Resource Sessions: Legal and Resource Podcasts by Sterk Family Law Group, P.C.

Our latest Non-Profit Hero feature is ⁠A Call to Shoulders⁠, an organization doing work with veterans as they transition back into civilian life.

Thank you to Greg Zilioli for sharing how through woodworking and skilled trades, veterans are able to build something tangible, earn income, and regain a sense of purpose and direction. It’s not just about the work itself, it’s about having structure, community, and a path forward.

A Call to Shoulders is a example of how support and connection can make a real difference.

To contact A Call to Shoulders, visit ⁠⁠their website⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠page.

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  ⁠⁠sterkfamilylaw.com⁠⁠

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

Our latest Non-Profit Hero feature is A Call to Shoulders, an organization doing work with veterans as they transition back into civilian life.

Thank you to Greg Zilioli for sharing how through woodworking and skilled trades, veterans are able to build something tangible, earn income, and regain a sense of purpose and direction. It’s not just about the work itself, it’s about having structure, community, and a path forward.

A Call to Shoulders is a example of how support and connection can make a real difference.

To contact A Call to Shoulders, visit ⁠their website⁠ or ⁠Facebook ⁠page.

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  ⁠sterkfamilylaw.com⁠

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

In our latest Non Profit Heroes feature, Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk sat down with Ines Kutlesa from Guardian Angel Community Services of domestic violence and assault.Guardian Angel does far more than provide emergency shelter. They offer comprehensive, long-term support through their core programs, including crisis shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, transitional housing, a Partner Abuse Intervention Program, and foster care services. Everything they do is centered on helping individuals and families move from crisis to stability with dignity and support.Guardian Angels is committed to staying involved beyond the initial emergency through safety planning, court advocacy, counseling, and housing support. Their team walks alongside survivors through each phase of the rebuilding process.Ines also shared ways the community can step in and make a difference from volunteer training and fundraising events to board involvement, there are many opportunities to support this mission locally.Sterk Family Law Group is proud to partner with organizations like Guardian Angel and looks forward to continuing to provide legal consultations and educational programming around domestic violence topics.

Our latest Non-Profit Hero features guest Colleen Connolly of Catherine’s Cause, an organization dedicated to supporting families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss.

Catherine's Cause supports families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant loss by providing comfort items, keepsakes, and care packages for healing.

Listen to learn about how to support them, volunteer opportunities, community crafting initiatives, and events that support healing for parents, siblings, and grandparents.

To contact Catherine's Cause, visit their website or Facebook page.

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  sterkfamilylaw.com

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk and Caroline M. Powell of ⁠Sterk Family Law Group, P.C.⁠ discuss the ⁠Equality for Every Family Act (HB 2683)⁠and recent Illinois parentage law updates, focusing on why legal parentage matters far beyond names on a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage.

They explain how the shift from paternity to parentage expands who can be legally recognized as a parent, how these changes impact assisted reproduction and surrogacy arrangements, and why establishing parentage is essential before custody (now known as allocation of parental responsibility) issues can be addressed.

We hope this episode is helpful for families navigating non-traditional or blended family structures under Illinois family law.

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  ⁠⁠sterkfamilylaw.com⁠⁠

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

#IllinoisFamilyLaw #EqualityForEveryFamilyAct #IllinoisParentage #LegalParentage #FamilyLawPodcast

#AssistedReproduction #SurrogacyLaw #BlendedFamilies #NonTraditionalFamilies #LGBTQFamilyLaw

Our latest Non Profit Hero feature includes Kristine Cain, founder of Building Bright Futures, and the work they are doing to support parents before they hit a breaking point.

Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk and Kristine discuss real concerns families face, including safety, anxiety, and the pressure to “just figure it out” when it comes to parenting. Building Bright Futures exists to change that by offering practical parenting education, emotional intelligence workshops, and supportive group spaces rooted in community, not judgment.

The conversation reinforces what Gwen sees daily in her practice: when parents have tools, support, and resources, families are stronger and outcomes improve.

To learn more about programs and upcoming workshops, visit www.bfamilies.org

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  sterkfamilylaw.com

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

In this episode, Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Troy Westercamp take on one of the most painful challenges a relationship can face: the loss of trust. Whether it’s infidelity, financial secrecy, or broken promises, betrayal shakes everything a couple thought was solid.

