Divorce Coach
A divorce coach is a licensed mental health professional with specialized training in the Collaborative Process. A coach’s role is different from that of a therapist in that the coach focuses on helping the parties achieve the immediate goal of reaching an agreement rather than determining the core causes of behavior.
A coach will:
Help clients manage emotions so that they can more effectively problem-solve and focus on making decisions.
Help clients improve their communication and conflict resolution skills.
Help clients develop a parenting plan that provides a framework for co-parenting.
Work with the clients, their attorneys and other team members to improve communication, reduce misunderstandings and solve problems.
Child Specialist
A child specialist is a licensed mental health professional with experience in child development, family dynamics, and separation and divorce, and has specialized training in the Collaborative Process. The child specialist functions as an advocate and serves as the voice of the child (or children).
The child specialist will:
Provide a safe place for each child to voice his/her concerns regarding the divorce.
Help the parents understand the impact of the divorce on their children.
Provide information to parents and coaches about the developmental needs of the children so these needs can inform the parenting plan.
Provide the parents with information and guidance to help their children adjust to the separation/divorce.
