A Co-Parenting Specialist® is a divorce professional who has been trained to use a child-centered approach when working with separating and divorcing families through The Co-Parenting Specialist® Training Program. This framework helps practitioners guide co-parents toward decisions that keep children at the center of the process rather than in the middle of parent problems.
Unlike traditional professional designations, the Co-Parenting Specialist® model does not replace a lawyer’s, mediator’s, therapist’s, divorce coach’s, or financial professional’s existing role. Instead, it offers a shared multidisciplinary framework that enhances the work professionals are already doing and teaches them to become better identifiers, guides, and referrers for families navigating separation and divorce.
At its core, this framework recognizes that how families begin the divorce process can significantly influence where they ultimately end up. The Co-Parenting Specialist® Training Program was developed to help professionals positively leverage their influence during this critical period. By doing so, they can reduce conflict, help parents become more grounded and child-focused, and support healthier long-term outcomes for families.
What Does a Co-Parenting Specialist® Do?
A Co-Parenting Specialist® helps parents navigate separation and divorce using a child-centered lens.
Rather than focusing exclusively on legal outcomes, emotional concerns, financial decisions, or parenting schedules, CoPS-trained professionals are taught to help parents think beyond the immediate moment and consider how today’s decisions may affect their children both now and in the future.
Depending on their profession, a Co-Parenting Specialist® may help parents:
- Understand how conflict impacts children
- Make more informed parenting decisions
- Improve communication and problem-solving skills
- Access appropriate resources and support services
- Develop healthier co-parenting relationships
- Stay focused on their children’s needs during periods of transition
- Develop more durable parenting plans
- Better regulate emotions during conflict
The specific services provided will vary based on the professional’s existing role and scope of practice.
Is a Co-Parenting Specialist® a Job Title or Career Path?
No. A Co-Parenting Specialist® is not a separate profession or career path.
Family Lawyers remain family lawyers.
Mediators remain mediators.
Therapists remain therapists.
Divorce coaches remain divorce coaches.
Financial professionals remain financial professionals.
The CoPS model is designed to enhance, not replace, the work professionals are already doing.
The goal is to provide a shared child-centered framework that can be applied across disciplines while allowing professionals to continue functioning within their discipline or area of expertise. This distinction is important because how families engage with the divorce process varies greatly.
For some parents with limited resources, the first professional they encounter may be the only professional they work with throughout the divorce process.
That’s why CoPS isn’t designed exclusively for family lawyers, mediators, therapists, or any single profession. When more professionals understand how to engage parents using a child-centered lens, the greater the opportunity to support families early in the process, regardless of where they enter the system.
Other parents may have the benefit of working with multiple professionals across legal, financial, educational, mental health, and court systems.
When those professionals share a common child-centered framework, parents receive more consistent guidance and support. They are also more likely to be referred to other professionals who support interventions that focus on children.
Why Was the Co-Parenting Specialist® Model Created?
The CoPS model was created in response to a simple observation:
The professionals who first encounter separating parents often have tremendous influence over how families experience divorce.
These professionals have the opportunity to serve as significant points of influence during one of the most challenging transitions a family can face.
The questions they ask, the resources they recommend, the information they provide, and the way they frame decisions can all shape the trajectory of the divorce process for parents and children.
Unfortunately, many professionals receive little formal training on the impact of divorce and conflict on children or how to engage parents using a child-centered perspective.
The Co-Parenting Specialist® model was developed to bridge that gap.
By equipping professionals with practical tools, targeted resources, research-based knowledge, and a shared framework, the model helps create more positive touchpoints for families throughout the early stages of separation and divorce.
What Makes the CoPS Model Different?
Three elements distinguish the Co-Parenting Specialist® approach.
A Child-Centered Lens
CoPS-trained professionals learn to keep children at the center of the process rather than in the middle of parent problems.
This perspective helps parents consider how their decisions, communication patterns, coping styles, language, and conflict management skills may affect their children’s well-being and development now and in the future.
A Multidisciplinary Framework
The model is designed to work across professional disciplines.
Whether someone is a family lawyer, mediator, therapist, divorce coach, financial professional, parent coordinator, or court professional, the framework can be adapted to support their existing role.
This creates a common language and approach that helps professionals work more effectively together in the service of parents and children.
Recognition of Professional Influence
The model acknowledges that professionals are significant points of influence in the lives of separating families.
Rather than viewing themselves solely as service providers or problem solvers, CoPS-trained professionals are encouraged to recognize and positively leverage their influence to support healthier outcomes for families.
They learn to ask better questions, identify concerns earlier, explore possibilities, build practical skills, and guide parents toward more thoughtful, child-centered decisions. The goal is not to direct families, but to help them make informed choices that support both their children and their future.
Who Can Become a Co-Parenting Specialist®?
The Co-Parenting Specialist® Training Program is designed for professionals who work with separating and divorcing families.
Participants often include:
- Family lawyers
- Mediators
- Therapists
- Divorce coaches
- Financial professionals
- Parent coordinators
- Court professionals
- Educators
- Other professionals who support families during separation and divorce
Because the model is multidisciplinary, professionals from a wide range of backgrounds can apply the framework within their existing roles.
Our Goal – Redefining Divorce from the Inside Out
The Co-Parenting Specialist® model is built on the belief that meaningful change begins with the professionals who support families every day.
When professionals are equipped to identify concerns earlier, guide parents more effectively, and connect families with appropriate resources, they have an opportunity to positively influence how children experience divorce.
Rather than creating a new profession, the CoPS model seeks to strengthen the work professionals are already doing while helping them keep children at the center of the process
Quite simply, our core beliefs are:
- Early-stage professionals can influence how families experience divorce.
- When professionals change how they approach the process, families change.
- When enough professionals change, the system changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Co-Parenting Specialist® a therapist?
No. A Co-Parenting Specialist® is not a separate profession.
Therapists, attorneys, mediators, coaches, and other professionals can be trained in The Co-Parenting Specialist Training Program
while continuing to work within their respective roles.
Is a Co-Parenting Specialist® a job title?
No. The Co-Parenting Specialist model is a child-centered framework that enhances a professional’s existing role rather than replacing it.
Who can become a Co-Parenting Specialist®?
Attorneys, mediators, therapists, divorce coaches, financial professionals, court professionals, educators, and others who work with separating and divorcing families.
What makes the CoPS model different?
The CoPS model combines a child-centered lens, a multidisciplinary framework, and recognition of professional influence to help families receive more consistent support during divorce.
Christina McGhee is an internationally recognized divorce parenting expert, author, trainer, and creator of the Co-Parenting Specialist® Training Program. For more than two decades, she has helped professionals and parents better understand the impact of separation and divorce on children. Through her writing, training, and educational programs, Christina works to promote child-centered approaches that improve outcomes for families navigating divorce. You can learn more about Christina here.