Divorcing Georgia couples with minor children can survive the emotional roller coaster that often makes the experience so unbearable. A program of joint therapy/mediation can be very helpful for two people who are truly interested in the welfare of their children. It is generally practical and workable for two people to keep the tenor of a divorce proceeding on an even-keel without bitter conflict.
Where children are involved, each spouse must simply sacrifice the attachment to his or her list of bitter memories, hateful thoughts and intended recriminations in favor of the supremacy of the children’s health and welfare. Using a therapist/mediator does not relieve the need for the legal process to run through to its conclusion. However, it can help to normalize relations early in the divorce process and to help the children in the long run.
A mediator who is a therapist can be very helpful to those who have become bitterly bound to their haunting emotions during the divorce, but who want to change for the sake of their children. This kind of mediation gives each party the chance to talk out his or her feelings without having the other interrupt. A good therapist/mediator will know how to encourage healthy grieving for each party. Additionally, the willingness to compromise and cooperate must be cultivated and supported within each person’s mental set.
Each party also fears what is going to happen in the future, so that a worthwhile therapy program for Georgia residents will deal with confidence-building and reality-testing techniques. According to one parent who succeeded in good co-parenting habits after the divorce, the key was the ability of both parents to agree to forge a new relationship as mutual parents rather than as former spouses. Granted that takes a bit of mental focusing, but with the proper training, and the practice and desire to succeed, the mind can be taught to put a damper on the explosion of emotions that would normally accompany encounters with the former spouse.
Source: theglobeandmail.com, “How to be a better divorced parent“, Erin Silver, April 16, 2015