CCDG Psychologist Traci Cipriano on Mental Illness Awareness Week: Collaborative Divorce Benefits the Whole Family

This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week. When considering divorce when mental illness is involved, Collaborative Divorce can be a very successful approach.

“Couples who elect to participate in the Collaborative Divorce process often do so because they want to protect their children from the stress of drawn out and adversarial legal proceedings,” said CCDG psychologist Traci Cipriano. “During the past 18 months, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major stressor for school-aged children and the need for mental health treatment has skyrocketed. By taking a collaborative approach to divorce, the divorce process itself is less likely to exacerbate existing child stress and mental health issues, with the added benefit that divorcing parents can work with me—in one aspect of my role as the mental health neutral—to learn how to best support their child’s mental health needs as the family navigates the transition. Helping families in this way is one of the most satisfying parts of my role.”