At her private practice in Irvine, California, Dr. Miriam Galindo counsels children, couples, and families. Dr. Miriam Galindo focuses particularly on families going through divorce and provides co-parenting counseling in high-conflict situations.
When co-parenting, a separated or divorced couple must develop a way of working together smoothly so that their children experience the stability that they need. This can be extremely difficult when two people have a challenging interpersonal history. Many couples find it helpful to look at the co-parenting relationship as a new arrangement, entirely focused on the children and separate from what has gone on in the past.
This strategy does not expect the couple to forget about any anger and resentment between them, but rather to work out those feelings away from the children and separate from any parenting activity. A polite and businesslike tone can help to make parenting conversations less fraught with emotion, as can agreeing to keep all such conversations focused on the children and their needs.
The tone of respect must be genuine, however, and must encourage dialogue between the parents. By asking and incorporating one another's opinions, the parents can learn to collaborate in a new way. Such collaboration is necessary for the establishment of the consistent rules, habits, and behavioral expectations that help a child to feel safe and secure.
