The Hardest Conversation

You’ve decided to separate or divorce, and you need to tell the kids.

But what do you say?!

Your brain keeps freezing when you imagine sitting with them and having this conversation. The thought is almost too painful to bear.

It’s like your ability to think clearly just disappears. What is the right thing to say?  What if you start to cry when you’re talking?

But you KNOW this conversation is critical, and getting it right makes a HUGE difference to the kids. Whether you want the divorce or not, you do know that you’ll do WHATEVER you can, to make it better for THEM.

Parenting Well Through Divorce

Help is here for one of the hardest conversations you’ll ever have.

Created by an experienced therapist, this course gives you videos, worksheets, and handouts so that you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. From when and where to tell them, to exactly what to say–with lots of examples!–this course makes a difficult process

easier for you, and better for your kids.

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I’m here to help.

Hi, I’m Katie Malinski, LCSW-S.

I love helping families. I’ve worked as a therapist with children, families, and adults, and now I exclusively work with parents.

Parenting is the hardest job out there!

And parenting well through divorce is even harder. Divorce is rough for everybody, but there are MANY important things parents can do to make the process less hard on their kids.  I developed this course after 20 years of close work with families, and it’s here to help you continue to parent well and prioritize your kids–throughout the separation/divorce process and beyond.

Taking this course means:

  • You don’t have to figure all this out yourself

  • Being prepared emotionally for the conversation

  • Feel confident that you can handle your child’s questions/Predict your child’s questions

  • Being prepared with the information you need for the conversation

  • Specific coaching for the parent who wants to separate/divorce

  • Specific coaching for the parent who does NOT want to separate/divorce

  • Know how to pick the best time to tell the kids this news

  • You’ll get unbiased information so you understand the most popular custody arrangements, plus the pros/cons of each type

  • Learning what you need in a logical flow

  • Help keeping parents’ focus on the kids

  • Aligned with ‘best practice’ therapeutic theories for children and families

  • Empathy for parents, no matter where you are in the divorce process

  • Go step by step in easy, manageable parts

  • Content summarized at the end of each video in a review slide

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The course has 14 videos, 2 worksheets, and 2 downloadable handouts.

It’s divided into 4 main sections:

Preparing to tell the kids | When to tell the kids | Where to tell the kids | What to say

Preparing to tell the kids helps you:

  • Feel ready for the conversation, and the emotions
  • Be on the same page as your spouse
  • Minimize conflict about this conversation with your spouse
  • Predict your child’s questions
  • Be prepared with answers to questions

When to tell the kids helps you:

  • Understand how timing helps or hurts your kids
  • Know what to consider when choosing when to tell the kids
  • Understand how to set a pace that’s right for your kids for the whole separation/divorce process
  • Know when you should telling them right away, versus when waiting is better
  • Help avoiding the typical mistakes parents make around timing

Where to tell the kids helps you:

  • Avoid picking places that make the conversation more painful
  • Understand what your child needs in their environment for this conversation
  • Prevent “ruining” favorite family venues
  • Be able to provide your child with a refuge if needed
  • Make a plan for how to handle the rest of the day

What to say helps you:

  • No ‘reinventing the wheel’–TONS of sample language included
  • Language for different types of situations, family plans, and schedules
  • Comes with a “Script Builder” worksheet that makes it easy and straightforward to figure out exactly what to say
  • Understand what to say and even what NOT to say
  • Understand how to handle questions you don’t know how to answer

Bonuses:

  • Three Bonus Videos:

    • Siblings—Should you tell them together or separately?

    • The #1 Thing parents should talk about but don’t

    • The 5 Most Common Custody Agreements Explained

  • Insider tips on how to find and choose a therapist for yourself or your child

  • All slides downloadable as a pdf if you like to take notes

  • Review slides after each video, and highlight notes under each video, make it easier for various learning styles

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“OMG, this is AMAZING.  I can’t wait to share with families, you’ve hit all the important parts and kept the focus on the children throughout. It’s very clear and goes step by step in easy, manageable parts.”

Jaclyn S, MA, LPC, RPT, NCC (play therapist for children)

VERY helpful.  All questions answered; zero time wasted.

Travis, parent

What an amazing resource! Easy to follow and very informative.

Dede J, LCSW

An essential resource for parents going through the divorce process.

Syd Sharples, MBA, LCSW, Collaborative Facilitation and Therapy

LOVE LOVE LOVE the script builder worksheet — brilliant!

Michelle H

Practical advice, clearly stated.

Katie offers a steady hand to parents in this step-by-step guide to parenting through a divorce.

Steven S, LCSW

“After taking Katie’s course on how to talk to children about separation or divorce, I feel better equipped as a parent on the when, how and what to tell children during this difficult time.

I would highly recommend this course for parents in any stage of contemplation of divorce.

Doran, parent

Katie is very knowledgable; excellent attention to detail.

Traci C, LCSW
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