|
Therapeutic mediation is an assessment and treatment approach that assists families in dealing with
emotional issues in high conflict separation and divorce in order to develop more effective communication, cooperation, and coparenting practice. The goal is to enable the children to cope more effectively with their parents' post-separation or post-divorce interactions. The therapeutic mediation sessions may, from time to time, involve as participants various combinations of the litigants, their children, other relatives, significant others, and even mental health professionals and attorneys. The process is short-term and goal-directed, generally requiring ten to twenty sessions. An in-depth understanding of the nature and history of the impasse, the parents' personality styles and communication patterns and the children's needs is developed. The end result of the therapeutic mediation process is often a consensual agreement between the parties, with custody arrangements, parenting time and other coparenting matters settled, and mechanisms for future dispute resolution worked out in detail. Families that participate in therapeutic mediation are much more likely to resolve custody/visitation disputes on a long term basis, and they are much less likely to return to court in the future on these matters.
For Whom: Couples in high conflict custody/visitation litigation, as well as the children
Issues:
- Identification and resolution of impasses based on emotional issues
- Short-term confidential process
- Approach is child-focused
- Litigants learn more appropriate communication and coparenting skills
- Successful therapeutic mediation results in less frequent relitigation
Treatment:
- Parties, other relatives, significant others and children seen in various combinations
- Focus is on a therapeutic amelioration of impasse issues and resolution of issues related to custody, visitation and coparenting
(Follow this link for an article on Therapeutic mediation by Dr. Silikovitz)
Top of Page Home Page
|
|
Ronald G. Silikovitz, Ph.D. is a NJ Licensed Psychologist (#1320) providing both psychotherapy and forensic psychology consulting services, with offices in West Orange, NJ and Elizabeth, NJ.
|
