Meet Dr. Ronda Fuchs: Licensed Psychologist and Collaborative Divorce Facilitator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Ronda Fuchs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Ronda, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
“Balance” is a key word in my life. Sometimes balanced and other times unbalanced. There are different areas of my life that I try to maintain balance. I see facets of ourselves in the quarters of a pie: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. I try to keep all 4 balanced in the big picture. Sometimes, a natural imbalance occurs. For instance, if I am preparing for a seminar, the mental may take more of my time. Or if I was training for a marathon, then the physical may demand more. But overall, I try to maintain this balance because each quarter supports the rest of the pie. An area that has changed over time is my balance between work and family. Before I had children, I worked 40 plus hours a week. I also went back to graduate school to pursue my doctorate in psychology. When I had my first child, I was beginning my full time internship, so there was no balance. But after that, I was able to work part time hours and able to balance my work, even volunteer work, with my three children. I am not even sure if the word is “balance.” I was blessed to not have to be the breadwinner, and my family always had priority. I guess the balance comes in that I was able to be a parent and a professional during those years. The next time my balance took a turn was when I became widowed and had to support my family. Luckily, my children are older and did not demand my physical time. I had been increasing my professional work as my children were getting older anyway, but at this time, I had to become the breadwinner. I am fortunate that I enjoy my professional career and have an amazing relationship with my three children. Balance is fluid throughout one’s life. As long as we stay mindful of wanting some sense of balance, we can strive to have it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career path started in physical therapy. I had always wanted to be a psychologist, but was steered away from that in high school. I really enjoyed being a physical therapist. I remember one day, I was treating an elderly gentleman, and he asked if we could just talk. He was expressing his sadness and fears, and even suicidal thoughts. I spoke with him until he was feeling more hopeful. It was at that moment that I decided that I wanted to become a psychologist. I had to go through the course of pre-requisites, study and take the GRE, apply to schools. Once I was accepted, I quit my hospital position and opened a home health practice, so that I could take classes and still work. As a psychologist, I have been in private practice for over 20 years. The last ten years, I have specialized in marriage and divorce. I am most proud of the work I do in family law. I have been trained as a Parent Coordinator, Family Mediator, Guardian ad Litem, and my favorite position an Accredited Collaborative Divorce Facilitator. I have taken many trainings and certifications to be well-educated in these area, as well as networking and speaking opportunities to be recognized in this field. It is incredibly challenging, and often times difficult. Ultimately, I am helping families get through a transition from an intact family to a divorced family. Whatever my role, it is always to help families through this transition in a constructive, not destructive way. If there is one area that I want more people to know about, it is the Collaborative Divorce Process. It is a process in which a team of professionals helps a couple negotiate a divorce agreement out of court. It is the most respectful process, and the clients have the support and guidance of 4 team members (2 attorneys, 1 financial professional, and 1 facilitator). I try to educate and bring awareness to this process through networking, giving presentations, and basically, talking to anybody who will listen. This process doesn’t destroy families but helps them survive the trauma and move through the transition with support.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Interesting question, now in the time of Covid. Living in Miami, I would definitely take them to the beach and boating, and any special events that are happening like Art Basel. I would take them to different areas, Miami Beach, Wynwood, design district, and Brickell area. Of course, whatever their cultural or dining interests are, it exists in Miami. Restaurants and bars are too numerous to mention, so many great places.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have incredible support from friends, professionals, and community, but I want to dedicate my “shoutout ” to my 3 children, Jordan, Remi, and Jesse, and my fiance, Don

Website: rondafuchscounseling.com