Kathleen Coughlin, LCSW – Coparent Counseling (60-Minutes)
Kathleen Coughlin, LCSW offers sessions for clients residing in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. I strive to deliver quality counseling and consulting services in our surrounding communities. I have worked in the behavioral health field for over 23 years. The focus of my practice has been on supporting families as they cope with a separation or divorce. I help parents to recognize that placing children in the middle of conflict is extremely detrimental to the child. Above all, I encourage parents to prioritize their children in decision-making. At times parents will seek their own counseling as they navigate through these life changes.
Coparent Counseling offers parents an external outlet of support during a significant life transition. What is the purpose of Coparent Counseling? Parents will learn how to interact in a healthy, respectful, and child-first manner. During counseling sessions, the parents will discuss the needs of their children, problem-solve around areas of conflict, and develop solutions for their families. Significant emotions and feelings occur when parents decide to separate. Therefore, the most critical decision parents can make is to work together to amicably co-parent their children. Children benefit from seeing their parents communicate calmly and peacefully. Your children must know that they can love each parent equally.
“The sign of great parenting is not a child’s behavior. The sign of truly great parenting is the parent’s behavior” – Andy Smithson
When parents are communicating and compromising, children can thrive in their new environments. Eventually, your children will begin to experience love and stability in both homes if parents work together. The best gift parents can give their children is to leave their anger and resentment in the rearview mirror. As parents, it is essential not to place your children in the middle of parental conflicts.
Coparent counseling aims to reduce stress and improve communication between both parents. The coparent counselor is a neutral party that will help both parents to learn effective communication skills. The hope is to improve communication, increase cooperation, and develop compromises that are in the best interest of the children. Parents will learn communication strategies to reduce stress and strain in their family system.
Parents that can put aside their personal differences, can implement a parenting plan that is in the best interest of their children. Placing decision-making in the hands of the court is not always in the best interest of your family. For instance, court and attorney fees can grow year after year if the conflict continues. By implementing the 4 C’s of Coparenting – Communication, Cooperation, Compromise, and Consistency, you will help your children adjust to their new family structure easier.