At the end of a marriage, it often represents the closing of a chapter, the failure of a dream for happily ever after and working through painful emotions. When couples plan a marriage, stand up in front of their friends and family, and say, “I do,” they never think they will later need a divorce coach. But sadly, we all know that divorce is the ending for many marriages in America today. You and your spouse may have done everything possible to save the marriage. It’s time now to pick up the pieces of your life and create a new Chapter. Thriveworks coaches can help you navigate through these difficult and confusing times.
Thriveworks has many options available in helping you and your family through all stages of divorce. Lucy Dunning, Ed.S, LPC and Heather Fangman, LPCA provide the following services to help guide you through the process. .
Divorce recovery for children – If children resulted from your marriage, they may be left with many questions of their own. As a parent, you may feel completely unprepared and overwhelmed to know how to answer their questions, and how to help them in their own healing process.. It is important that parents work together in explaining to their (child/ren) what the meaning of divorce is in kid friendly terms. Our Thriveworks Counselors can provide parent coaching on how to tell your child(ren) to help with a smoother transition. Thriveworks counselors additionally assist children who are working through their parents divorcing and the new adjustment of having two homes and the grieving process. Parents may not always see that their child is struggling due to children being worried about hurting another parents feeling, feeling as if they need to “pick” a parent, and fear of parents dating again. Counselors help children learn coping skills and adjusting to their new way of life.
Coaching Services
Parent Coaching – A Coach can assist parents at the beginning of the divorce process and help serve as a “Thinking Partner” in how to reach agreements in creating a parenting plan that is in the best interest of the children in addition to learning how to effectively co parent moving forward. Please note that this is not a mediation service or a legal service. I do not give custody recommendations. At times attorneys are involved in which the Coach will also work with both parents attorneys to assist in the divorce process that you as a parent/s have created to best fit your families needs.
Co-Parent Coach meets with both parents together to go over how to co parent, reduce conflict, learn how to reach agreements, and how to handle conflict with each other. Parents will learn skills that will help them work with one another focusing on the child/children.
Life-after Divorce –The Divorce Coach works with clients on learning and adapting to their new way of life. Focus will be on how to adjust and move forward in a positive direction despite all the changes that are going on.
Mid-life Divorce – Coaching includes working with individuals who are in their mid-life and are going through or have gone through a divorce. This usually consists of individuals who have been married for a long period of time and often have older or grown children. Coaching includes how to work with the emotional impact that comes from the divorce and to learn the skils of how to move forward and adjust to living life more independatly.
Grandparent Coaching – Grandparents often will be triangulated in their children’s conflict which can hinder their contact with their grandchildren. Through coaching, together the coach and client develop a plan to assist in creating boundaries and having more contact with their grandchild.
Single Parenting – Coaching will assist the client on how to adjust to being a single parent. The Coach will work with the client to develop a plan to help make the transition to a single parent successful and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed during a difficult time.
In addition to Coaching services, Thriveworks also has Coaches that will work with individuals who are experiencing a High Conflict Divorce.
High conflict divorce is a term that is typically applied to any of the following divorce situations:
- Ongoing, unremitting hostility between adults
- Drawn-out or frequent court actions
- Custody battles
- Allegations of domestic violence, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse
- Restraining orders or no-contact orders
- Lack of ability to communicate about children and their care
- Accusations of alienation.
- Visitation refusal by child
Thriveworks recognizes that High Conflict divorce is a stressful and a difficult place to be in for all family members. Children pay the biggest price for their parents’ conflict. On going conflict rather than divorce presents the larger problem for children. It is imperative that families in a High Conflict situations receive services by trained clinicians that are familiar with high conflict dynamics and can work collaboratively with other professionals.
Thriveworks has trained professionals that can offer a variety of services specifically to help families going through a high conflict divorce.
Reunification – Reunification services consists of a type of family therapy that works with a family when there has been a disruption of a parent/child relationship. Reunification is typically ordered by a judge or an agreement is in place between both parties.
Visitation Refusal – Sometimes children may develop visitation refusal. This is when a child will resist seeing or visiting with their other parent. This can be due to a variety of reasons. Thriveworks has therapists and coaches that work with children and parents to help reduce visitation refusal and strategies for parents when faced with this challenge.
Parent Coordination – Parent Coordination is a service that is ordered through the courts or an agreement is signed. Based on the Parent Coordinator order, the Parent Coordinator will assist the family in working together and making decisions in the best interest of the children. Through Parent Coordination, the Parent Coordinator is a representative of the court that assists parents in learning how to work together in the best interest of their children. The goal is to move away from litigation and stay out of the court room. When a decision can not be reached the Parent Coordinator will make the final decision if one can not be reached.
Counselor bios:
Lucy Dunning, Ed.S, LPC has worked with divorce in a variety of roles. She is a Parenting Coordinator for Mecklenburg County Courts, Certified Divorce Coach, and offer therapeutic services such as reunification therapy, child therapist, or court appointed therapist. Additionally, she works with families who are thinking of or just going through the divorce process. Her goal is to assist families with reducing conflict and move forward in the best interest of the child/children.
Heather Fangman, MS Ed., NCC, LPCA is a licensed professional counselor associate and nationally certified counselor. Heather began her work in play therapy specializing in the treatment of abuse and neglect. Heather has a special interest in play therapy, perinatal mood disorders, perinatal trauma, and high conflict divorce and reunification therapy.