Working With Families of High Conflict Separation and Divorce: Jane Appell, Ph.D.

This program will review basic principles for mental health practitioners and other helpers to follow when working with families members during and after separation or divorce. There will be a review of the legal processes of divorce and ethical guidelines for therapists working with court involved families. There will be a discussion of common dilemmas in such families as well as a review of the dynamics of visitation refusal and parental alienation. The presenter will review models of domestic violence and help practitioners recognize how these often play out in families with issues of visitation refusal and parental alienation.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will...

1) Be able to name at least 5 principles for working with high conflict families of separation and divorce.

2) Be able to name and describe at least three professional roles for divorcing families that mental health professionals might encounter.

3) Be able to describe the dynamics of parental alienation.

4) Recognize at least three different typologies of domenstic violence.

5. Be able to describe ways in which allegations of child and partner abuse often play out in high conflict families.

Jane Appell, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice in Concord, Massachusetts and is an Assistant Professor at Tufts Medical School where she participates on the Child and Family Evaluation Team. She is the author of Divorce Doesn't Have to be That Way; A Handbook for the Helping Professional (Impact Publishers, 2006). Dr. Appell has worked as a psychotherapist, mediator, parenting coordinator, collaborative divorce coach, guardian ad litem, consultant, and expert witness. She is a past President of the Massachusetts Association of Guardians Ad Litem, and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. She was a 6-year member of the Board of the Massachusetts Psychological Association and currently co-chairs MPA's Education Committee. She has spoken locally and nationally regarding various aspects of high conflict divorce.

All Clinical Institute Trainings are held on Wednesdays from 9:00am until 12:00pm at the Plymouth Church, 87 Edgell Rd, Framingham, MA. Doors open at 8:30am. Workshops are $60 each to visiting professionals. Wayside staff, interns and attend free of charge, as do family members of Wayside clients. The facility is fully accessible. Continuing Education Credits: Social workers, LMFTs and LMHCs receive 3 CEUs.