What is Co-Parent Counseling
Co-Parent Counseling is a form of psychotherapy for divorcing
or divorced parents who are seeking assistance with their co-parenting relationship.
It is a profession designed to assist parents in establishing and maintaining a
healthy relationship by reducing parental conflict and the risk factors that influence
a child’s post-divorce adjustment. Although the goal is to improve the relationship
between parents in order to minimize stress for the child, the child is viewed as
the primary focus. However, the unit of direct intervention is the parental
team. Any improvements in the co-parent relationship will result in an improvement
for the children. The predominant feature of the program is to focus on the needs
of the children.
Family relationships do not disappear when a marriage ends
in separation or divorce. Divorce does not dissolve the family, it reorganizes
it. Divorce requires the family to reorganize from a one home structure to
a two home structure. Parental functioning and the ability of parents to interact
with each other greatly influences the child’s adjustment.
Cooperative Parenting Institute, founded by Susan Boyar,
M. Ed., LMFT & Ann Marie Termini, M.S., LPC is dedicated to the development
of programs for divorcing families.
Benefits of the Program
Co-Parent Counseling benefit divorcing or divorced parent
by:
·
Assisting parents shift their role from former spouses
to co-parents.
·
Educating parents regarding the impact of parental conflict
on their child's development.
·
Helping parents identify their contribution to conflict
while increasing impulse control.
·
Teaching parents anger management, communication and conflict
resolution skills, and children's issues in divorce.
Co-Parent Counseling benefit children by:
·
Reducing the child's symptoms of stress as parental conflict
decreases.
·
Diminishing the child's sense of loyalty binds.
·
Increasing the likelihood of keeping two active parents
in the child's life.
·
Ensuring the child's safety through open parental communication.
·
Enhancing the child's confidence and self-esteem by creating
an optimal environment for growth.
·
Diminishing the likelihood of future relationship difficulties
and divorce in the child's future.
·
Reducing the possibility of adolescent drug and alcohol
problems, teenage pregnancy, school drop-out rates, and crime associated with children
of divorce.
Co-Parenting as a Group Program
The Cooperative Parenting Group Program is a psycho-educational
video-based approach focusing on the enhancement of the child(ren)'s functioning
within their family. The program addresses the relationship between separate households
created as a result of divorce or family separation. It is designed to improve the
quality of the parental relationship. The group format is suited for those parents
exhibiting mild to moderate levels of conflict. This stimulating and compassionate
program can be implemented with groups of divorced parents over an eight week period.
The groups are led by a Mental Health Counselor for two to two and one-half hours
a week.
Co-Parenting Groups are held by reservations only.