On the Amicable Divorce Expert podcast with Judith M. Weigle we have Mediator, Therapist, Educator, and podcast host Colleen O’Neil back sharing her experience getting divorced. It’s so interesting to listen to a divorced person who is a family law professional speak about their divorces and the challenges they faced in the process.
Colleen was married to a law enforcement professional, a sheriff, who was also an angry husband and father. They lived in Massachusetts. Like any of us, when we are upset, we can unfortunately use the tools of our profession to seemingly intimidate in order to make the divorce process harder. That’s because many of us don’t have the emotional language to use in place of intimidation. Why is that? Because we are not taught how to communicate when we are upset, or have mental health challenges that blind us from being able to compromise or see the other spouse’s point of view.
Colleen had a small child at the time of her divorce and this is where the compromise took place. Colleen agreed to drive her daughter to Massachusetts from Connecticut in order for her husband to be able to share co-parenting time. Colleen needed to move to Connecticut to live with her parents for a short time while regrouping to start a profession as a single parent with much-needed support from her family for her daughter while going to school and working.
Compromise is part of every divorce settlement. Sometimes the price of compromise is huge, but so is the reward. For Colleen, her reward was having family support while raising her daughter as a single mother and receiving the education needed to provide an excellent life for her child. Colleen received the gold, the currency she found essential to moving forward and out of the marriage.
What currency is in your compromise wallet?
COLLEEN O’NEIL’S BIOGRAPHY
Colleen O’Neil, MSW, M.Ed. brings remarkable credentials and impeccable skill sets in assisting others with creating exceptional agreements. She is a mediator, educator, therapist and life coach. She has been helping individuals, children, couples and families to create a space where each individual feels heard and safe.
Colleen worked for the Cambridge, MA District Attorney’s office assisting victims of violence, homicide, rape and child abuse. She has trained law enforcement in victims services, empowering them with knowledge and skill sets necessary to help victims.
Colleen is a board member of Shared Parenting Council of Connecticut working to improve state laws and policies governing divorce, parenting and family court processes.
O’Neil’s work is focused extensively as a Relationship expert, Divorce Mediator and Life Coach. Her additional mediation training, and personal experience going through divorce, is what makes Colleen an accomplished, qualified and competent divorce professional to assist in creating balanced and tailored mediation agreements.
Colleen maintains a private mediation practice and divorce coaching practice in Westport, CT.
Mediation and Beyon, LLC
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Mediation and Beyond (You Tube)
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