The New Child Project was initiated by Dr. Rob Straus, DMH, JD in 1998 and further developed by Dr. Straus and Diana Peterson since 2005.
Rob is a clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience as a couples’ therapist. With a law degree from Harvard Law School (1973), Doctor of Mental Health degree at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco (1982), and an internship in child psychology at Children’s Hospital, Boston, he spent 6 years doing custody evaluations for the Family Court in Cambridge. In 1991, he founded Meeting Place: Supervised Child Access Service, providing a safe place for children in separated families to stay in contact with their non-custodial parents. Out of this work with high conflict couples and his work as a couples’ therapist, Rob developed an increasing interest in preventive interventions to protect their relationships and their children. Since 2005, he has devoted his time to that goal. The New Child Project is the result.
Diana Peterson is a childbirth educator and doula. Currently on the staff of Providence St. Joseph Hosptial in Burbank, California, she has taught classes on childbirth, preparing for your newborn, and breast feeding for over 30 years and has run support groups for new parents for many years. Diana, also is an experienced trainer of doulas and a member of the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA). She has 8 children and has been married for over 40 years.