Video: Therapist Discusses Collaborative Divorce and Kids
Kids are often caught in the middle of divorce. Their parents are fighting, and many times the kids’ needs get ignored.
Fortunately, not all divorce processes are the same. Collaborative divorce gives parents the opportunity to work in a non-adversarial setting and develop a parenting plan tailored to meet children’s needs.
In the video below, therapist Jacquie Lamb, LMHC, discusses collaborative divorce and children. This video was produced by the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
Therapist on Collaborative Divorce and Children
Collaborative Process is Right Choice For Any Parent Facing Divorce
Remember once you are a parent, you are always a parent. The #CollaborativeProcess can be beneficial for the entire family as an alternative to litigation.Jacquie Lamb Haile Market Therapy and Behavioral Medicine Collaborative Law International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP)
Posted by Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals – FACP on Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Below is a transcript of the video, lightly edited for clarity:
Oftentimes I would treat kids coming in whose parents are going through the divorce process. The kids would talk about how difficult this was for them, and the most difficult part for them was the conflict between their parents. That was the most difficult thing for them to reconcile.
I heard about the collaborative divorce process, and it was great that I could get involved on the front end and actually talk to the parents about how this is going to affect their kids. I could speak with them about how to co-parent properly and help educate them on the developmental stages of the kids, and how each kid deals with divorce.
I now teach the parents and come up with a collaborative divorce process that is more amicable so that the family is not torn apart in the end. The parents can still collaborate with each other and co-parent and it just makes it so much easier for the kids.
Parents learn how to be able to help the family continue to be a family even when they separate. To have the collaborative process be amicable is just in the best interests of the kids.
If you are considering divorce, make sure that you speak with a collaboratively-trained lawyer. Be sure to ask how a mental health professional can be utilized to ensure that your kids’ best interests are met.
Adam B. Cordover is a collaborative lawyer and Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator. He is a member of Tampa Bay Academy of Collaborative Professionals and former president of Next Generation Divorce. Adam is on the board of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