Gwen and Troy discuss what can happen emotionally in those first moments of discovery and why each partner often processes the experience so differently. They talk about how long that initial pain may actually last, why “time heals everything” is only half true, and what real healing requires beyond just waiting it out.

They break down what the rebuilding process may look like: the slow steps, the setbacks, and the signs that a relationship may genuinely have a path forward. They also touch on a piece that often gets overlooked: learning to trust yourself again after being blindsided.

To connect with Troy Westercamp, visit: ⁠pathwayprofessionalcounseling⁠

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  ⁠sterkfamilylaw.com⁠

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Troy Westercamp chat about life shifts that can completely shake a person’s sense of identity. Divorce, career changes, becoming an empty nester, moving, or starting over in a new chapter all sound like milestones from the outside, but on the inside, they can feel confusing, emotional, and downright overwhelming.

Gwen and Troy discuss why even positive change can feel uncomfortable and what emotions tend to surface in the middle of these transitions. They review that space where someone is no longer who they were but not quite who they are becoming, and how to recognize when you are stuck between two versions of your life.

They discuss some tips that help people feel grounded again and what to focus on first when everything feels uncertain. The conversation also looks at how friends and family can genuinely support someone going through a major change and the signs that it may be time to reach out for professional help.

If you are facing a big shift right now, this episode offers realistic guidance.

Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk sits down with Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Troy Westercamp of Pathway Professional Counseling to have a conversation about what happens when life becomes so overwhelming that even basic responsibilities start to feel impossible. Work, parenting, relationships, and finances can stack up fast, and the result is not a lack of caring but a sense of emotional paralysis that keeps people stuck.

Together, Gwen and Troy explore why this happens, how to tell the difference between laziness and being mentally frozen, and the impact this shutdown can have on families and relationships. They discuss why so many people may be experiencing burnout, how small steps and structure can open the door to progress, and what support actually looks like when someone you care about is overwhelmed.

This episode is for anyone feeling stuck, along with compassionate insight for the people who want to help them.

To connect with Troy Westercamp, visit: pathwayprofessionalcounseling.com

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  sterkfamilylaw.com

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook,Kane, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

Attorney Gwendolyn J. Sterk sits down with Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Troy Westercamp of Pathway Professional Counseling to have a conversation about what happens when life becomes so overwhelming that even basic responsibilities start to feel impossible. Work, parenting, relationships, and finances can stack up fast, and the result is not a lack of caring but a sense of emotional paralysis that keeps people stuck.

Together, Gwen and Troy explore why this happens, how to tell the difference between laziness and being mentally frozen, and the impact this shutdown can have on families and relationships. They discuss why so many people may be experiencing burnout, how small steps and structure can open the door to progress, and what support actually looks like when someone you care about is overwhelmed.

This episode is for anyone feeling stuck, along with compassionate insight for the people who want to help them.

To connect with Troy Westercamp, visit: pathwayprofessionalcounseling

To learn more or to connect with Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. or Gwendolyn Sterk, call 815-600-8950 or visit  sterkfamilylaw.com

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Sterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, and DuPage counties.  The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and over-all well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center.  The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.

Our latest Non-Profit Heroes feature, we highlight the incredible work of Norma Peterson, Executive Director of Document The Abuse, an organization born from her collaboration with the late Susan Murphy-Milano and inspired by the call for change following the Drew Peterson case.Norma shares how Document The Abuse is helping victims of domestic violence take back control through secure, web-based documentation tools that protect privacy while preserving vital evidence. Her leadership continues to push for accessibility, awareness, and action in the fight against domestic violence.We also talk about the organization’s ongoing training initiatives, community partnerships, and how social media is helping to spread their message of empowerment and safety.Learn more or access confidential documentation resources at DocumentTheAbuse.comLearn more about Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. at: https://www.sterkfamilylaw.comSterk Family Law provides a full range of family law and estate planning services in Orland Park for clients in Will, Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties. The Sterk Family Law Group team provides a holistic approach to the practice of law and strives to not only service a client’s legal needs, but also help manage a client’s emotional and overall well-being by establishing connections with a vast network of counselors, support groups, and various other non-traditional service providers within local communities by way of the unique Resource Center. The Resource Center provides Sterk Family Law clients with access to other professionals to help prepare for the next step in their lives.************** This is a legal advertisement from Sterk Family Law Group, P.C. It does not constitute legal or medical advice and should not be construed as such. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes.