Sarina Steps Into the Next Phase of Her Legal Career
With Her Passion for Family Law
We first met Sarina Alba about five years ago while she was working as a paralegal at another firm. It was clear immediately what a positive go-getter she is. Fast forward a few years, and Sarina was finishing up law school and studying for the bar exam when she reconnected with Chris to talk about a potential mentorship. The rest, as they say, is history. Sarina joined us as a law clerk until the exciting moment this winter when she passed the Florida bar and was officially sworn in as an attorney. We couldn’t be more excited to have this motivated, compassionate professional on our team.
THE POWER OF PRETEND
IMAGINARY FRIENDS PROMOTE REAL LIFE SKILLS
For Sarina, the feeling is mutual. Since first meeting Chris, she’s recognized the strong, cohesive, and caring environment he’s built at Bruce Law Firm. “I looked up to him,” Sarina says. “He’s such a smart, driven, and talented attorney.” After law school, when it came time to think about the next step in her career, Sarina thought immediately of our firm. “When I laid out the top firms I wanted to work for, Bruce Law was at the top,” she describes. She’s found the supportive environment to be exactly what she hoped for. “I say it all the time, but Chris has set up such great dynamics for everyone here. It’s a great work environment,” Sarina says. “Everyone works really well together. I’m so grateful to be here.” Of working in family law, Sarina appreciates getting to be there for clients through such a transitional part of their lives and helping them get the resolutions they deserve. “There’s the sense that you’ve helped someone start over. It feels good to know we’ve helped a client into this next phase of their life,” Sarina describes. She calls on her personal experience to make the transition as positive as possible for people. Her parents divorced when Sarina was in fifth grade, and she understands how difficult it can be on families, especially kids. Like Ashley, Sarina also grew up in the equestrian world and rode competitively. These days, she spends most of her time outside of the office with her family, including her daughter and four dogs.
Studies show that up to 50% of young children have imaginary companions, ranging from entirely conjured entities to beloved stuffed animals. The popular social stigma around imaginary friends is that these children must be shy or lonely, but psychologists disagree. In fact, if your child develops an imaginary friend, most psychologists say it’s an activity you should promote instead of discourage. Psychologists claim that the invention of an entire friendly persona points to the fact that the child is both creative and highly social. Imaginary scenarios also give kids an opportunity to indulge in their wildest aspirations, like going to the moon or inventing a time machine. Their creativity gives them the ability to dream, explore, and experiment in useful ways. Imaginary friends can also be there to comfort your child when they’re feeling down or experiencing a tantrum, which is helpful when they are learning how to manage their emotions. There are also many ways parents can take part in interactions with imaginary friends to strengthen their own relationship with their child. Imaginary friends can make interactive play more meaningful and can be useful in accomplishing daily routines, like cleaning up or getting ready for bed. They also provide a window into the way your child’s mind works by encouraging the vocalization of thoughts and feelings they may not otherwise share. Imaginary friends are often a proxy for the children who invent them, so the conversations your child has with or about their friend can provide a lot of insight into how your child views the world and themselves. Imaginary friends are so important to how some children learn and grow that they’ve been featured in pop culture for many years. Entertainment like “Calvin and Hobbes,” “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” and even adult shows like “Supernatural” — which featured an episode about a main character’s childhood imaginary friend returning to teach him valuable lessons as an adult — portray the inventors of imaginary friends as outgoing and creative. It just goes to show that letting the imagination run wild not only encourages healthy development but can also lead to lots of fun.
Is your friend or client in need of a guide as they prepare for divorce? our divorce strategy book can help! The book can be downloaded for FREE at ControlYourDifficultDivorce.com. If your friend or client lives in the south Florida area, we will mail them a hard copy of the book upon request.
2 • BrucePA.com
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