Co-parenting relates to separated or divorced parents who share responsibility for raising their children. When such a relationship ends, the partner aspect of the relationship changes, however shared parenting often remains.
While some fall easily into their newly defined roles and manage to adjust to the new way of functioning just fine, others struggle in this process and find adjusting to co-parenting a tall ask, especially trying to separate new personal lives from co-parenting roles. Often ineffective communication creeps in and the parents end in constant conflict, aggravating a relationship that the parties sometime wish they didn’t have to deal with at all.
Co-parenting therapy is different to mediation and to couples therapy. In mediation (an alternative dispute resolution), the parents come to agreements which are negotiated with a trained mediator facilitating and these agreements stand in court. Couples therapy is about reconnecting within the couple relationship and enhancing such a relationship. Co-parenting therapy is focused on the best interests of the child or children to assist parents in communicating effectively and for the purpose of raising their child in the most loving way. The point is to engage in a therapeutic process where parents learn to manage their emotions, anger, anxieties and difficulties in a manner that is for the child’s best interest. Enhancing communication for the purpose of co-parenting can be of immense benefit to your child.
