About Divorce Consultation Services and Fees

Services:

• Divorce Adjustment:  support through the loss and transition, development of coping skills and healthy lifestyle choices to manage emotion so they do not contaminate decision-making, negotiations and/or co-parenting, clarify core values and goals and options for acting from those values, and informed decision-making. Also begin the process of looking ahead toward building a new life for yourself.

• Co-Parenting Consultation: may involve an individual parent or both parents.  Research studies on the effects of divorce on children indicate that high conflict between parents is the most damaging to children, whether open argumentative conflict or silent avoidant/distant conflict. (Amato, 1993; Kelly, 2000; Emery, 2004)

 The goal is to develop respectful and effective communication skills and decision making strategies that minimize conflict. Parents learn skills to managing their feelings so that they do not interfere with an effective parenting relationship. Reducing conflict reduces stress for you and your children. You will develop a parenting “business relationship” that allows you to coordinate parenting across two households that work together, prioritizing your children’s needs and best interests.

• Collaborative Divorce Coaching: for those utilizing a Collaborative Divorce team, the coach can help you clarify core values and goals, learn ways to manage feelings,  respectfully communicate, generate and evaluate options, and effectively negotiate your divorce. The coach may also help you begin the process of transitioning from spouses to co-parents and consider the parenting plan needs of your children.

Collaborative Divorce is a settlement option in which the parties agree to reach agreements without going to court. It is a non-adversarial process where each person has the benefit of attorney representation as well as the use of other financial and mental health professionals. The goal is to reach mutually agreeable solutions that best meet the unique needs of your family. To learn more and access a list of collaborative professionals with whom I am associated, go to Portland Collaborative Divorce Group.

• Preparation for Negotiation/Conflict Management: if you would like help navigating the many choices and decisions involved in the divorce settlement process, whether negotiating directly with your spouse or in mediation or with an attorney, this consultation provides clarification of values and goals, understanding of issues, information gathering, and evaluation of options. Includes learning ways to manage feelings that may interfere with clear thinking and decision making as well as communication and negotiation skills.