Co-parenting Counseling: Clinical Implications and Skill Building

Co-parenting Counseling: Clinical Implications and Skill Building

The purpose of this course is to provide an orientation and framework for clinicians who are interested in working with individuals and couples with the co-parenting process and learn how to do effective co-parenting counseling.

 Course Description:

This course will help clinicians to work with clients to help them better communicate with each other, learn how to put their children first, manage their stress, reduce conflict, develop effective de-escalation strategies and more. With approximately 50% of the population in the US experiencing divorce, many clinicians find that they do not have the skills or the training to help their clients with co-parenting issues. This course will provide practical knowledge and hands-on skills to support clients struggling with the co-parenting process.

 Specific new skills that will be taught include:

• Understand the principles of effective and functional co-parenting.
• Learn how to help clients and their families create a structure around effective communication.
• Learn conflict resolution skills and de-escalation strategies.
• Learn how to help parents who conflict and struggle with parental decision making.
• Help clients learn how to set healthy boundaries with both their children and the co-parent.
• Understanding the ethical issues involved in co-parenting counseling.
• How to work with one parent on co-parenting when the other parent isn’t cooperative.
• Learn how to integrate about the unique dynamics of blended families in co-parenting.
• Understand how the co-parenting process impact children.
• Understand the importance and implications of parenting plans for both parents and children.
• Understand the dynamics of parental alienation, how to recognize, respond and be proactive.
• Understand how to help clients manage their own anger and emotions during the co-parenting process.
• Understanding the complexities of the co-parenting process and the myriad of issues that relate to it.
• Learn how to implement techniques and interventions which address the many aspects of co-parenting counseling.

 Learning Objectives:

 Participants will be able to:

• Identify all the aspects of the co-parenting process.
• Identify & assess how the specific components of co-parenting effect whole family system
• Learn conflict resolution, de-escalation and effective communication skills specific to the issues of co-parenting.
• Understand and learn how to apply specific skills and techniques in co-parenting counseling.

Teaching Methods:

 This course will be taught with a combination of methods including didactic lecture and interactive activities which will:

• Offer participants the opportunity to practice the skills, techniques and strategies that prepare them for working with families who are in need of co-parenting counseling.
• Engage participants in experiencing the client perspective through hands on experiential exercises.
• Discussion of how to apply clinical issues of co-parenting to specific cases, as well as provide case examples throughout.