What is Co-parent Counseling?
Co-parent counseling is a therapeutic process where you and your ex attend counseling with the goal of improving your ability to communicate with each other and make unified decisions for your children. This is done voluntarily or after being ordered to participate via a custody court order. A co-parent counselor can help you and your ex break through ineffective communication habits/patterns developed over time and improve your ability to talk things out creating more peace and harmony for you and your children. This can be particularly helpful upon separation where tensions are high and parties may still be emotional about the break up but yet still need to figure out a way to move forward as parents. In the end, counseling is only going to work if both parties are open to it and willing to follow the co-parent counselors’ recommendations when issues arise. Co-parent counseling is not just for parents but can also be between other custodians if grandparents or other family members have custody.
The Pros
The pros are that this specialized counseling can help you get on track and stay on track with parental decision-making and communication which will truly benefit you and your children. Successful co-parent counseling can also be a money-saving process since you won’t have to pay attorneys to litigate issues if you can resolve them through the co-parent counselor or through the communication tools you learn in that process.
The Cons
The cons are that this can be expensive and is typically not covered by insurance. There are also situations where co-parent counseling is not worthwhile if the other party is not invested, refuses to follow/implement the co-parent counselor’s recommendations or simply uses the time as another format to criticize you.
How do I learn more?
Depending on your situation and the personality of your ex, different co-parent counselors may be more effective for you. Talk to your attorney about the co-parent counseling process and they can help you decide if it is right for you. If so, they will make personalized recommendations for local professionals based on your circumstances.
If you would like to explore your options for co-parent counseling, you should speak with an experienced West Chester attorney. At Potts, Shoemaker, and Grossman, LLC, our attorneys are prepared to assist you in finding the best approach for your individual situation. To schedule a confidential consultation, contact us at (610) 840-2626.