Collaborative Divorce: Team Model Better Outcomes for Families
by Chesley C. Swanson, LMSW

  If you or anyone you know wants to end a marriage with minimal emotional damage to the family, I suggest serious consideration of collaborative divorce.  A simple explanation of collaborative divorce is: “A highly structured process in which to express and resolve conflict without going to court”. Two of the web sites that have a more thorough explanation of collaborative divorce and a list of local attorneys, mental health professionals and financial professionals are www.collablawtexas.org and www.Divorcenet.com .  My intention is to give information about what Texas collaborative professionals call “The Texas Model” of collaborative divorce.  Texas collaborative professionals are dedicated and available to assist divorcing couples to successfully restructure their lives, so as to minimize the potential negative effects of divorce..

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Parenting Coordination is a Good Choice for Separating or Divorcing Parents
By Chesley C. Swanson, LMSW

What Are The Negative Effects of Divorce on Children?

Most children are confused, afraid, hurt, sad, angry, and anxious when they sense or are told about their parents’ divorce.  Interestingly, these are the same emotions that their parents often experience during the divorce process.  It is no secret that there are many possible negative effects children experience both during and after a divorce.  These negative effects are exacerbated when parents are fighting over “custody” and minimized when parents make parental decisions together, out of sincere concern for their children’s needs.  The list of potential negative effects is long and includes:

Marriage Counseling When Divorce Has Been Considered
By Chesley C. Swanson, LMSW

Marriage counseling is an attempt to help a couple resolve any number of types of problems they may be having in their marriage, and to empower them to go forward and have a more successful relationship.  No matter what combination of problems, couples seek counseling to get a better understanding of what has gone wrong in their marriage.  Throughout a marriage it is common for resentment due to unresolved issues to build up to such an extent that one or both partners may feel hopeless enough to consider divorce as an option.  Frequently, by the time a married couple decides to seek professional help; they have so much resentment built up to such a high level that their issues are much more difficult to resolve, if not impossible.  This does not mean that the marriage can not be restored.  Although one or both partners may think that seeking marriage counseling is an admission of failure, marriage counseling can help a couple rebuild or restore their relationship.