Custody conflicts around a separation crisis in a family can reverberate among all the members of a family.
Because the breakdown of a relationship usually carries a sense of injustice suffered by the members, attorneys and courts are usually the first resort.
However, if at the earliest stage of a separation a couple or an individual member seeks help from a relationship specialist, the benefits can be bountiful.
Once a partner sues for divorce and seeks help from the legal system for grievances accumulated over the course of the partnership, the pain of the separation ramps up dramatically.
If the grievances that led to the decision to separate are psychologically based, there is a high likelihood that even should the final disposition of the case favor one’s position, the healing that is needed for empowerment going into the future will be lacking.
I work with couples at the earliest stages of the separation process to help further this healing. We can often work together to curtail the excessive costs of a prolonged legal conflict. Trained in mediation, I can help couples reach agreements that can never be achieved in the hostile environment of a legal battle.
Sometimes the battle is already joined and an individual comes to me for means to understand the ex-partner psychologically to be better prepared for court sessions and, in the best of scenarios, a mediated settlement.
In our sessions, education on how divorce is experienced by children provides an informed framework to help formulate strategies and make the best choices. Keeping the needs of the children at the forefront is a key part of successful custody work.