CPD Course:
The High Conflict Divorce,
it's Impact
on the Children
Caught in the Middle,
and How to Avoid it

The guiding force of Dr. Bryan's professional life is to find ever more effective ways for her clients to overcome obstacles, resolve conflicts and meet challenges resourcefully for a more fulfilling and rewarding life.

Drawing on 20 years of clinical experience Dr. Bryan utilizes a range of proven skills and techniques, taking a strategic approach to fulfilling each clients individual needs, helping them to swiftly conquer personal anxieties, resolve relationship conflicts, handle career, relocation and separation stress, whilst fostering personal and professional growth.

An American trained doctoral level clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and hypnotherapist, Dr. Bryan is a member of the following associations:

• American Psychological Association
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
• Hong Kong Psychological Society

In addition to the above, she sits on the following associations' Committees:

• Hong Kong Family Law Association
• The New Medico-Legal Society
• Hong Kong Collaborative Practice Group
• Royal Geographical Society

In September 2013, Dr. Bryan has also completed the HIMS (Human Intervention Motivation Study) training in Denver, Colorado.

Divorce is a life-altering decision, often a gut-wrenching one.  Even when the reasons for ending the relationship are compelling and it is handled collaboratively, it ends a dream, and in the words of author Pat Conroy, "it marks the death of a small civilization".

This course is designed for matrimonial lawyers, it covers the myriad ways painful partings are expressed, and it's psychological impact on the children, who are often caught in the middle.  Practical techniques for minimizing this tension and reducing the stress of separation and divorce will be covered, particularly regarding parenting at this time.

Guidelines will be given to allow participants an opportunity to work with this challenging group of clients from a collaborative position via a role-play in which each lawyer will work with a highly distressed divorcing client who is hurt, disillusioned, angry and distrustful.  The benefits of collaborative divorce will also be discussed.

• The death of a small civilization: barriers to a collaborative divorce
• The social media imprints
• Expressions (or examples) of destructive conflict
• The value of effective communication skills
• Collaborative Divorce

• Contributing factors to a child's positive adjustment to separation and divorce
• Covert and other expressions of being caught in the middle of conflict
• Parentification
• Association between children's mental health and parental conflict
• Helping parents help their children and cooperative parenting
• Possible stress reactions in children of different ages
• Conflictual and Cooperative co-parenting mind sets