The Therapist's Guide to Divorce Mediation: Supporting Clients

Presenters: Kathleen Landers, LCSW-C & Donna Duquette, J.D.

Category 1 | 3 CEUs 

Workshop Description: 

This workshop is co-led with Donna Duquette, J.D., experienced Montgomery County mediator and Kathleen Landers, LCSW-C, therapist and Director of Sequence LLC. Together they will explore the complexities of divorce, the types of divorce processes available, with a comparison of each. There will be an in-depth review of the mediation process and its benefits for participants. They will then explore the role of the therapist working with a divorcing individual or couple, and the value of emotion coaching to increase the success of the mediation process. Other skills to help build such as listening and clear communication techniques under stress will be reviewed as well.

Objectives:

1. Identify the emotional stages of divorce for each party.
2. Identify the challenges faced by divorcing adults.
3. Identify the 5 Divorce process options.
4. Describe the pros and cons of these options.
5. Compare and contrast mediation from therapy.
6. Understand the benefits of mediation for immediate and long term psychological health of individuals and the family system.
7. Explore specific techniques and strategies for the therapist to use to support divorcing clients, specifically those choosing mediation.

Schedule:

9:00-9:15 | Introductions
9:15-9:40 | Setting the Stage:A Review of the emotionally overwhelming experience that is divorce
9:40-10:15 | Divorce 101:Review of the decisions inherent to divorce and the options of divorce process
10:15-10:25: BREAK
10:25-11:00 | Divorce mediation described
11:00-11:45 | Supporting Clients: The role of the therapist as emotional coach
11:45-12:00 | Conclusion, Q & A, Evaluations

Recommended Reading:

• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Roger Fisher and William Ury, Penguin Books, 1991
• More Time To Think: A way of Being In The World, Fisher King Publishing, 2009
• Nonviolent Communication, A Language of Life, Marshall Rosenberg, PHD, PuddleDancer Press 2003 
• The Power of A Positive No: How To Say No and Still Get To Yes,William Ury, Bantam Books, 2007