Child-Focused Mediation

Our mediators ensure that all discussions and agreements reached during mediation are focussed on the best interests of your children. Because our staff have specialist training, we are able to offer a service called ‘Child Inclusive Practice’ or ‘Child Consultation’.

Child Inclusive Mediation allows children to speak with a trained, independent third-person. They can have their views and needs heard. We offer this service if you are using our mediators or we can work with an external mediator.

Sometimes children speak about the emotions they are experiencing, things that are currently difficult for them, or what they hope for the future. Our trained consultant then provides some feedback to the parents about how the children are travelling and some ideas to make life easier for them.

The session is focussed on gaining an understanding of how the separation is affected each child through age appropriate play and discussion. It is a low-pressure, open-ended format. Parts can be kept confidential if this is important to the child.

1. Pre-mediation
You will have a private intake session with a mediator who will explain the mediation process, discuss your perspective on how things currently are and how you would like them to be moving forward. You can also discuss how the children are coping and what kinds of things might be helpful for them in parenting arrangements from the mediation.

2. Mediation
Discuss the option for child consultation as well as the potential benefits of this for both the children directly as well as future discussions of parenting arrangements. If both parties and the mediator feel that child consultation will be helpful, then our admin team will organise a session with one of our trained Child Consultants.

3. Child Consultation Session
If you haven’t met them yet, the Child Consultant will contact you to explain the process and answer any questions that you have. They can give you ideas on useful ways to explain to the children what is happening and help to prepare them.

The Child Consultation session is informal and low-pressure. It goes for around 45-60min each. The session involves a variety of age-appropriate activities such as drawing, using cards and play. At the end of the session the Child Consultant will check with the children what is ok to share with both parents. Generally children want their parents to know how they are going but in some cases they prefer to keep things private.

4. Feedback Session
After the children’s session, our mediators will schedule a time to meet with you and the Child Consultant for a discussion about how your children are coping and provide you with any key messages your children would like you to know. They will give you some ideas as to how to scaffold and support them during and after the separation process.