At various times mental health practitioners are called upon to work with families that have been fractured by divorce and continue to be involved in continued battle and recrimination. Often in these situations children take the side of one parent and become alienated from the other. From time to time the courts become involved in attempting to bring children who have been alienated from a parent into a situation that will begin a healing process between the child/children and parent.

Traditional therapies have often proved to be ineffective in dealing with protracted hostilities between parents. Children in these families take on narratives regarding one or both parents that are concretized and resistant to alteration and change. This presentation is intended to discuss the nature of these situations and how they may be approached more effectively by mental health practitioners.

Course Outline

1.  Philosophical Tradition a.) What is truth b.) the use of dialogues

2.  Teams and Multiple perspectives

3.  The use of Therapeutic techniques infused with Mediation skills

Course Objectives

1.  Participants will learn the difference between "truth" and "lived truth".

2.  Participants will be introduced to the concept of supporting a person's            beliefs with ratifying these beliefs as truths

3.   Efforts will be made to emphasize the importance of listening.

4.  Participants will learn Mediation concepts such as getting to yes; looking for creative solutions to the problem and finding common ground that is an alternative to strife.

5.  Participants will practice establishing a contract and goals.