Significant Life Transition: Le Divorce
Divorce can be a messy business. No need to suffer from Divorce Dementia - it is reversible.
For the individual going through significant life transition, such as divorce, change is inevitable. The distress of adjustment does not have to be interminable.
Divorce is painful, disruptive and displacing. No matter who makes the first move, changing from we to I is a shift many are not prepared to make. The ideal is to divorce amicably, but this seems to be a contradiction in terms. In traditional adversarial law, the attorney is sought to represent the client vigorously in the legal arena. However, due to the client's emotional distress, the lawyer often finds him or herself drafted into the role of emotional counselor as well. This inadvertent dual role serves neither client nor the attorney. This is where the Divorce Coach can help.
In the practice of Collaborative Law, adversarial positioning is replaced by team cooperation: the divorcing parties, attorneys representing each party, financial advisor/planner who is neutral to each party, divorce coache(s) and perhaps a mediator. Be not daunted by the number of players on the team; each has a specialization. Thus the responsibility of the attorney is limited to the area she or he is trained. By working cooperatively with the team, the financial outlay of the divorcing parties is significantly reduced. A template for future cooperative interaction between the parties is set in the arenas of finance, parenting and communication.
The Divorce Coach still functions as the client's advocate and helps maintain appropriate role differentiation within the team. The Divorce Coach not only helps the client calm the turbulent waters of emotional distress, but also facilitates integration of new skills and strategies toward building a solid future while working collegially with the attorney.
While the client navigates the waters of transitioning from couple to single, children still need stability and relative continuity. Yet the adults are reeling from the disruption of the dream and no longer function as a pair. Abrupt change in living patterns demands quick reorganization of the psyche and home life. Perceptions and subsequent actions can get skewed, but your clients don't have to be victims of 'Divorce Dementia'.
'Divorce Dementia' describes the state of immediate duress, the focus on petty issues and often-questionable decision-making, experienced by the person going through a divorce.
The good news is; it's reversible. As your client's Divorce Coach, Dr. Hancox facilitates your ability to step back while she helps your client determine a healthy path to a better future. There is no need for emotional distress to impair future financial stability. By engaging a Divorce Coach for your client, you help him or her maintain personal dignity during one of life's most distressing passages.
Dr. Hancox's style is warm, yet straight forward, while assisting the client to move through the web of divorce distress. Benefiting from a Problem Solving Approach, the client learns to reframe and develop new strategies. Results: A new direction for building the future while reinventing self. Specializing in Cross-Cultural Transition and Adaptation issues, Dr. Hancox conducts consultations in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Dr Hancox is an Allied Professional as a member of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.
