Parent Counseling – Cooperative Co-Parenting Skills Training: Parents are often caught in the web of emotions, legal issues and stress as they work through the transition of divorce. This counseling is very practical and designed to help parents learn the skills need to convey information about the children to one another and make parenting decisions on an on-going basis. This consultative work with parents is not psychotherapy. Parents are not evaluated or diagnosed. Rather, this consultation is instructive and focused on helping parents reduce conflict and work together to give their the children the best they as parents have to offer.
Collaborative Divorce Services – Child Specialist and Parent Coach: As a trained Collaborative Divorce Mental Health Professional, I see parents who are going through the Collaborative Divorce Process and serve in either of these roles as part of the collaborative team. At other times, my input and limited participation is sought in cases when a specific question arises that the parents and attorneys do not see as needing the long-term participation of a Child Specialist or Parent Coach.
Divorce Coaching and Support: Separation and divorce are some of the most stressful life experiences. One’s emotions, coupled with the often adversarial legal process and well-meaning support of family and friends can lead parents to have prolonged, high stress and very expensive divorces. When providing coaching and support for divorcing individuals, I focus on helping my clients avoid contaminating the process with useless control battles and displays of hostility. We often focus on making sure parent-child relationships are as healthy as possible. In short, I help my clients focus on their core concerns and developing strategies to most effectively voice these throughout the process. This coaching can be a useful adjunct to individuals going through a traditional divorce, mediation, or collaborative divorce.
Family Consultant: As families divorce there are often complex and difficult decisions that need to be made. As a family consultant I meet with parents (and children when appropriate) to provide input around specific key concerns. I also consult to the Guardian ad litem around similar issues as the Guardian is often faced with trying to sort our conflicting information in order to address the emotional needs of the children.
Conflict Manager/Parent Coordination: At times parents need help following through on their agreements and/or orders of the court which do not necessarily control the conflict or address every situation that can arise. When serving in this role, I help parents make the specific decisions that arise and help them go forward in as healthy a way as possible, with reduced conflict. At times, parents ask me to make recommendations when they are at an impasse. In this role, I may also be called into court.
Mediation of Parenting Plan Schedule: Determining the parenting schedule can be one of the most thorniest challenges of divorce. Even in cases where conflict is not high, parents can struggle over these types of decisions. In this role, I help parents make their decisions about the basic parenting plan schedule and other related life-style changes. I can provide these services to parents who are going through a traditionally litigated divorce, collaborative divorce or as an adjunct to attorney facilitated mediation (especially when there are developmental or other significant child-related concerns).
