The Psychology of Divorce

CLI DP500 - The Psychology of Divorce

Credits: 2

This course will provide an introduction to the essential research that forms the current knowledge base concerning divorce. It will help students to understand the phenomena that occur during the dissolution of marriages and families, and the factors that can aid recovery. They will learn the range of interventions available to psychologists who work in this critical field. Course content will include: the effects of divorce on adults and children; an introduction to the legal divorce process and its interactions with the emotional and psychological stages of divorcing individuals and their children; the particular difficulties of high- conflict divorce; what can be done to protect divorcing individuals and their children; and how the current legal process can be changed to promote healthier divorce. Detailed presentations of divorce practice will include; traditional clinical roles (e.g. divorce therapy, group therapy in divorce); forensic roles ( e.g. guardian ad litem, custody evaluator); and newly developing roles (e.g. parenting coordinator, divorce coach, consultant to legal professionals). Students will be asked to select a topic of interest having to do with any aspect of divorce, and to prepare an in class presentation. This presentation, along with a written version, will serve as the primary course evaluation.