Edina Adler (MA, LCSW) coaches parents, couples and stepfamilies – her specialty. Her goal is to help families transform conflict into opportunities for deeper intimacy and compassion so that everyone can thrive.
Personal Background
Starting in 2009, Edina has been a full-time step-parent for two amazing children who are both in college. Both of her parents were sculptors, and she honors their influence in her practice, often utilizing art and play therapy. She sometimes brings along Pluto, a therapy dog.
Professional Experience
After working with traumatized children and parents in the foster care system, Edina was trained to be a Therapeutic Foster Parent, and in turn trained other parents. She has worked as a counselor in an Oakland middle school and a local charter high school. A long-time practitioner of mindfulness-based meditation, she brings an interest in spiritual traditions blended with a passion for the therapeutic applications of the arts, especially drama and art therapy.
Education
Edina earned an M.S.W. from UC Berkeley and an M.A. from New York University’s School of Education. She holds a certification as a Family Court (child abuse and neglect cases) and Divorce mediator, and practiced in both New Mexico and New York. Edina studied Expressive Arts Therapies at Pratt Institute in New York as well as Dr. Jane Goldberg in Palo Alto, CA.
She has taught conflict resolution, mediation and managing diversity in nonprofit and school settings part-time for almost 20 years, and been a college adjunct instructor, on the East Coast and in the Southwest.
Speaker Services
Edina is available for speaking engagements and is an authority on the topics of: stepfamily dynamics, parenting and transforming conflict using mindfulness and Non-Violent Communication ™ to achieve a more loving home environment.
Training
- Gottman Institute – Gottman Method Couples Therapy Clinical Training Levels 1,2
- Bader Pearson Couples Institute Training
- Jai Institute Parent Coaching Training
- Hand in Hand Parenting Training
- Stepfamily Coach Training – The Stepfamily Foundation, NYC
- Masters in Social Welfare – UC Berkeley, CA
- Masters in High School Education & Performing Arts – New York University, NY
- Boddhisattva Peace Training for helping professionals – Silver City, NM
- Mindfulness Training and Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner since 1995
- Non-Violent Communication – Oakland, CA
Click the button below to learn more about how I can help you do that.