Christine Bennett

Christine Bennett has been practicing as a marriage counsellor for over 20 years and now enjoys facilitating separated couples to make agreements for the ongoing care of their children. The personal non-judgemental approach that is important with counselling is even more so with Family Mediation and Child Inclusive Practice. Often emotions are running high for the couple who are separating, sometimes after a long period of living together. When children are involved, there is even more emotional investment in the outcome of how the children will be cared for following separation.

It is therefore important that both parties are heard by an impartial facilitator where the needs of the children are considered foremost in reaching agreement for Parenting Plans that hold the children's best interest foremost in mind..

Christine takes a child focused approach to mediation and if appropriate a Child Consultant can be appointed to offer a voice to children with parent's consent. In low conflict situations, Christine is prepared and qualified to offer both roles of Child Consultant and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.

This is an important option for parents to consider as it is often the children who suffer most in family breakup. Even though the parents themselves are suffering pain, this is often so intense that children's needs can be overlooked.

North Shore Family Mediation holds the philosophy that each person's needs warrant respect and due consideration, especially those of children and possibly other relatives such as grandparents.