Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)

Advisor

Christopher Burnett

Abstract

Abstract Divorce has become a normalized phenomenon. Historically, the only means of obtaining a legal divorce was through a traditional court of law (Rackley & Auchmuty, 2020). Many attorneys, mental health professionals, and financial professionals have become increasingly disillusioned with this process, arguing that it has left many families floundering in a system designed to allocate guilt and innocence and produce winners and losers. Ultimately, it is argued that the children of divorce suffer the most significant divorce losses. This applied clinical project (ACP) has reviewed prominent studies on the effects of divorce on children. Using in-depth critical literature analysis, I have identified themes drawn from this research data. These studies are compared, contrasted, and evaluated using a collaborative philosophical perspective. It looks at the historical development of divorce in America and how it has evolved toward the practice of collaborative divorce. Collaborative Divorce has been designed to produce a more peaceful divorce. The importance of Collaborative Divorce has not yet been evaluated with the direct input of the children, whom it was designed specifically to benefit. From a critical review and analysis of the literature, I have developed the Intervention/Assessment Inventory Exercise for the Children of Divorce. This exercise is designed to induce reflections of the children of divorce, assess their current experiences and understanding of their parents’ divorce, and remedy most anxieties. It will provide feedback on how much Collaborative Divorce has impacted their lives and maximize any personal growth experience that may result from it. Keywords: divorce, parental divorce, children of divorce, collaborative divorce, collaborative philosophical stance

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