What is a divorce coach, and how is a coach different from a therapist?
A divorce coach is a mental health professional (such as a psychologist, clinical counsellor, social worker or psychiatrist) who has completed collaborative training. A divorce coach has expertise in family systems, couples in conflict, child psychology and the impact of legal processes in separation. A divorce coach assists the parties and other collaborative team members (especially the parties’ lawyers) by: • Helping to identify and understand feelings, values and needs; • Providing support for the emotional aspects of separation and divorce; • Looking at the problems in terms of “what is the problem” rather than who is right or wrong; • Helping family members improve communication and reduce misunderstandings and blame; • Helping parents develop effective co-parenting skills and on-going positive family interactions. Sometimes there is a divorce coach for each spouse and sometimes one divorce coach sees both spouses.
