Channel 7 recently reported on a story out of Huntington Woods about a divorced couple  back in court around the issue of whether or not to vaccinate their two children.  (Click here for original story)

The thing which stood out to  me  most  in the  story  was that the father was completely taken aback by the mother’s anti-vaccination stance.  It is clear that a lack of communication on expectations for the children and on parenting decisions was an underlying issue in this case.

More often than not, couples going through the Collaborative Divorce Process (CDP) manage to successfully avoid these types of issues.  A lack of communication or a breakdown in communication styles is a contributing factor in the end of many marriages.  The Collaborative Divorce Process  is the only means of ending a marriage which addresses this issue, allowing the  parties to learn how to better communicate, laying a foundation for successful co-parenting.

I strongly encourage  all  of  my clients, but particularly those with children, to utilize the services of a divorce coach.  These  mental health professionals are specially trained to help clients through the trauma of a divorce and to help  identify and address the trigger points and hot button issues of each relationship.  Coaches then provide clients with strategies for breaking the cycles of mis-communication, and  teach strategies for maintaining a parental relationship while  minimizing conflict.