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Looking through the Bell Jar Working with mental illness Part 1

As part of my holiday reading this year, I picked up “The Bell Jar”  by Sylvia Plath.[i] This is  short, semi autobiographical, and the only novel by Sylvia written in the 1960s, just weeks before her own suicide. It took me less than a day to read, but my mind has been looping from one…

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Pets and family law

Anne Cowden from the CFLS Team discusses how your animals will be accountedfor after separation When separating, arrangements will need to be made for your property, finances, livingarrangements and the care of your children. But what about when it comes to your pets? In ourlatest blog post, Creative Family Law Solutions Anne Cowden, lawyer, explores…

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10 ways your family lawyer can assist your separation journey

Separation is a very difficult time for lots of families, with many feeling overwhelmed by chaos, uncertainty and powerlessness. Obtaining information and support from the right person at the right time, is crucial to navigating through this obstacle course in a way that focuses on dignity and integrity, maintains important relationships, and minimises the emotional…

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Tips for responding to vaccine hesitancy

Since the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic, we have all been challenged by how to respond to the new world, and what this means for our situation at work, for our families and for those that we are assisting to move through this new and constantly changing space. There have been times when many of…

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Separation and the agony of waiting: an exploration

I listen to many stories each week about the difficulties of separation and the inevitable changes that it brings to life. They often involve feelings of agony when waiting for an end result, and yearning to move past the present-day towards a better future. A play I discovered that illustrates how it feels to be…

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10 tips for what you do when you are newly separated

Separating from your partner can be overwhelming, and knowing where to begin or what to prioritise is not always easy. Often, our minds can focus on the most obvious and practical things, but there are also more personal aspects that deserve just as much attention. To help give you a starting point that will prepare…

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Ambivalence as essential for behavioural change

When someone approaches a dispute resolver, mediator, coach, or lawyer for assistance, they are seeking support for alternation in their circumstances. They may want their situation or lifestyle to alter,  or they may be seeking that someone else’s behaviour be different. Essentially we are being asked to help another to bring about these changes. A…

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Tips for Good Conversation

CONVERSATION C          Have a Clear and purposeful intention for your conversation O         Be Open to the other person- try to put any assumptions or judgements to one side N         Be sensitive to the Non-verbal communication-notice the pitch, volume, pauses and energy in the other person’s speech, pay attention to whether the content of the words…

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The Wisdom of Books

When I was a young child my most precious possessions were my books. I kept them in a tea chest, and took great joy from unpacking them, rediscovering them, holding them, and connecting with what each of them meant to me. They were each a key either to the person who gave them to me,…

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The Value of the Visual in Mediation

When I first met Michael Hunt nearly 30 years ago, I was very impressed by his focus on the visual in mediation. He had white boards, butchers paper and many different coloured textas, and he used these very skillfully to support his role as a facilitative mediator.  He has since then taken this passion into…

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