Mediation in Couple and Family Therapy

Introduction

Approximately 50 % of all marriages in the United States end in divorce, and an estimated 10–15 % of these families will remain high conflict even after divorce or separation. A large body of literature, spanning 40 years, has indicated that conflict between parents is one of the strongest predictors of impaired family functioning and maladjustment among children from divorced families (Schermerhorn et al. 2010). Parent-child relationships are also negatively impacted by interparental conflict, and the consequences last into young adulthood (Emery 2011).

Given the numerous sources and meanings of conflict in divorce, a central goal for parents is learning to psychologically separate their former marital role from their ongoing coparenting role and renegotiate their relationship. This role shift allows parents to contain their personal disputes and begin parenting cooperatively (Emery 2011). Researchers, clinicians, and legal professionals have increasingly recognized that...