Is you family law client feeling stuck?

Are you frustrated that your efforts don't provide the relief your client seeks?

Social work services work.

One of the hard circumstances, lawyers share with me, is how to support a client who is stuck in a high conflict separation, where legal remedies are unhelpful and the client is unable to participate in services like parenting coordination.

These clients need tools and knowledge to mitigate against the powerful pull they feel while co-parenting under challenging conditions, and they need an experienced sounding board familiar with separation , divorce and child development. Social work services are an effective option for clients who find themselves stuck in this position.

Social work services provide a responsive mix of psycho-education, emotion regulation and communication coaching. Using what I have learned through two decades of social work practice and a decade as a mediator, I assist individual clients to disengage from the spinning, powerful pull of high conflict and re-establish a composed purposeful approach to co-parenting. The work is tailored to each client’s needs but may involve identifying and communicating priorities, learning to make and respond to proposals, or thinking through parenting time schedules.  Often, I teach clients conflict reduction strategies, including communication skills, self-calming techniques and conflict anticipation. Together the client and I practice these skills until they can implement them on their own.  The client engages me as often as they need while disengaging from the conflict. When necessary, referrals to specialised services are made.

Based on client feedback, I help bring clarity and understanding to an emotionally charged and tangled up situation. Clients report feeling better able to steadily navigate the situation they find themselves in. They appreciate having individual, practical support, suited to their needs. Using video, these services are available to separating parents across Ontario, and are covered under most extended health insurance plans.

Reach out to see how social work services can improve your clients situation.