Support for you and your family during separation and change
Separation and divorce affect every part of family life, not just the legal and financial side. As a Family Practitioner, I work alongside solicitors, mediators, and other family law professionals to provide the emotional and practical support that often gets overlooked in these processes.
I am not acting as your therapist in this role. Instead, I offer a confidential, non-judgemental space to help you and, where relevant, your co-parent, navigate the personal side of separation: communication, decision-making, and the wellbeing of any children involved.
What is a Family Practitioner?
A Family Practitioner is a therapeutically trained professional who supports separating couples and families alongside the legal process, rather than within it. My role sits beside your lawyer or mediator, not in place of them. I can be brought in at any stage, whether you’re just beginning to think about separation, part way through mediation or a collaborative process, or navigating the aftermath once legal matters are resolved.
Because I bring a therapeutic, rather than legal, perspective, I can help with the parts of separation that are often hardest to put into words: understanding what’s driving the conflict, communicating more effectively, and keeping children’s needs at the centre of decisions, even though I work with parents rather than children directly.
For further reading on supporting children through change, I’ve written a series of articles on parenting through separation and divorce.
Please note: I work with adults only, I do not meet with children as part of this service. I also don’t prepare written reports or recommendations for court. My role is to support you and, where relevant, your co-parent, through the emotional and practical side of separation, working alongside whichever legal process you’re using.
How I can help
Every family’s situation is different, but common areas I support clients with include:
- Understanding the situation – taking time at the outset to understand what’s happening in your family, where the difficulties lie, and what matters most to you going forward.
- Communication difficulties – finding calmer, clearer ways to talk and make decisions together, even where trust has broken down, and helping you express concerns constructively rather than reactively.
- Telling the children – working out what to say, when, and how, so children hear about changes in a way that feels safe and age-appropriate, drawing on an understanding of child development and the impact of separation on children. Read more: How to Tell Your Children You’re Separating.
- Co-parenting arrangements – building a workable parenting plan around your children’s routines and needs, and adjusting it over time as circumstances change.
- Introducing new partners – thinking through the timing and approach so changes are introduced sensitively for children.
- Managing conflict – developing practical strategies to de-escalate disputes and keep discussions focused on solutions rather than blame.
- Managing emotional overwhelm – having a space to process the feelings that come up during meetings with lawyers or mediators, so you can approach those conversations more clearly.
Who this is for
This support is suitable whether you’re using mediation, collaborative law, solicitor negotiation, or working through the court process. You don’t need to be in a specific legal process to benefit, some clients come to me for a handful of sessions early on, simply to prepare for the road ahead; others prefer ongoing support throughout. This service isn’t a substitute for legal advice, and it works best alongside, not instead of, your solicitor or mediator.
How sessions work
Sessions can take place individually or jointly with your co-parent, depending on what’s most useful at each stage. I offer both in-person sessions in Bristol and online sessions for clients across the UK, so you can fit this support around your circumstances.
Fees
Family Practitioner sessions are: £150 for an initial 90 minute session.
Further sessions are £100 for 60 minutes.
Get in touch
If you’d like to find out whether working with a Family Practitioner could help you and your family, I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation to talk through your situation and answer any questions.
You’re welcome to call or text 07729 980125, or get in touch via email at info@michellegaletherapy.co.uk.