Benefits of a Child-Inclusive Collaborative Team Process

A core principle of Collaborative Process is the value of reaching resolutions that benefit the entire family. We believe that respectful interest-based problem solving and negotiation is effective, and much less likely to deepen conflicts and worsen emotional distress than an adversarial process. This is of enormous benefit to the children in the family.

When a Collaborative Team Process is used, the needs of the children can be addressed even more clearly and powerfully. The children become members of the collaborative team through their work with the Neutral Child Specialist. The Child Specialist ensures that children are kept in the center and out of the middle.

A child-inclusive process keeps the focus directly on the individual needs of each child. Children old enough to understand the big picture are able to share their perspectives on how family can work best for them in the future. Children's voices are heard in a safe, supportive environment, and their parents get important feedback from a neutral collaborative team member. When it is time to create a parenting plan with the Child Specialist, each child's temperament, developmental stage and specific needs are honored. I call the end result a developmentally responsive parenting plan.

A child-inclusive Collaborative Team Process is valuable for any family with children, and for children of all ages. I believe that children deserve the best safe parenting they can get from both parents, and it is always a privilege to work with families to define those terms and reach that goal in their parenting plans.

Deborah Clemmensen, M.Eq.
Licensed Psychologist
Neutral Child Specialist