Collaborative Practice
Child Specialist
Every parent is concerned about his/her children -- especially when they are going through a divorce. A child specialist gives your child a voice -- a place where he/she can freely express how he/she feels without feeling disloyal or worrying about hurting a parent's feelings. As a parent, this is the greatest gift you can give to your child.
A child specialist can help you as a parent to:
- Understand what your child is experiencing
- Have an opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings about your child
- Gain a greater understanding from a number of different professionals on how divorce affects children in general and your child in particular
- Do the right thing for your child
A Child specialist helps your child by:
- Giving the child a chance to express her/her feelings, thoughts and concerns about what is happening to him/her.
- Encouraging the child to feel safe and supported in examining his/her own reactions to her/his parents; divorce.
- Providing a number of different ways for him/her to manage his/her own stress during the divorce period.
- Giving him/her an avenue to express thoughts feeling to his/her parents through the child specialist.
- Providing an advocate for the child in the process.
A Child Specialist helps the team by:
- Providing invaluable information about the child -- keeping the focus on the needs of the child.
- Giving all the professionals information that allows them to design a parenting plan with the parents that most fits the child's needs.
- Making sure everyone is listening to the child.