Discernment Counseling & Divorce Mediation in New York, NY & California

For discernment counseling & divorce mediation New York residents need and deserve, we invite you to schedule an appointment with our counseling services. At Cornell & Associates Marriage and Family Therapy, we are here to help families during the most difficult situations, such as separation and infidelity with couples therapy and divorce counseling New York residents can rely on for guidance, direction, and support.

  • Shanti: inner peace

  • Bhāvanā: mental insight

  • Karuṇā: guided healing

Mediation between marriage, husband and wife during divorce process with male lawyer counselor and signing of divorce contract.

Discernment Counseling Services in New York, NY

Life can be full of unexpected twists and turns, and sometimes, those disruptions occur in our relationships. At Cornell & Associates Marriage and Family Therapy, we are here to help when couples and families encounter troubled waters through this unique form of couples therapy.

With services like discernment counseling, we can help people see the way through these uncertain and often painful situations, whatever that may mean. Discernment counseling is a process in which the couple focus on deciding on a path for their relationship and future.

The process of discernment counseling will unveil one of three paths. One option is that the relationship stays the same. This option will defer to counseling, therapy, and other tools to help people focus on healing and recovery.

The second option is either separation or divorce. And the third option is to delay a decision in lieu of couples therapy. Those couples then partake in couples therapy for six months under the condition they agree that the topic of divorce will not be discussed.

Couples who choose the third option will also work with a counselor to help define and discuss possible goals. During this process, the counselor will also explore these goals with the couple through a series of insightful and probing questions. This practice helps couples understand their roles in the relationship dynamic and to uncover real solutions.

Divorce Mediation

“Love doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be true” (Buddha)

Divorce Mediation Services that Make a Difference

Couples who find themselves committed to choosing divorce or separation can often benefit from divorce mediation. At Cornell & Associates Marriage and Family Therapy, we use divorce mediation services as a collaborative process in which the mediator and clients focus on aspects like the logistics of the terms in a divorce decree.

The mediator is a neutral party who works to accomplish the most positive and peaceful outcome for everyone. Divorce mediation is not only less contentious than typical litigation, but is a more affordable route too.

During the mediation, the mediator will address any issues of custody, dividing assets, spousal and child support, and other related concerns. Additionally, Cornell & Associates Marriage and Family Therapy offers divorce counseling and co-parenting coaching.

Our Therapeutic Approaches

Holistic & Transpersonal

To delve into your post-partum experiences, we take a holistic and Emotionally Focused approach (EFT). Emotionally Focused Therapy looks at you as a whole person, your attachment styles, and bonding pattern and uses this transpersonal and valuable information to address unhealthy patterns of developing behavior and bonding with your baby, alongside your other social connections.

The term holistic also applies to you as not just a mother, but as part of a family unit, and as an individual outside your parental role. By removing yourself from what can be an all-encompassing desire/obligation to always be a mother, your established roles are viewed within an integrative behavioral approach. This assists us, and yourself, in determining how to maintain a healthy, empathetic, and productive functioning of your current familial system and future system.

‘You’-centric & Relational

Our insight-oriented approach allows your own experiences to guide your treatment path. Your therapist will use the information they’re given from your communicative style, past issues, and current raising of issues, to determine the most productive course of action that benefits yourself and your child.

Raising a child has a lot to do with whether or not you have a partner/support and how that support is given and interpreted. If there are relationship issues involved in your PPA or PPD, we may incorporate the Gottman Method of couples therapy into your treatment. This approach addresses the core aspects of affection and mutual respect, helps guide you and your partner through small steps and goals that may be helpful at the beginning stages of raising your child. Just contact us today for help.

Mindfulness

By remaining in the present moment and acknowledging the current goals of a healthier daily life for you and your family, a narrative can be brought forth. It’s important to separate the anxiety and depressive symptoms from you as a person and mother. It’s easy to get lost in them and feel as though it’s your fault for not falling in line with what a mother ‘should be’. Which, honestly, is a highly problematic notion that we, as a society, need to work on. Regardless, staying in the present and coming to see yourself as a whole being, removed from your symptoms, is invaluable in tackling them head-on.

Your Counseling Experience

Each therapeutic experience is different, and each session can unlock helpful and new paths to explore in the healing process. The below are just to give you a general idea of what to expect when you contact us, hopefully instilling a bit of confidence and easing of any worry associated with seeking treatment.

  • 45-minute sessions generally, once a week
  • Short-term work can last between 3-6 months or whenever you feel you’ve reached the version of yourself you were seeking
  • Long-term work also lasts as long as you need

How We Choose Your Therapist

  • What you need to reach mental well-being
  • Your personality and energy
  • Your communication style
  • Our therapist’s specialties, training, interests, and own lived experiences
  • Our therapist’s approach and communication style

In the Meantime

Extensive research has found that these simplistic, mindful lifestyle changes have a drastic effect on daily life. Give them a shot if you need some immediate peace.

  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Reiki
  • Experiencing nature
  • Conscious, deep breathing
  • Maintain an active lifestyle
  • Healthy diet