Neutral Child Specialist Role in Collaborative Practice
Keeping children at the center and out of the middle during break up and divorce.
The Neutral Child Specialist is a mental health professional with expertise in child development, child and adolescent psychology, family systems work, mediation and the principles of collaborative law. Neutral Child Specialists team with parents and the professionals assisting them in their divorce or break up to create developmentally responsive parenting plans. Neutral Child Specialists offer a unique kind of support and advocacy for children as they are going through the transition of their family living in one household to living in two homes.
Being a voice for children in the family during and after this transition is a privilege, as is working with parents to create child-centered co-parenting agreements.
As a Neutral Child Specialist, I tailor my services to the individual needs of the family and the professionals with whom they are working.
My core guiding principles are:
- Respect
- Neutrality
- Clear boundaries
- Transparency
- Expert guidance based on direct knowledge of the children and their developmental, educational, social and psychological needs
- Direct support for children during a stressful time in their lives
- Opportunity for children to have a voice without being asked to take sides
- Interest-based negotiation and problem solving when needed to reach resolutions
Read more about the process:
Initial Joint Meeting With Parents
Meeting with the Children
Feedback Session
Creating a Developmentally Responsive Parenting Plan
Consultation with Parents During and After the Divorce or Break Up