Using a Co-Parenting Specialist

Using a Co-Parenting Specialist by Jeff ZimmermanMarried couples with children have two distinct roles: spouses and parents. During divorce, the role of spouse ends; and the role of parent not only exists, but expands to two households. This results in a significant change to the “business of parenting.” Families need a parenting infrastructure that supports the two separate households —and co-parenting specialists can help! Read More

Moving the Connection from Anger at Each Other to Love for Your Children

Moving the Connection from Anger at Each Other to Love for Your Children by Jeff ZimmermanWhen a marriage ends, and usually for some time after, one or both of the partners may feel a lot of anger. Generally the anger is related to how each person feels about the other (disappointments, betrayals, hurtful words and actions, etc.). It can be very reminiscent of their marital dynamic. Read More

Evolution in Our Revolution: The Changing Role of the Mental Health Professional in Collaborative Divorce

Evolution in Our Revolution: The Changing Role of the Mental Health Professional in Collaborative Divorce by Lauren BehrmanWhen our organization, the New York Association of Collaborative Professionals (NYACP) first grew out of the New York Collaborative Law Group, and incorporated mental health and financial professionals in addition to attorneys, we were committed to changing society’s adversarial divorce culture. Yet, we also had a bigger goal in mind: to change the way people resolved conflict—not only in family settings or divorce situations, but in all situations across the world. Read More

Making Co-Parenting Work Despite the Divorce – Because You Both Love Your Children!

Making Co-Parenting Work Despite the Divorce – Because You Both Love Your Children! by Rosalind SedaccaBy Rosalind Sedacca, CDC

Let’s face it, divorce is tough enough for anyone to go through. When you’re a parent, it can feel like an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you think about co-parenting your children.

Ask yourself this crucial question — and keep it in mind daily as you move through life as co-parents …

What will our kids say about how we handled the divorce when they are grown adults?

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Turning Holiday Breakdowns into Breakthroughs

Turning Holiday Breakdowns into Breakthroughs by Lauren BehrmanDuring this past Halloween, I was reminded that this holiday is often a flashpoint for conflict between parents who are divorcing or have already divorced. In many of the families that I work with, there were issues around the timing and act of trick-or-treating, costumes, dinner, etc. Read More

Giving Your Children the Gift of Peace for the Holidays

Giving Your Children the Gift of Peace for the Holidays by Jeff ZimmermanThe holidays are stressful for families—and stress does not discriminate. It applies to families of all shapes and sizes including those that are intact, separated, or divorced.

For families that have the additional challenge of recent divorce or separation, the first holiday season can be very difficult to navigate—there can, and probably will be, significant differences from what the children, and their parents, are used to (especially if the holidays are not celebrated together). Read More

Parental Communication: How to Talk with One Another

Jeff Zimmerman and Lauren Behrman’s Family Advocate article is available here.

Family Advocate Article 2015

My Divorce Recovery

Jeffrey Zimmerman, Ph.D., ABPP
JeffZimmermanPhD@MyDivorceRecovery.com
212-485-0033

Lauren Behrman, Ph.D.
LaurenBehrmanPhD@MyDivorceRecovery.com
212-799-7921

College Process Strategies for Divorced Families

College Process Strategies for Divorced Families by Lauren BehrmanWhen the college-age children of divorced families begin their journey out of the nest and onto the quad, the best gift to give them is the peace of mind that comes in knowing their foundation is still there. The last thing they want—as they’re preparing for their SATs, ACTs and writing their essays—is to worry about the conflict between mom and dad regarding which colleges they can think about, because mom and dad have not come to an agreement in advance.

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CPR for Parents: Get to the Endpoint – Part 2

CPR for Parents: Get to the Endpoint - Part 2 by Jeff ZimmermanIn our previous article, we discussed CPR (Civil, Polite, Respectful) communication strategies for divorced parents.

Even in relationships that do not have a divorce or conflictual marital dynamic, what is said can often be misinterpreted. Certainly in today’s age, the tone of text and email communication can often be misconstrued—it’s easy to mistake something as critical or hurtful. Read More