First Friday Forum: Working with Divorcing and Separating Families: Revisiting the Psychologists Role

This program will be held virtually via Zoom. Details with instruction on how to view the webinar will be sent to all registrants the day before the program (3/2).

Program: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Friday Forums are cosponsored with the Metropolitan State University Psychology Department.

This program qualifies for 3.0 continuing education credits. Attendees must attend entire session to gain credit.
Level: Intermediate: Assumes post-doctoral education status and general familiarity with topic. It is designed for psychologists and other mental health professionals.
The speaker has no conflicts of interest to report

About the Program:
Families in the middle of separation and divorce can provide a unique challenge for mental health providers. You want to help, but it isn’t always easy to “stay in your lane” when a distraught parent or zealous attorney wants you to advocate for a particular outcome in Family Court. Understanding when, where, and how to assert firm professional boundaries is the key to maintaining an effective therapeutic relationship while avoiding mistakes, unethical behaviors, and board complaints. Drs. Hart and Kodalen will review relevant guidelines and offer practical strategies for therapists who find themselves in the middle of court-involved work, outline key players in the family law arena, and engage with the audience to discuss lessons learned.

This program qualifies for 3.0 continuing education credits. Attendees must attend entire session to gain credit.
The speakers have no conflicts of interest to report.

Participants will be able to:

1. Establish clear boundaries within conflictual family systems
2. Apply ethical guidelines to address issues of personal bias
3. Compare and contrast the roles of non-mental health providers versus mental health providers in the family law arena

About the Presenters:
Kent Kodalen, Ph.D., LP, received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (with a specialization in Neuropsychology) from the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia. Dr. Kodalen is a clinical psychologist in private practice. He offers therapy and assessment services for children, adolescents, and families, both in and out of the high conflict arena. As a child specialist and Qualified Neutral under Rule 114, Dr. Kodalen serves as a Parenting Consultant and provides Child Inclusive Mediation, Brief Focused Evaluations, and Parent Coaching.

Jordan Hart, Ph.D., LP, has been a practicing licensed psychologist since 1999. She has a B.A. from Macalester College and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota with a joint degree in Child Development and Clinical Psychology. The majority of her practice is devoted to working with families in conflict. She is a Parenting Consultant and mediator and also provides court referred assessments. Dr. Hart also offers parent coaching and divorce coaching. She has been on the Board of Directors of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and also currently serves on the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board.

The Minnesota Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Minnesota Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS:  If you need disability related accommodations to make this event accessible, please contact the Metropolitan State University Center for Accessibility Resources, 651-793-1549, or [email protected].