Family therapist Jeannette Cutshaw leads a Second Saturday discussion for women facing the possibility of divorce. Submitted photo.
WHITPAIN
Not many people probably want to think about divorce the day before Valentine’s Day — except for the Second Saturday women and the experts helping them to achieve an equitable end to their marriages.
In keeping with its name, the next Second Saturday Divorce Workshop of Central Montgomery County is set for Feb. 13, the second Saturday of the month, more than a year after certified financial planner Tim Seiders brought his franchised version of a proven concept to Blue Bell.
Launched nearly 30 years ago by a West Coast nonprofit group, the monthly sessions are available to guide female clients through the often rocky legal, financial and emotional aspects of divorce.
However, no one should ever assume that Second Saturday was created to promote divorce, Seiders noted.
“Rather, if a woman finds that she is faced with that reality or that choice (of divorce), she has the information that she needs as she goes forward,” he said. “As we are now in year two we get attendees from a number of sources but I am most grateful for those that learn about us from a friend who has attended one of our workshops because our reviews are consistently positive.”
The Second Saturday Divorce Workshops were founded in 1989 in San Diego as an extension of the nonprofit Women’s Institute for Financial Education, and Seiders quickly signed on when the founders decided to franchise the formulas and ideas they had developed.
“I follow a practice that was established by Ginita Wall, the founder of the Second Saturday workshop, and that is, if a woman pays once to attend she can return as often as she would like after that for no additional cost,” said Seiders, who offers financial expertise via his company, the West Point-based One Stop Financial Services. “We cover a lot of material and many of our attendees are not at all familiar with the many aspects of the divorce process. We have had a number of women take us up on that offer.
“Something else that we do,” he added, “is that if a woman would like to bring a friend along for emotional support or to be an extra set of eyes and ears she can do so and that friend does not have to pay our modest $20 fee.”
Workshop attendance generally ranges from six to eight women, with a capacity for as many as 24 women, Seiders allowed.
Since debuting at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell in the fall of 2014, Second Saturday workshops have been popping up in other areas as well, including West Chester, Bryn Mawr and Fort Washington.
“The goal set by our sponsoring organization is that a woman would not have to travel more than one hour to attend one of our workshops,” Seiders said. “When a woman calls me to register I always ask her where she is traveling from. If it turns out that one of the other workshops is closer for her I let her know about it and allow her to choose which one she would like to attend. The Blue Bell campus of the Montgomery County Community College is a great location.
“It is quite convenient for the area of central Montgomery County that we serve. The facilities are modern and comfortable and the available technology allows us to add visual and audio dimensions to our presentations.”
Of the other four workshops, two of them charge $20, one charges $25 and one charges $35, Seiders explained.
“But at any of those prices the attendees receive valuable information that could save them so much more than that in legal fees or in the cost of a bad financial decision.”
Seiders has gathered a dependable team of professionals to counsel his clients, including attorneys, family therapists and financial specialists, to help them at a time in their lives when their self-esteem may be profoundly less than it should be.
“Second Saturday provides a great opportunity for women to acquire non-biased, straightforward information and options to help them focus on what they need to do legally and financially through difficult times, and hopefully save a whole lot of time, grief and money,” he said. “Many of our attendees are in a very fragile state when they arrive at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. We offer them information, support and hope. Our goal is that by the time they leave at 12:30 that they realize no matter which path they choose to take that indeed they are worthy.”
The next Second Saturday Divorce Workshop will be held Feb. 13 at Montgomery County Community College, Room 128, Parkhouse Hall, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. A $20 fee is payable at the door.
To pre-register, call 215-699-6993.
For information on additional Second Saturday locations, visit secondsaturday.com/locations/directory-category/pa.
For general information, visit onestop4you.com/secondsaturday.
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