Parenting Coordination: A New Frontier for Professional Counselors

Parenting coordination is an alternate dispute resolution process through which a neutral third party works to facilitate communication between separated and divorced parents for enhanced co-parenting and decision making for the best interests of the children involved. Currently, a parenting coordinator role is primarily filled by psychologists, social workers, lawyers, and hybrid professionals, with a very modest representation in the field by licensed professional counselors. This article will explore parenting coordination as an area of practice and specialization for counselors working with high-conflict families entrenched in the divorce process.