Managing the New Normal – Online Divorce Seminar

Investment: $40.00/session, $150.00/4 sessions

Time: Mondays – 5:00 p.m. CST.

Although the sessions are numbered, participants may enter the rotation of sessions as space is available. These sessions are kept small for maximum benefit of participants. Waiting lists may apply. Register early to save your space.

This course will help you to adjust to your new lifestyle. Your knowledge of the effects of divorce and the dynamics of co-parenting during and after divorce will benefit everyone. You will learn how different options for negotiation can affect the divorce process. You will better understand your children’s reactions to your divorce and be more prepared for future reactions. You will gain new understandings about blended families and creating workable situations. You will have an opportunity to develop your use of conflict management skills. Your personal questions will be answered by Kelly Karius, an expert in matters pertaining to the custody and access of children, accepted by the Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatchewan.

Part One – Where You’ve Been and Where You’re Going
Feeling out of control? Unsure where to head? Wondering when the arguing will EVER stop? Understanding the dynamics of the divorce process and the options for resolution will allow you to take back control of your life. You will begin to understand where your power lies and what is…and isn’t…in your control. This session will help you identify and plan your future.

• Changes and losses
• Identifiable time frames
• Reactions
• Intimate relationships
• Parenting plans
• The Business of co-parenting
• Options for Resolution
  • Personal negotiation
  • Mediation
  • Collaborative law
  • Lawyer-assisted negotiation
  • Court-based resolution

Part Two – Children’s Reactions
Children are the innocent parties to divorce. Even so, they see the divorce as revolving around them. We are all the stars of our own movies, children even more so. Developmentally, they are egocentric, so they define the things around them as if they cause them. Take the time to understand your children’s reactions to divorce. Without knowledge about their understanding and development, you can influence your children’s reactions and be completely unaware of the ways in which you are leading them. This session will give you a solid understanding of what your child is experiencing.

• I hope, I wish, I react
• Games parents play
• Games children play
• Children’s Development
• Age 0 – 2: Helplessness
• Age 2 – 4: Guilt
• Age 5 – 8: Sadness
• Age 9 – 12: Anger
• Age 13 – 18: False Maturity

Part Three – Blending Families
Second marriages are more destined to fail than first marriages are. The rate of separation for first marriages is over 50%. You, being a divorced person, are likely to enter a blended family situation. You may already be in one. Blending families is tricky. Many people don’t like this terminology, believe it to be linked to a blender appliance and seeing their families writhing in pain. I use it intentionally. You wish for a happy ending when you create a blended family. This session will teach you how to make that happen.

• Relationships between spouses
• Relationships between co-parents
• Relationships with step-children
• Step-parenting and discipline
• Things I’ve learned

Part Four – Conflict Management Tools
You need them anyway, but when you manage a co-parenting relationship, or a blended family, conflict management tools are especially necessary. You must understand the escalation of conflict and how to discuss those difficult issues. This session will give you tools to identify and address any conflict issues in your life that need resolving.

• The conflict management spiral
• Trust
• Noticing and giving good will
• Raising issues constructively
• Words that hinder
• Questions
• Listening/Tone
• Body language