Dr. JoAnne Pedro-Carroll is a licensed clinical psychologist with 25 years of experience working with children, adults and families. Dr. Carroll has expertise as a coach and child specialist with families in the process of a divorce. She is a clinician in private practice, former researcher at the University of Rochester's Childrens Institute, and founder of prevention programs for children and parents dealing with family transitions. Her expertise in this area has been recognized with local and national awards, including the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public Service. She knows that divorce is a stressful time for families but believes, based on her research, that there are many things that parents can do to help their children thrive. She prefers to work preventively, in close collaboration with parents and other professionals, to reduce the risk of children's long term problems and foster their resilience. She is the author of a new book , "Putting children first: Proven strategies for helping children thrive after divorce", which won a gold medal from the National Association of Parenting Publication Awards. Her writing, clinical practice and presentations are filled with messages of hope, healing, and effective practice.