Author: Dr. Rafael Richman Parents often come to my office feeling frustrated, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Many of them explain to me that they feel they are at the end of their rope and at a loss for what to do. Having read numerous books and articles on parenting, experimented with all sorts of techniques, talked to friends, school counselors, and teachers, they long for something that works; something that they hope might possibly help them in dealing with their child. While some parents wish and request that I “fix” their child, many say they would be grateful to settle for anything that may help their child and alleviate their feeling frustrated. Through years of consulting with parents, working with kids in therapy, and leading parent-skills training groups, I experimented with different approaches to helping parents. In wanting to simplify a large body of information, I arbitrarily categorized the world of parenting into two philosophies: behavioral and humani

Author: Susan L. Woodard Divorce is an ongoing process in a person's life. As people pass through the different stages of divorce, their experiences are unique to their situations. There is no such thing as a typical divorce. All parents must strive to find out what works effectively for their individual family. When children are involved, the result does not have to end with a negative impact. Co-parenting during and after a divorce helps to reassure children that the parental roles will continue. It applies to all parents whether they are married or divorced. The extent to which parents can effectively co-parent and refrain from conflict in the presence of their children greatly determines how children will adjust to the transitions associated with divorce. As most experts will agree, the continued conflict and disparaging of the other parent are the most harmful aspects of divorce and the most detrimental to children. Becoming healthy, cooperative parents and worki

Author: Matt Doyle Divorce is hard. It is hard on everyone and there are certain aspects of divorce that are predictable and inevitable. Intense emotions are an unavoidable part of the process. When children are involved in a divorce, those emotions tend to skyrocket, often leading to high conflict and deeper wounds. But, this is not necessarily an aspect of divorce that is outside of your control. First of all, divorce is a process and not an event. Too often, divorcing parents get focused on the magical date when the divorce will be final. In fact, the intensity and depth of emotion often pushes people to rush through the legal process in an effort to escape the pain. Unfortunately, racing to a quick settlement frequently means regrets and bitterness. The legal process of divorce is adversarial in its structure. When attorneys enter the picture most couples are at a distinct disadvantage in terms of communication, consideration, cooperation, and healthy negotiation.

You want to be able to continue having a great relationship with your kids after separation or divorce. This means focusing on the kids rather than your ex-partner. You need to be parents rather than partners. Breaking up is difficult enough without losing touch with your kids. . . you are feeling the loss of that everyday contact and you believe your children miss you too. You may not always be sure of the best way to be involved with your children. separation often means that you have to parent one-to-one for the first time and this can be a challenge. At the same time, it is a new chance to get to know your child as a person and show them they are important to you. Kids have their own ways of doing things. Let them know you love them for who they are. Plan what you are going to do with your children.

In the United States, there are statistics that indicate that half of all marriages will end up in a divorce or legal separation. Often people do not differentiate between divorce and legal separation. Both divorce and legal separation refer to the situation when a couple decides not to live together anymore. But being separated is much different than being divorced. What does legal separation mean? Legal separation generally refers to a court order which acknowledges that a couple is no longer living together and that all the issues regarding the marriage have been resolved. A legal separation generally means that both parties reached an agreement concerning child custody, child visitation, child support, spousal support or alimony, distribution of property, attorney fees, and personal conduct. However, in a legal separation both parties remain married to each other.