Want Happier Clients? Hire a Divorce Coach to Help Them Prepare for Mediation.

For many clients, participating in mediation is scary. They worry about their skills, the other party's strengths, and the outcomes.?

When divorce coaches work with clients early in the divorce process, they're less stressed, more knowledgeable, and equipped with skills that enable them to negotiate in their families best interests.?

However, for clients who have yet to have an opportunity to work with a coach, some of us offer individualized support and skill-building to help them prepare, plan and confidently navigate mediation.

Prepping a client for mediation takes?3-6 sessions. In addition to explaining the process, coaches support clients by taking them through a coaching framework that increases their self-awareness, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.?

The client's first step is to create a vision for their post-divorce life to be clear about what topics they are negotiating. Next, we explore several tiers of acceptability and their BATNA. As a result, they have realistic goals for co-parenting, financial, and lifestyle needs.?

The second step to support your client is educating them on conflict management. They understand the difference between a position and an interest. Clients learn to be curious, empathetic, and respectful when the other party presents a position. They also learn how to manage their triggers and hot buttons. These behaviors help clients create mutually beneficial solutions.?

A third step is to provide clients with frameworks to help them increase their confidence in decision-making. And because your client has created tiers of acceptability for each negotiated area, they can be decisive. So when faced with a block, they are comfortable saying, "let's come back to this," when they need more time or elect to run things by a sounding board.?

The fourth step in preparing for mediation is to help clients build communication and emotional management skills. Active listening, reflection, and curiosity are communication skills developed through role play and practice. Balanced thoughts replace hot buttons and help clients have communication skills and emotional mastery. Clients learn how to discreetly self-soothe, too.??

Finally, clients who work with coaches have a mediation mindset. They come prepared and confident, hoping to achieve an amicable resolution, and have a positive attitude.?

Coaches can support clients during the mediation when permitted by mediators and counsels. Our presence reminds clients of the skills they developed to be at their best. We can be a neutral sounding board when a client needs to work through a decision. Our familiarity helps us to spot when a client is struggling, and we may suggest a break.?

Mediation provides clients with an opportunity to reveal their strengths and see themselves in a new light. When supported, empowered clients are more pleased with the results, heal more quickly, and can easily move forward to a life they love.?