A family relationship specialist is a mental health professional trained in Collaborative Practice who has extensive experience working with separating and divorcing families. Family relationship specialists have a depth and breadth of knowledge in individual and family dynamics, child development, and in creating deep and durable co-parenting plans. Although family relationship specialists are trained psychotherapists, their function on the Collaborative team is not to do therapy. In this context their job is to help the couple and their team to move through this process by:
· Offering emotional support and encouragement
· Helping the couple identify goals, interests, and concerns
· Helping the couple work through emotional obstacles and anticipate and manage those obstacles
· Work toward decreasing acrimony and improving communication in the couple
· Facilitating smooth team functioning and efficiency
· Developing a child-centred, lasting, and comprehensive plan for how the couple will take care of their children now and into the future