The Challenges of Divorce

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Conflict is normal and okay on its own. High conflict is unhelpful and harmful.

Teaching skills for the future, rather than focusing on the past, is where change is possible.

The skills approach is much more positive than the shame and blame approach common in court.

This article is the first in a series that provides practical takeaways from three pioneers in family conflict resolution, who through their decades of experience have become internationally respected peacemakers and trainers of families and divorce professionals.

According to the Association for Conflict Resolution, a U.S. nonprofit organization, Conflict Resolution Day was conceived in 2005 to:

"Promote awareness of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful means of resolving conflict;

Promote the use of conflict resolution in schools, families, businesses, communities, governments and the legal system;

Recognize the significant contributions of (peaceful) conflict resolvers;

Obtain national synergy by having celebrations happen across the country and around the world on the same day."

October has become a time to promote and celebrate peaceful conflict resolution practices worldwide.

Gray divorce refers to divorce between couples aged 50 and older. To provide information about ways for gray divorce family members to resolve conflict, I spoke with Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq., who is the pioneer of High Conflict Personality Theory, author of over 25 books, and the co-founder of the High Conflict Institute with Megan Hunter, MBA.

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