Empirically informed consultation to parents concerning the effects of separation and divorce on their children Original Research Article

Divorcing parents are faced with concerns about the well-being of the children and the need to establish a new coparenting relationship with the former partner. Traditionally, psychologists have assisted divorcing families with a number of services, including psychotherapy, custody evaluations, and mediation services. The focus of the current article is on the provision of psychological consultation in which parents are provided empirically informed information on the effect of separation and divorce on children. We describe the principles of empirically informed divorce consultation and the professional issues involved in the consultation, the format of the services, and a review of the common themes covered in the consultation (e.g., conflict, shared parenting, dealing with childrenʹs needs and emotions, parental distress, developmental considerations). Cognitive behavioral techniques used in the consultation process are identified and strategies for the evaluation of this approach are provided.