THE  EVOLUTION  OF  DIVORCE  COACHING*  **  with  Dr  Susan  Gamache  

*Some  aspects  of  this  workshop  were  presented  at  the  12th  Annual  IACP  conference  in  San  Francisco.  **A  reduced  version  of  this  workshop  has  been  accepted  at  the  7th  Annual  CP  Celebration  conference  in  California,  April  2012.    1.    Divorce  Coaching,  Family  Mediation  and  Family  Therapy  –  The  3  Sisters         As  Divorce  Coaching  enters  its  second  decade,  it  can  take  its  place  along  side  Family  Therapy  and  Family  Mediation  as  a  specialized  practice  in  the  therapeutic  options  for  families.  Collaborative  Divorce  Coaching  is  a  wonderful  addition  to  our  professional  practices  and  has  proven  itself  to  be  effective  for  families.    But  what  is  it?    Once  we  get  past  describing  the  structure  of  the  team,  what  are  we  doing?    Where  is  Divorce  Coaching  located  in  the  greater  field  of  professional  therapeutic  practices?    How  do  we  define  it  to  ourselves  and  to  our  clients?     This  workshop  entertains  these  questions.    We  will  first  examine  several  aspects  of  divorce  coaching,  mediation  and  family  therapy  in  the  tradition  of  comparing  across  categories  as  is  consistent  with  therapeutic  traditions  comparing  different  theoretical  orientations.  For  the  first  time,  the  relationship  between  these  3  overlapping  spheres  of  practice  –  Divorce  Coaching,  Family  Mediation  and  Family  Therapy  will  be  articulated.      Second,  a  summative  definition  of  Divorce  Coaching  for  the  psychological  professional  will  be  proposed.         This  workshop  is  primarily  oriented  to  the  therapeutic  professional  however  other  collaborative  professionals  will  benefit  from  a  deeper  understanding  of  these  overlapping  spheres  of  practice  for  Family  Therapists  and  the  proposed  definition  of  Divorce  Coaching  both  for  themselves  and  for  their  clients.        2.    The  Invitation  to  Collaborative  Engagement;  Building  the  Bridge  Between  Our  Client(s)  and  Their  Process  Choices         This  session  provides  a  4-­‐part  Structure  for  any  Collaborative  Professional,  to  Bridge  the  Gap  between  unbundled  services  of  all  legal  and  therapeutic  professionals  and  the  client  while  at  the  same  time,  invites  the  client  into  a  reflective  posture  from  which  to  receive  the  information.    This  strengthens  the  bridge  between  our  client(s)  and  the  sometimes  bewildering  array  of  process  choices  they  face  at  the  point  of  engagement  with  the  professional  community.  

  In  this  semi-­‐structured  interview  the  practitioner  first  educates  the  client(s)  about  the  traditional  Dispute  Resolution  Continuum  and  the  aspects  of  client  participation  that  are  relevant  for  each  aspect.    Next,  we  define  The  Other  Dispute  Resolution  Continuum;  all  possible  roles  family  therapists  can  play  and  the  aspects  of  client  participation  that  are  relevant  for  each  role.    The  third  step  is  a  Collaborative  Self-­‐Evaluation  led  by  the  therapist  in  which  the  client  is  further  invited  into  a  reflective  posture  by  reviewing  their  capacities  and  the  complexities  of  their  unique  situation.    The  process  concludes  with  a  preliminary  team  structure  articulated  by  both  the  professional  and  the  client(s).        

  This  interview  structure  includes:  a)  The  traditional  dispute  resolution  continuum  of  Kitchen  Table,  Mediation,  Collaborative  Practice  and  Lawyer-­‐Led,  Negotiation  and  Litigation.  b)  The  Other  Dispute  Resolution  Continuum  that  is  made  up  all  possible  roles  Family  Therapists  can  play:  working  as  a  neutral  or  aligned,  with  children  or  not,  and  in  the  lawyer  joint  meetings  or  not.  c)  The  Collaborative  Self-­‐Evaluation  that  invites  the  client,  with  guidance  from  the  practitioner,  to  reflect  on  their  capacities  and  the  complexities  of  their  situation.  d)  The  interview  culminates  with  a  first  attempt  to  structure  the  appropriate  team  for  the  family  to  move  forward  successfully.  e)    Throughout  the  session,  participants  will  learn  to  understand  and  respect  the  ‘Balance  of  Concern’,  the  degree  to  which  the  professionals  and  the  client  are  accountable  to  the  process.  This  sets  a  tone  of  mutual  responsibility  as  a  prerequisite  for  a  successful  outcome  and  making  concerns  about  ‘buy  in’  a  thing  of  the  past.          

