CCDG Divorce Experts Share Parenting Insight on World Teen Mental Wellness Day

Collaborative Divorce Offers Services & Resources to Prioritize the Needs of Children

HARTFORD, Conn; March 2, 2021 – Each year, March 2 marks World Teen Mental Wellness Day, a day dedicated to raising greater awareness of mental health issues among teens and providing education about removing stigmas surrounding preventative mental health.

When it comes to divorce, children and teens often end up in the middle of many cases. When parents are angry, that anger can have profound negative effects on their children for the rest of their lives. A Collaborative Divorce can help prioritize the physical and mental health of children and teens by reaching a parenting plan that focuses on their needs and best interests through honest, respectful interaction between the parents and members of the Collaborative Divorce team made up of a lawyer, a financial expert and a mental health specialist.

“The Collaborative Divorce team process is the best route to focus on the well-being of a child with mental health issues,” said Frederick F. Ward II, an attorney with the Connecticut Collaborative Divorce Group (CCDG), a group of professionals that aims to keep divorcing couples and their children out of court using a method of family conflict resolution called Collaborative Divorce. “It provides opportunity for an open, safe, non-controversial atmosphere for the parties to discuss and agree upon the appropriate medical and financial options for the child’s best interests.”

Collaborative Divorce is arguably the best approach to divorce when children are involved. The team works to be on the same page to promote a peaceful situation that can breed cooperative co-parenting, and parents can create an individualized and detailed collaborative agreement that best suits their family’s needs.

“More teenagers are struggling with anxiety and depression than ever before. On top of the stress of the pandemic, imagine also having to cope with their parents’ divorce,” said CCDG Licensed Psychologist Wendy F. Habelow, Ph.D. “Besides the usual pressures of school and trying to navigate peer relationships, COVID has taken away their traditional methods for relieving stress, including being with friends, face-to-face learning and support from teachers and classmates, and extracurricular activities that offer a chance to relax, have fun and move their bodies. Collaborative Divorce is a way to reconfigure a family using a team of professionals designed to avoid or limit the anxiety and hostility of a court process.  This approach can limit the stress that trickles down to teenagers, who as older children sometimes serve as supports for angry or grieving parents and may feel obligated to take sides, thereby interfering with their ability to relate to both parents in a healthy way.”

The Collaborative process helps parents focus on the needs of their children, including their behavioral health needs.  It provides a framework for lasting legacy of mutual co-parent cooperation that serves to support teenagers through their difficult years and into adulthood.

Unlike a litigated divorce, Collaborative Divorce gives couples more control over the outcome of their separation. Rather than having a judge decide the family’s future through litigation, Collaborative Divorce allows couples to make flexible agreements that address the financial, psychological and legal aspects of divorce. In addition to often being less expensive than a litigated divorce, Collaborative Divorce takes the entire family into account.

To learn more about the collaborative divorce process, visit www.ctcollaborativedivorce.com. CCDG members are available for interviews.

About CCDG: Connecticut Collaborative Divorce Group is a group of experienced divorce professionals, including divorce and family lawyers, financial and mental health professionals who have been specifically trained in the collaborative process. Each member of the group has made a commitment to the goals of collaborative practice in order to help people achieve fair and lasting settlements without using the court or even the threat of court. Additionally, each member attends regular meetings and training sessions designed to develop and enhance their collaborative divorce skills. For more information visit: www.ctcollabrorativedivorce.com