Parenting Coordination
We know from years of research about the impact of divorce on children that the most detrimental factor affecting their wellbeing is ongoing conflict between their parents. While disagreements about parenting decisions can be expected, children’s exposure to high levels of conflict – and being put in the middle of their parents’ disputes – can significantly affect their emotional wellbeing and interfere with their ability to thrive.
How Parenting Coordination Can Help
Parenting Coordination is a non-adversarial, non-confidential form of dispute resolution that helps parents in high conflict situations to focus on the needs of their children and to communicate more effectively as coparents. A Parenting Coordinator typically begins working with parents after a parenting plan is in place and helps them to implement the plan in a way that contains the conflict and creates a sense of stability and predictability for their kids.
Some parents may choose for the Parenting Coordinator to have a “tie-breaker” role when they are unable to come to an agreement on a minor decision such as the drop-off time. The goal of Parenting Coordination, however, is to decrease the level of conflict, improve communication, and to help parents make effective decisions together that support the developmental needs of their children.
What I Can Do as Your Parenting Coordinator
In addition to the role described, I can:
- Provide education and resources about the impact of divorce on children and their developmental needs
- Coordinate with other professionals involved with your family, such as therapists, in order to help members of your family “team” work in sync toward important goals for your children
- Identify some of the emotional triggers in the conflicts to help diffuse them and keep parents on track to make the best decisions for their children
Please contact me at lisa.hackel@gmail.com or 914-725-2232 so that I can answer any questions you have about the benefits of parenting coordination for your family.