01/19/2024
Dear Friends, the issue of neutrality has been challenging to visitation, or in Massachusetts, Parenting Time Supervisors.
The role of providing court ordered services does place the service provider in the proverbial middle. That is so because everyone - parents, counsel, magistrate and judge, and children - all have expectations. They each have a vision of purpose, and many custodial parents and their counsel feel compelled to alert the court of fears.
In more than a quarter century in this field of helping those engaged in high conflict child custody matters, i have found that it is an equal challenge to placate or pacify the parties. If I may paraphrase the lyrics of Ricky Nelson, "You can't please any one, if you can't please yourself." Each party in these highly charged, or as (Retired) Judge Philip Marcus of Israel had redirected me, 'high conflict personality cases' often have the difficulty of accepting their current status. Arguing for unsupervised parenting time, arguing the need to protect children given allegations, or fearing further abuse by a perpetrator of domestic violence, or worse.
It is so important that at the start of any court ordered Supervised Parenting Time that all parties know, that the provider wants all to focus on the future, including the strengthening of the child's affection towards both parents, and the hopeful reality that over time, co-parenting will be possible.
I would like to offer this 8 minute presentation on neutrality for the practitioner working with parents in high conflict, and who may be subject to the Court's recommendations for Supervised Parenting Time.
Your comments will be most welcome.
With much appreciation and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year,
Dr. Mark Roseman, CEO
The Toby Center for Family Transitionshttps://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/j1gfdb354kzdwpqwzw8fa/Neutrality-in-Visitation.mov?rlkey=3l9uf0us91sufg8gnzyex0wws&dl=0
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