Can Do Conversations….
Maximising Parental Alliance WhenWorking With Children
Sally Walker FMC Mediation and Counselling Victoria
FMC receives funding from the Federal Government Department of Social Services (DSS) for Family & Community Services
Services Provided by
FMC
Family Dispute Resolution
FMC Areasof Practice
Supporting Children After Separation - Child Counselling
Relationship Counselling
Customer Support Service
Relationship Education and
Groups
Family & Community Services
Family Relationship Centres ( 2 x FRCs)
CouplesCounselling
Financial Counselling
FinancialEducation
Family Law Services
Family Mental Health Support
Service
Family & Relationship
Services
Financial Wellbeing & Capability
Mental Health Support for Children, Teens &
their Families
Community Education
FMC Clients
Client DemographicsFMC Total
Number of Clients Seen 6,294
Male % 46.0
Female % 52.7
Unidentified % 1.3
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People % 0.9
Marital StatusSingle or Never Married % 4.6
Married % 10.6
De Facto % 5.1
De Facto Separated % 18.7
Separated But Not Divorced % 24.6
Divorced % 10.7
Other Relationship % 3.2
Unidentified % 22.5
Employment StatusEmployed % 55.8
Unemployed – Seeking Employment % 9.1
Not in the Labour Force % 26.4
Unidentified % 8.7
Income$0 - $25,000 % 30.3
$25,001 - $50,000 % 22.2
$50,001 - $110,000 % 21.2
$110,001 and over % 4.8
Unidentified % 21.5
FMC Total
Highest Education Levels
Primary % 12.8
Secondary - Year 10 % 17.3
Secondary - Year 12 % 18.8
Tertiary - University or Institutes % 42.2
Never Attended School 0.1
Unidentified 8.8
Country of Birth
Australia % 72.6
England % 2.1
New Zealand % 1.7
India % 1.4
China % 0.9
Sri Lanka % 1.2
Other % 12.7
Unidentified % 7.3
Main Language
English % 86.9
Mandarin % 0.7
Arabic % 0.8
Sinhalese % 0.3
Spanish % 0.3
Other % 4.5
Unidentified % 6.4
FMC Client Service Utilisation
Number of Clients Seen from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015
Service Delivery Clients Seen
Family and Relationship Services 1,585
Family Dispute Resolution 1,927
Family Relationship Centres 1,798
Financial Counselling 168
Supporting Children After Separation 1,368
Total Clients Seen 6,294
Section 60B (2) then outlines a number of principles which underpin this object:• Children have the right to know and be cared for by both
their parents, regardless of whether their parents are married, separated, have never married or have never lived together.
• Children have a right of contact, on a regular basis, with both their parents and with other people significant to their care, welfare and development.
• Parents share duties and responsibilities concerning the care, welfare and development of their children.
• Parents should agree about the future parenting of their children.
Child Inclusive Practice
Source: Perry, B.D., (The Child Trauma Academy). (2013)1: The Human Brain [Video webcast].In Seven Slide Series. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOsgDkeH52o
Can do conversations..maximising parental alliance when working
with children
The right hemisphere of the brain is generally responsible for assessing safety or danger from others and in organising a sense of the emotional self. Importantly, it is this appraisal of events that may lead to the development of motivational avoidance or approach schemas during the course of one’s life in order to satisfy basic needs.
Recent shift includes the way in which safe environments through talking therapy can facilitate the establishment of new and more effective patterns of neural firing. The research currently maintains that on a molecular level neural connections form the essence of memory.
Therapeutic Alliance
Engaging in therapy is a deeply personal experience.
Essentially the human brain is a social entity which flourishes through its connections to other brains (Schore,
2012; Siegel, 2012). However, in the absence of an environment in which to flourish, pathology may develop. (Rossouw, 2013)
The therapeutic process may therefore provide an environment in which the basic needs of safety and control are met -specifically, in a safe therapeutic environment a gradual shift may take place, from patterns of protection to patterns of approach.
Safety and Needs
Clinical Empathy is also an important element of quality
health care in medicine.
Physicians who attempt to understand what their patients
are feeling, whether they are successful (empathic
accuracy) or just genuinely communicating their concern
(empathic concern), achieve a number of valuable
outcomes for their patients.
(Mercer and Reynolds, 2002)
Empathy
• Central to Motivational Interviewing is developing an empathic relationship with the client which seeks to resolve the ambivalence about the behaviours which are preventing change. Roll with Resistance
Express Empathy
Develop Discrepancy
Support Self Efficacy
• The application of motivational interviewing techniques for engaging "resistant" families.
Motivational Interviewing
Source: Marie Iannos and Greg Antcliff CFCA Practitioner Resource, May 2013
Client Journey
On commercial airline flights, passenger safety instructions state that parents should always put on their own oxygen mask first, before helping their children put their masks on. The principle is that you cannot help your child if you pass
out in the process!
It is the same when you are separating…. You need to be OK yourself, before you can help anyone
else
Protect your children from harm in separation by first protecting yourself
Work to develop and maintain your own sense of well-being
Safety Warning for Separating Parents
Practice Approach to Achieve Good Outcomes
16
What are the Outcomes
Thank You!
www.mediation.com.au 1800 639 523