Going through a divorce can be extremely stressful and emotionally taxing. Friends and family members can be supportive, but often unintentionally spur great tension due to their strong alliance with you. As a Divorce Coach, I help you compartmentalize your emotions so you can engage in the divorce process in a manner that will be most successful for you. I help you learn to communicate clearly in a business-like manner and stay focused on your goals. If you have children, I assist you in separating your negative feelings toward your partner from his/her essential role as a parent to your children.
FOR COUPLES:
Planning to go through a divorce but you don't know where to start? The first steps in the divorce process are often the most difficult. Couples often have questions about how to tell children, who should tell them, how much should they tell them, and when they should involve them in the process. I consult with you as a couple to help you make the right decision for your changing family dynamics.
PREPARATION FOR CHILD CUSTODY MEDIATION/EVALUATION:
If you and your partner are in a traditional divorce process and you cannot agree on custody and parenting time of your children, you may be ordered to undergo mediation with a recommending mediator. The mediator will meet with each of you and with your children, and will make a recommendation to the court as to custody and parenting time. I consult with individuals to prepare them for this process in order to help them get the most out of their meetings with the court ordered mediator. This includes gaining an understanding of the evaluation process, what the mediator is looking for, how to clearly present your goals and reasoning in a limited time, and how to keep the children's best interest foremost in the process.
CO-PARENTING:
In order to have a successful divorce, couples who have children together need to learn effective co-parenting. This does not usually come naturally. If you have not been communicating well in a marriage or cooperating well as parents, you are not suddenly going to begin to do this when you divorce. It takes planning and practice. But if you do so, the pay off is huge for your children. Many parents wait until well after they have divorced to address this issue and usually only after problems arise. I work with parents from the outset - before problems occur - to help them establish a co-parenting plan with the goal of keeping their children's world as stable as possible in spite of their changing circumstances.