Mental Health Coach

Principles For Collaborative Mental Health Professionals

Collaborative law falls under the umbrellas of therapeutic jurisprudence and preventive law, the integration of which has been characterized as a "new model for practicing law" (Winick, Wexler & Dauer, 1999). Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ) focuses on the law's impact on the emotional life and psychological well-being.  It looks at the actual and potential therapeutic and antitherapeutic effects of all aspects of the legal system on the participants in that system - clients, lawyers, judges and experts (Winick, et al., 1999).

Preventive Law (PL) emphasizes a proactive approach by the lawyer, a client-centered focus and planning by the lawyer to avoid future costly litigation and to reach desired outcomes The mental health neutral (MHN) is part of the collaborative process to address and process the "relational estate" which includes family relationships, shared friendships, the spouses' co-parenting relationship, and the maintenance of their self-respect and dignity in their post-divorce relationship. (Tesler, 2001). The MHN is an integral member of the Team, comprised of legal, financial, and mental health neutrals.

The MHN helps the clients and the Team identify emotional issues that may frustrate the process and provide useful family or relational information to the clients. The MHN can help the clients negotiate their divorce in ways that address the interests of their marital and relational estates. These therapeutic interventions will teach the clients emotion management and negotiation skills that will impact the post-divorce relational interactions with each other.  These are likely to reduce the chances of problems with their future relationship or co-parenting and minimize chances of litigation. In general, the MHN is most effective when they are part of the Team from the outset of the collaborative process, rather than as an add-on. It is prudent for the Team to be mindful that divorce is an emotional journey with legal and financial consequences.

The MHN shall:

1. Participate in the initial meeting with parties, attorneys, and financial professionals to guide the clients as they identify, formulate and prioritize goals.
2. Meet with parties in the Team meetings or apart from the meetings, individually or together, as deemed appropriate.
3. Act as communications coach for the parties, children, attorneys, and financial professionals to teach, model and encourage the participants to: (a) use conflict resolution skills; (b) use active resolution skills; (c) encourage respect; (d) identify and communicate personal interests; (e) recognize and respect the interests of the other participants; (f) identify and work with conflicting interests; (g) diffuse high conflict issues; (h) manage irreconcilable tensions; (i) normalize thinking and emotions
4. Act as case manager if appropriate
5. Establish and monitor a parenting plan that (a) meets the needs of the children; (b) satisfies the parents' respective parenting interests and goals; (c) optimizes the relative contribution of each parent to the development and experience of the children; (d) provides satisfactory alternatives when there are parenting differences; (e) provides necessary safeguards; (f) anticipates future concerns, which would include developmental and emotional issues.
6. Meet with the parties’ children, as appropriate
7. Provide conflict resolution tools to the parties which would include: (a) exploring options for decision making; (b) searching for external standards of legitimacy to evaluate options; (c) identifying the best alternative to an agreement; (d) modeling two-way communication;  (e) encouraging good working relationships; (f) encouraging the exploration of future issues to ensure the effectiveness of current decision making; (g) teaching how to make workable commitments at the end of the process; with the recognition and acknowledgement that the feelings of love, anger, grief and sadness will have varying levels throughout the divorce process as well as different levels between the parties. 
8. Limit discussions with individual parties outside group meetings
9. Document all discussions and meetings and disseminate information to all participants of the team in a timely manner, to include all professionals as well as the clients.
10. Maintain confidentiality within the Collaborative process to maintain their neutrality and to avoid triangulation.
11. Refer parties and/or children to outside resources or therapy, as necessary
12. Introduce additional experts to the Collaborative process, if appropriate

 

The MHN shall NOT:

1. Provide therapy for either party until after the collaborative process has ended, as agreed upon by the parties.
2. Provide expert witness testimony for either party or be involved in litigation in any form during or after the collaborative process has concluded.

 

Collaborative Teams are strongly encouraged to include a MHN, particularly when:

(1)    The clients' relationship history includes family violence;
(2)    The clients' interaction pattern is characterized by heightened negative emotions, particularly around parenting and financial issues;
(3)    One or more of the clients have a history of psychopathology or a mood disorder;
(4)    One or more of the clients have a history of substance abuse;
(5)    One or more of the clients have a history of psychotherapy;
(6)    A significant discrepancy exists between the clients' respective negotiating skills;
(7)    One of the consequences of divorce, or other family matters, is that the standard of living of one or more of the clients will significantly change;
(8)    The clients' particular interpersonal dynamics may impede the process of dissolution.

Mental Health Professionals/Coaches/Mediators

Deborah Haataja-Deratany, MBA
Florida Supreme Court Certified
Family Mediator
Success by Choice LLC
P.O. Box 33626
Indialantic, FL 32903
Phone:  321-591-6934
successbychoice@cfl.rr.com

Alli Nevin, Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist
Women’s Center
1425 Aurora Road
Melbourne, FL 
Phone: 321-242-1526
anevin@womenscenterinbrevard.com

Adrian "Roshan" Sequeira
8000 Devereaux Drive
Viera, Florida 32940
321- 720-6051
rsequeira68@yahoo.com

Susan N. Sharum, M.A., LMHC
3000 North Atlantic Avenue – Suite 102
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Phone: 321-784-5367
Fax: 321-783-2290
snsharum@yahoo.com

Robin Siebold, PhD, LMHC
33 Suntree Place, Suite C
Melbourne, FL 32940
Phone: 321-254-0233
drrobinsiebold@aol.com
www.robinsiebold.com

Patricia White
191 Highway A1A
Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937
Phone: 321-288-2263
mybeachtherapy@yahoo.com