We’re looking forward to introducing you to Amanda Singer. Check out our conversation below.
Amanda, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
So usually the first 90 minutes of my day are the time I get completely to myself. I’m up by 5:15am most mornings and my 2 years old daughter doesn’t get up till 6:30/7. The first thing I do in the morning is to fill out my 5 minute Gratitude journal which asks me 3 things I’m grateful for, 3 things that would make today great and my daily affirmation. After completing that I read a business or non-fiction book for at least 10 minutes. Right now I’m reading Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit by Brené Brown. I love her writing and was super excited to start her newest book. After that it depends on the morning, I try to do a ride on my Peloton bike 2-3 mornings a week and then I’m usually cleaning up the kitchen and putting dishes away or getting some work done until my daughter wakes up and then it’s our morning routine which always starts with changing her and reading a couple of books before we have breakfast and take our dog Toby for a walk, assuming we have time before I need to drop her at school.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Amanda Singer, the Founder of West Coast Family Mediation. I’m a licensed attorney, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, and hold a Master of Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University’s Straus Institute. But at my core, I’m someone who believes that families deserve a better, kinder way to navigate conflict.
I started West Coast Family Mediation over a decade ago because I saw how damaging and expensive the traditional divorce process can be—especially when children are involved. Mediation offers a different path: one focused on cooperation, understanding, and long-term solutions rather than winning or losing.
At West Coast Family Mediation we help clients through divorce mediation, premarital mediation and prenuptial agreements as well as co-parenting plans, and other family transitions. What makes us unique is that all of our mediators are not only trained in conflict resolution but also bring legal and financial expertise. That combination helps our clients reach agreements that are both emotionally and financially sound.
Over the years, our mission and work has evolved. While it might sound lofty, our main goal is to make mediation the main form of dispute resolution for Family Law cases. Mediation isn’t just an alternative form of dispute resolution; we feel strongly that it should be the main form of dispute resolution when it comes to dealing with a divorce and other family law issues. We are even working one expanding access to peaceful conflict resolution through technology and education and will have some exciting updates in the coming year.
At the heart of everything we do is the belief that families deserve clarity and compassion during difficult times. Whether it’s helping parents build a new co-parenting plan or guiding a couple through an amicable divorce, we’re here to make sure they can move forward with dignity and peace of mind.
Outside of work, I’m a wife, mom, and avid reader who loves travel, hiking, and spending time with my family (including our rescue pup, Toby). Those personal experiences remind me every day why the work we do at West Coast Family Mediation matters—because family, in all its forms, is worth protecting.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
So one of my earliest memories of feeling powerful is when I was probably about 4 and we used to go to Fire Island for the summers when we lived in New York and both of my parents were runners and so I was signed up to do a kids mini marathon on the beach. I remember the feeling of running across the sand (which I know as a runner as an adult is not easy) and feeling not only powerful but free. I continued my running with my parents doing kids runs and then ran my first half marathon right after I graduated college and my first marathon a couple of years later.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
So one of the defining wounds of my life has been my Mom’s battle with dementia which came to an end in March of this year when she died. I can’t say for sure how long she had dementia because she never agreed to go to a doctor and it was only when she landed in the hospital after a particularly difficult incident at our home in San Diego when they were visiting in March of 2022 that we even obtained a diagnosis for her, but it was probably a 7-8 year journey from when we first started seeing signs to her death. Now some people with dementia become easy going and are pleasant, just can’t remember, but that was not my Mom. My mom became aggressive, mean and anytime we tried to talk to her about our concerns she would blame us and essentially gaslight us for even thinking something was wrong. I can remember many instances of her yelling at us and saying things to me that I have tried to forget, including the final incident that put her into a memory care facility in 2022. It’s been hard over the years to remember the good times, but I’ve worked to heal the wounds that her words and the disease caused and try to remember the good with the bad. I miss her and I’ve missed her for many years now because even when she was still alive, she hasn’t been my Mom that I knew for a long time. I can’t say my wounds have healed completely from that time but I’ve worked at talking about them, acknowledging when I feel sad or upset about it and moving forward trying to remember the positive impact she had on my life and to do the same for my daughter, who although she met her won’t be able to remember her.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
So focusing on the divorce industry as a whole and not just mediation, I think that some of the biggest lies the industry tells itself, especially the divorce attorney is that they’re doing what’s best for their clients. While there are many great attorneys, I don’t think they are always doing what’s best because there are many many cases that could be dealt with in mediation or through other alternative dispute resolution formats, such as collaborative law that would allow the clients and their families to come out better off. When the attorneys tell themselves that they’re doing what’s best for the clients, they’re not always considering the effect the fighting and conflict has on the couple themselves and especially on the children.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I understand deeply that people desperately want to be listened to and validated, but most don’t realize how rare real listening actually is. We think we’re listening when we’re really just waiting for our turn to talk, planning our response or thinking about our to-do list. True listening requires a pause before responding – because if you’ve been genuinely absorbing what someone said, you need a moment to actually think about it rather than firing back immediately.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.westcoastfamilymediation.com
- Instagram: @westcoast_mediators
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/singeramanda/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westcoastfamilymediation/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/west-coast-family-mediation-del-mar
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6V_SZbWzN21ZBZPviZJgzQ
Image Credits
Marcy Browe
