Divorce Coaching vs. Mediation: Understanding the Roles and Benefits
The American Bar Association (ABA) says hiring a Divorce Coach is a means of dispute resolution. So, what is "Divorce Coaching"?
According to the ABA, "Divorce Coaching is a flexible, goal-oriented process designed to support, motivate, and guide people going through divorce to help them make the best possible decisions for their future, based on their particular interests, needs, and concerns. Divorce coaches have different professional backgrounds and are selected based on the specific needs of the clients. For example, some divorce coaches are financial planners, mental health professionals, lawyers, or mediators who have experience dealing with divorcing clients."
Okay, great. Are Divorce Coaches mediators? No, but some divorce coaches might be trained as mediators, and some mediators might be trained as divorce coaches. However, mediators and divorce coaches play different roles in the divorce process.
Mediators are focused on the mediation process, procedure, neutrality, finding resolutions for the parties, and generating enforceable settlement agreements. Divorce coaches usually work with one party and focus on providing support and motivation to their client. Divorce coaches can actually provide great help to clients as they work through the mediation process guided by a mediator.
Mediation and Divorce Coaching are not mutually exclusive. Most mediators are not trained divorce coaches, but we are happy to hear our clients have additional support as they work through the process. Divorce coaches are usually not present during the mediation sessions and offer support to their clients before and after the mediation meetings.
At High Vibe Mediation, we believe that every client would be well-served by consulting a therapist and a Divorce Coach early on in their divorce process. To what extent each client needs those services is up to them. The more the merrier, and we are in support of whatever our clients need to get them amicably to the finish line.
