The Collaborative Mental Health Professionals who are members of CFLI, are dedicated to making the divorce process less confrontational than traditional litigation. The mental health professionals include psychologists, licensed social workers, and licensed marriage and family therapists. These neutral collaborative professionals are skilled at keeping the process moving forward. They do not practice therapy or marriage counseling in the collaborative divorce process. Rather, they work with the parties to ensure that there is equal participation, that each is ready to proceed to the next step, and that communications remain civil and respectful. The mental health professionals work as facilitators and coaches to the process. They are also skilled at helping couples to develop a shared parenting plan, sometimes referred to as child custody, that will serve the best interests of the children.

The mental health collaborative professionals work with the family law attorneys and the neutral financial professionals to assist divorcing spouses and unmarried couples to manage conflicts and work toward an easier transition of their relationships. The collaborative team works with the parties to limit the acrimony, anxiety and financial cost that often accompanies litigation. This approach protects the integrity and health of future family relationships.

Here is a directory of Collaborative Family Practice Mental Health Professionals who are members of the Collaborative Family Law Institute. We recommend that you contact two or three collaborative behavioral professionals to discuss the collaborative divorce process, and how it will benefit your family.