September Webinar - Coparenting Therapy in the Court System

As the divorce rate continues to increase across the country, many couples are divorcing and families are restructuring. The need for more coparenting therapists is increasing. Jenna Flowers PsyD, MFT has a specialty in coparenting therapy will review: how to set up the coparenting process, goals for treatment, working within scope of practice as the Coparenting therapist, and how to work with high conflict Coparents. Attendees will gain a knowledge of how to organize coparenting sessions, how to effectively work with other professionals involved in the case, setting up realistic goals for treatment with coparents, and tools for working with high conflict coparenting situations.

Course designed for mental health professionals of all levels.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

Dr. Jenna  completed her undergraduate studies at  the University of Michigan.  She  graduated with her MA in Spiritual Psychology from the  University of Santa Monica, and Doctoral Degree in Psychology from the professional psychology school American Behavioral Studies Institute. Upon completing her Marriage and Family Therapy licensing board examinations in 2006, she has been in private practice in Newport Beach, California.  Her book The Conscious Parent's Guide to Coparenting is published by Simon and Schuster and can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for purchase.  

Past clinical experience and trainings include  acting as Clinical Director at Mainspring Family Wellness Center,  teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Azusa Pacific University the Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Studies  Program, Clinical Director of Aspire Recovery Outpatient treatment center, school counselor for Huntington Beach Unified School District, Staff therapist at the Center For Individual and Family Therapy.   Dr. Flowers is currently completing and intensive trauma certification with Bessel van der Kolk. She has completed EMDR therapy training I and II through the EMDRIA Institute as well as studied Attachment Focused EMDR with Laurel Parnell.  She  is certified in Conversational Hypnosis.  She has had the privilege of attending consultation groups with interpersonal neurobiology pioneer and author of "Parenting From the Inside Out" Daniel Siegel, MD., psychologist and co- author of The Whole Brain Child Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, couple’s counseling with therapist and author Kay Yerkovich, LCSW, reactive attachment training with  Bryan Post, LCSW, intensive training with Cognitive Behavioral Psychiatrist David Burns, MD., and continues to train and consult with cutting edge clinicians. She is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.  Dr. Flowers also enjoys philanthropy and is a past president of National Charity League Pacific Coast Chapter.    Dr. Flowers coparents and raises a blended family of  four children.

SYLLABUS

Topic A: Treatment Planning for Coparenting. (20 minutes)

• Communicating and updating each coparent 
• Transition the relationship to the business of parenting 
• Learn to handle conflict well 
• Foster mutual respect for the role both play in child’s life 
• Set unified boundaries and discipline supported by both coparent 
• Create accountability to one another for their parental commitments. 
• Acknowledge each other’s parenting efforts. 

• Work even stronger boundaries to contain sessions
• Explain the problem 
• Ask for their proposal to the problem 
• Allow the other parent to ask for more time, agree, or offer a counter proposal  

Topic C: Working within the Court Mandated Coparenting Cases (20 minutes)

• How the court views a mandated coparenting therapist
• What is quasi-judicial immunity
• Note taking 
• conferring with legal counsel
• when you are subpoenaed 
• Q and A

 EDUCATIONAL  OBJECTIVES

1. To educate therapists about how to properly lead and protect your practice when facilitating co-parenting sessions for the court system.
2. To build skills with high conflict co-parents.
3. To educate clinicians about how to work with the branches of the court system including Judges and legal counsel.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In successfully completing and attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

1.  List 2 of the 7 tasks necessary in a in effective coparenting treatment plan.
2.  Describe one way to develop strong boundaries that contain the session with co-parents.
3.  Describe the legal protections (quasi-judicial immunity) apply to therapists working with court-mandated co-parenting cases.

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REGISTRATION

Pre-Licensed OC CAMFT Members - $5

OC-CAMFT Members - $15

OC-CAMFT Guests - $25

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