The book “Generation to Generation” presents a “systems approach” to resolving conflict whether within church or a divorce. The author, Edwin H. Freeman, coined a phrase, “the non-anxious presence,” to describe certain people who can change the dynamics in a room or negotiation. Gay G. Cox, one of our pioneers in Collaborative Divorce, was such a non-anxious presence. We lost her 8 years ago in a freak accident, but she remains one of our guiding lights. It’s no wonder that she and this year’s recipient of the award named in her honor were dear friends. Together, they spent countless hours developing forms for Collaborative Divorce Texas that have enabled us to train hundreds of Collaborative Professionals and successfully complete thousands of Collaborative divorces in Texas over this past twenty years. Gay understood, as a social worker prior to becoming a lawyer, the value of having neutrals, such as a mental health professional and a financial professional, and how their presence can completely change the outcome of the case by managing the emotions in the room. Among her many accomplishments, the 2021 Gay G. Cox Award for Excellence in Collaborative Law recipient has over 40 years’ experience as a Clinical Psychologist with an Advanced Graduate Certificate Degree in Dispute Resolution, 30+ years working in family courts; she has been on the faculty of UTSW Medical School and the University of Texas at Dallas. She served several years on the Collaborative Divorce Texas Board of Trustees and the 2019-2020 President of Collaborative Divorce Texas. She holds the Master Credential Designation from Collaborative Divorce Texas, and she was instrumental in the development of the Parenting Plan Checklist, which is an extensive tool to help parents custom design their Parenting Plans and helps lawyers and their staffs more efficiently draft decrees. Families and couples throughout Texas have been the beneficiaries of this recipient’s tireless effort on their behalf. Please help me congratulate the 2021 Gay G. Cox Award Recipient, Dr. Honey Sheff.
