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About Stephen

A clinical practice built around children and their parents.

Stephen Cross is an accredited member of the Ontario Association of Family Mediators. He serves Oakville, the Greater Toronto Area, and beyond.

Dark stone sculpture of abstract adult and child figures gathered together.
The sculpture that marks the practice: a family, held in one circle.

Stephen has particular expertise in high conflict separation and divorce. His private practice provides specialized therapeutic services for families who have been impacted by separation and divorce.

He has over 30 years of experience helping families resolve parenting disputes. For sixteen years he served on the clinical panel of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, a branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General, where he prepared reports for the court and provided clinical assistance to children’s lawyers.

Stephen has strong clinical skills in family functioning and a solid foundation in trauma, loss, attachment theory, and permanency. He is committed to the work, has great respect for the diversity of every person, and takes pride in an anti oppressive practice.

He has a special interest in working with families who are multicultural, multi ethnic, and multi faith. He also has experience working with First Nations families, and with LGBTQ youth and families. Equity and inclusion are part of how he works with every family.

Stephen spent many years in the child welfare sector, working primarily with children in care and their caregivers. Many of those children had significant needs and had suffered trauma, abuse, and loss, often with multiple caregivers. He has extensive experience interviewing children of all ages, from preschoolers to teenagers, including children with learning or developmental disabilities, autism, behavioural or mental health issues, or medical and physical disabilities.

He has been qualified by the courts as an expert in his field and has testified in the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice on numerous occasions.

High conflict work

Particular expertise where separation and divorce have become entrenched, and where a skilled neutral is needed to find what sits underneath the dispute.

Children’s voices

Experience interviewing children across ages and abilities, and putting their views in context for their stage of development.

Equity and inclusion

Experience across cultures, faiths, First Nations families, and LGBTQ youth and families.

The courts

Sixteen years with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, and expert testimony in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice.

Next step

Talk with Stephen about your family.

Meetings can be in person at the Oakville office, by Zoom, or by telephone, including evenings and weekends.