Step Up

This psycho-educational program is intended for divorcing couples who need to “step up” to the plate and put their families first. More specifically, the “Step Up” program is an early intervention program designed to help families avoid the high conflict scenarios (e.g., excessive litigation, blaming each other and tribal warfare) in the Court system that are so harmful to the children and family and often costly to the family finances. We incorporate children when appropriate but the focus is on encouraging parents to step up and take charge of their own families. The duration of the program will vary due to the case-specific nature of our approach, generally ranging from a half-day to two full days.

It is not easy to “step up” when you are often paralyzed by overwhelming feelings of loss or grief associated with dissolving your marriage and altering the composition of your nuclear family. As a result, many parents inadvertently circumvent the grief process by engaging in behaviors that create high conflict that can catch the children in the crossfire. For some parents, continuing their hostility can create immense emotional and financial costs. The legal process can feed the view of parents as adversaries and focus on blame and retribution rather than on the best interest of the children.

The “Step Up” program provides a venue for parents to address their feelings of grief and loss, giving them the opportunity to establish a process of problem solving, healthy co-parenting practices, and non-blaming attitudes. Research indicates that when divorcing couples take collaborative and proactive steps to deal with the particular circumstances (e.g., child-parent relationships, co-parenting relationship, child custody and visitation schedule, and parenting plan) of their divorce they are much more likely to have successful outcomes.

The program focuses on:

• How to deliver effective parenting that helps children to thrive in the process of/in the wake of divorce or separation.
• How parents can foster a warm, strong parent-child relationship and hopefully a strong and collaborative co-parenting relationship.
• How parents can give room for the hidden feelings and concerns of the children.
• How to protect the children from conflict.

We are committed to working with families who cannot receive services elsewhere. Thus, in certain circumstances, we may be able to receive funding from a non-profit organization to help families who otherwise may not be able to pay for services. If you have any questions about the Step Up program please call us at (707) 237-5330 or contact us.