PARENTING COORDINATION 

WHAT IS THE SERVICE?

Parenting Coordination combines family therapy, parenting education, and conflict resolution services for families that are dealing with separation, divorce, reunification and guardianship issues.  The focus is on understanding the needs of children and the purpose is to develop Parenting Plans that will meet needs of the children involved.  The role of the parenting coordinator is to serve as a problem-solving consultant and family functioning coach to facilitate necessary family system changes.

WHAT WILL THE SERVICE DO?

 Take a thorough look at strengths and problems of the family system functioning, involving all family members.

 Provide children a safe way to express their needs either directly to parents or through the therapist.

 Help parents make informed decisions about what to include in a parenting plan that will work and will meet their children’s needs.

 Coach parents to create “next-step” plan with the support resources needed to carry out the plan.

HOW WILL THE SERVICE DO THESE THINGS?

1. The fist meeting is 2 hours, and the entire family will consult with the family therapist to look at the family’s strengths and problems.  Family members will complete written materials and talk about what the family does well and what the family is having trouble with now.  Each child in the family will be interviewed by the therapist.
2. Parents will be given some material to read.
3. Parents will meet for 2 hours with family therapist to decide what they need to do improve their ability to co-parent their children in a way that meets the needs of the child/ren and minimizes parental conflicts.
4. Additional sessions will be scheduled to resolve conflicts.  Each of these sessions are 1 hour - 1.5 hours.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES?

∙ Empower parents to plan their own lives within a private process

∙ Get the strengths and problems in the family clearly defined so parents can make a more informed decision about how to succeed in separated/divorced co-parenting.

∙Prepare for a greater likelihood of success in compliance with an agreed upon parenting plan.

∙Provide individualized parenting education as needed.

∙If talking together proves too stressful for a highly conflicted family, the family therapist may decide to stop/alter the process and make referrals.

∙Should a family member exhibit threatening or aggressive behavior toward one another, the family therapist will work to preserve the safety of each person or alter/stop the process to ensure the privacy and safety of each person.

WHAT WILL THE SERVICE COST?

A retainer of $300 must be sent to schedule initial session.  This retainer ($150 from each parent) is used to pay for any scheduled and missed session, or additional time spent consulting with your attorneys.  Unused money from the retainer is returned to each parent at the conclusion of our work.

Hourly fee: $120/hour.  This fee is split between the parents.  The first and second session are usually 2 hours each.  All subsequent sessions are usually 1-1.5 hours.

It is part of my service agreement to not testify in court.  If I am subpoenaed for court, the parent issuing the subpoena will pay for the time and cost involved including preparation, travel and wait time.  A deposit of 4 hours would be required to be paid 24 hours in advance of a hearing in order for me to reschedule my other clients.

WHO IS THE FAMILY THERAPIST?

Sarri Gilman is a Washington State licensed Family Therapist.  I have been in practice for 22 years on Whidbey Island and in Snohomish County.  I have an extensive background in child development and have a BA degree in Education and Special Education. Throughout my career, I have consulted and worked in schools, including South Whidbey schools.  My MA degree is in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy.  Post masters, I have had additional training annually, and certificated training in parenting coordination.  I have extensive experience working with youth and families in high conflict.