Parenting Coordination or Therapy?
While parenting coordination may sound similar to counselling or therapy, Parenting Coordination is rather an ongoing educational process involving significant attitudinal behavioural change by the involved parties. It focusses on reducing a child’s exposure to conflict through assisting parents’ transition to a relationship of effective co-parenting, rather than one defined by conflict, anger and hostility. Parenting Coordination can be revisited at any time if parents feel they are returning to a conflict-based relationship.
Unlike a therapist, a parenting coordinator is a specifically trained professional who can teach and assist parents in conflict-free decision making and understanding or interpreting family court orders and parenting plans. The parenting coordinator is ‘neutral’ and independent professional who can assist parents in making quick day-to-day decisions, in line with any Court Orders, while also developing effective overall communication and conflict resolution strategies.
Parenting Coordination is also fundamentally non-confidential, unlike therapy, and is reportable in court. This means that both parties can be held accountable for their actions and behaviour. Parties may be monitored to ensure compliance with relevant court orders, and emails and messages may be monitored to evaluate communication skills for the identification of areas for improvement.
Benefits of Parenting Coordination
Parenting Coordination benefits the children, parents and entire family unit.
When exposed to ongoing conflict during or after family law proceedings, divorce or separation, children can have poor future outcomes in education, social lives, health and future relationships. Parenting Coordination enhances a child’s confidence and self-esteem, reduces symptoms of stress with the decreasing of parental conflict, and increases the likelihood of keeping two active parents in the child’s life, ultimately creating a more relaxed home atmosphere and allowing a child to adjust more effectively.
Parents are also benefitted by Parenting Coordination. Parents are educated on the impact of parental conflicts on the development of their children, and gain anger management, communication and conflict resolution skills.
Parenting Coordination ultimately reduces the overall conflict and emotional distress experienced by the entire family, and protects the most vulnerable and defenceless victims of high conflict parenting: the children.
Parenting Coordinators understand the difficulties in implementing a parenting plan after divorce or separation. Parents will be educated by the parenting coordinator, so they can begin to effectively manage their co-parenting themselves.
Want to know more? Talk to one of our special Sydney family lawyers today. We have family lawyers in North Sydney, family lawyers in Sydney CBD and Leichhardt. Our Team of leading family lawyers are experienced in all parenting matters following separation and are here to help.
