When I think about why I wanted to be a Parenting Coordinator the easy answer is that I like solving problems. In the world of problems, maybe none are more worth solving than those that plague children and families.

Without knowing, my 20 years of clinical practice has specifically prepared me for this work. In March of last year, 2013 the “Family Law Act” changed in a really exciting way; rightly, it organized around the best interest of the child being the “only consideration” for go forward in binuclear families. More, it was made possible that families could choose to work with a Parenting Coordinator (PC) that had judicial authority to make legally binding decisions for the family and/or be ordered to have to work with a PC in order that high conflict families and most importantly the children of high conflict families were not stalemated. For 20 years I have been in a position as a family counsellor, negotiating with parents at starting that “these aren’t your children and they are not their children, they are our children and we will both die for them”. Trouble is we do not see the same what is worth to die for!! At last there is an end to the despair and hopelessness of trying to co-parent children of the marriage with someone with whom you largely disagree with.

As a counsellor, I have facilitated very adversarial co-parents reach consensus. As a PC, I am excited that where that is not possible, my child centered focus and child development training can assist families out of dead lock with decisions that reflect the best interest of the child.