Separated Parent Mediation
What is separated parent mediation?
It is an opportunity for you and the other separated parent/s to settle differences and come to an agreement about issues such as contact, living arrangements, child maintenance, property and money. This can be done through discussion with one another; at other times people find it it useful to have a professional such as myself who brings neutrality, a non judgemental attitude and a structure to the process. A third person such as myself would also help you discuss your wants for yourselves and the child(ren), enable you to make compromises, help you think about the expectations you have about the other person and to realise how realistic and sustainable arrangements are.
Why try separated parent mediation
For the parents involved disagreement can contribute towards feelings of stress, anxiety, worry and unknown. People find themselves in a place where the present and the future are uncertain. The child/ren affected depending on their age and individual needs may experience a certain amount of unknown, worry and uncertainty too. The aim of the mediation process is to put in place parenting arrangements that benefit the child(ren) throughout their childhood and enables them to feel safe, not ‘caught in the middle’ and settled.
Sometimes people who have experienced a relationship break up also need to express feelings and be able to say what it means to them from their perspective. These sessions are also useful for doing that because they are held in a neutral place, have expressed rules such as no abusive behaviour and are held with the essence of fairness and transparency. When an agreement is made and integrated into everyone’s lives people can enjoy the present, get their needs met and have certainty and hope for the future.
Why chose me
I am trained in mediation and counselling and bring both of these professions together to offer sessions that both enable the people involved to express how they feel about the situation and also to support them in finding practical solutions to parent separately.