Mosten Mediation and Collaborative Training11661 San Vicente Boulevard, Suite 414

Los Angeles, California 90049Phone: (310) 441-1454

www.mostenmediation.com

THE FIRST CLIENT CONSULTATION:Increasing Enrollment of Collaborative Cases in Your Practice

Forrest (Woody) Mosten, Trainer

Overview of the Training

This is an advanced training that focuses solely on the first client consultation. After two days ofintense examination and simulated practice on the elements of the consultation, you should be able toincrease your rapport and trust building with potential clients, as well as offer them a fuller education ofinformed consent in choosing a process that meets not just their needs, but the needs and demands of theirspouse and other attorney as well.

Since teaching my first course in client counseling in 1973, I have taught and served as an expertwitness in the area of attorney-client consultations. Since 1989, I have been Chair of the InternationalClient Consultation Competition for law students (www.brownmosten.com ). In this new course, Iattempt to combine my background in client counseling with my training and practice experience inCollaborative Law, Mediation, and Unbundling to offer an invaluable and exciting learning experience.

In this two day course, you will apply the proven concepts of counseling clients to the particulardemands of informed consent in Collaborative Law. The course is structured around factual situationsthat can make a difference whether your potential clients engages you and whether your clients areprepared for the key challenges that lie ahead in the Collaborative process.

We all know that not every potential client hires us, and those that do engage us often will notchoose to sign a Participation Agreement with a Disqualification Clause. In this course, you will learnhow to discuss your possible role as a limited scope professional if your clients decide to representthemselves or to start with mediation rather than enroll in the Collaborative process. Utilizing IACPresearch on why Collaborative cases terminate, you will be better prepared to handle the nuances ofnegotiating the Participation Agreement and Disqualification Clause as well as how to prepare clients tosucceed within the Collaborative process by selecting a model that is right for their family, reducesresistance from the other party (and lawyer), and helps avoid termination if at all possible.

Finally, you will develop challenging consultation scenarios for me to handle in front of the entireclass followed by the opportunity to discuss strategies raised during these Stump the Trainer sessions.

It is my goal that by focusing the training lens solely on the client consultation, after two days,you will not only improve your consultation knowledge and skills, but also increase the volume ofCollaborative cases that you enroll that will contribute to increased profitability of your practice.

Woody Mosten

DAY 1

9 a.m. Registration

9:30 a.m. THE CLIENT CONSULTATION: THE FOUNDATION OFCOLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

Structure and Strategies of a Client Consultation: FundamentalClient-Centered Counseling Skills (Motivation, Active Listening,Questioning); Advanced Strategies for Information Gathering ;Concepts of Client Decision Making; Making Your Office AClassroom of Client Education

12:30 Lunch

1:30 PROVIDING INFORMED CONSENT

Enrolling a Collaborative Case: Anticipating and Overcoming FutureProblems in Collaborative Cases with Effective Screening and DiscussionWith Your Client; Discussion of Benefits and Risks of CollaborativePractice; Frontier Issues of Confidentiality; Handling Key Issues of ClientEngagement Letter and the Participation Agreement; Providing Estimate ofFees and Options for Payment

STUMP THE TRAINER

Participants will Develop Challenging Consultation Scenarios for Woodyto Handle in Front of the entire class

4:30 Adjourn

DAY 2

9:30 OVERCOMING RESISTANCE

How to Describe Various Models of Collaborative Practice:Lawyers- Only Referral, Full Team; Willingness to Work with TrainedCollaborative Professionals Outside Practice Group, UntrainedProfessionals, and Role of Litigators within the Collaborative Process;Synergy of Mediation and Unbundling with Collaborative Practice

12:30 Lunch

1:30 USING THE CLIENT CONSULTATION TO BUILD YOURPRACTICE

Developing Your Collaborative Signature; Improving Profitability throughCongruent Peacemaking Values; Combining Missions of IndividualPractices and Practice Group to Increase Cases;

STUMP THE TRAINER

Participants will Develop Challenging Consultation Scenarios for Woodyto Handle in Front of the entire class

4:30 Training Concludes