Mother-Daughter Co-Authors Amie Greenberg, Family Law Attorney, and Barbara Greenberg, MD, Psychiatrist and Family Therapist, of “I Am Divorced … But I’m Still Me,” Offer Tips to Children and Families of Divorce this Holiday Season

The co-authors have designed a four-step process called “PACE” to help divorced families identify and manage emotional changes during the holidays.

Amie Greenberg, JD, MBA and Dr. Barbara Greenberg, MD, Co-Authors of "I Am Divorced...But I'm Still Me"

Amie and Barbara Greenberg’s PACE process emphasizes: Planning, Acknowledgement, Cooperation and Communication, Encouragement and Empowerment.

Beverly Hills, CA (PRWEB) December 05, 2012

Amie Greenberg, JD, MBA, a family law attorney, and her mother Barbara Greenberg, MD, a family therapist and psychiatrist, are sharing wisdom from their book released November 6, “I Am Divorced … But I’m Still Me” to help families this holiday season. The co-authors have designed a four-step process called “PACE” to help children and families of divorce identify and manage emotional changes during the holidays.

Amie and Barbara Greenberg’s PACE process emphasizes: Planning, Acknowledgement, Cooperation and Communication, Encouragement and Empowerment. PACE is intended to be a practical strategy families can use to help their children through the holiday season. The key principles of PACE are:

PLANNING

Plan Ahead: Planning the holiday schedule in advance reduces the chances for miscommunication.
Plan something special for the children over the holidays, including positive new traditions.
Plan some “Me Time” to rest, relax and recuperate.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Acknowledge the Sadness: Divorce changes traditions and routines. Children see the family unit as broken. Recognize and acknowledge that it is sad that everyone will not be together as a family unit over the holidays.
Acknowledge that Holiday and Family Traditions Have Changed with the Divorce: Children generally want to be with both parents over the holidays. Help the children deal with these emotions by talking about the changes.

COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATION

Cooperation and Communication between parents reduces conflict and makes life easier for the children. Be flexible with scheduling.
Cooperative Efforts: Do something special for the other parent. A simple card or dinner during the holidays sends a positive message to the children about the other parent.
Communication: Allow the other parent to easily communicate by phone or Skype with the children over the holidays to prevent conflict.

ENCOURAGE AND EMPOWER

Encourage the children to enjoy holiday time with the other parent so they don’t feel guilty.
Empower the Children: Empower children by encouraging them to talk and giving them a voice in holiday planning.

The “I Am Divorced … But I’m Still Me: A Child’s View of Divorce - Nick’s Story” and “I Am Divorced … But I’m Still Me: A Child’s View of Divorce - Julianna’s Story” books provide a window into the world of divorce as seen through a child’s eyes. The books were written to help children communicate about divorce. The book set was inspired, in part, by Amie’s experience with divorce, which is also why she began practicing family law in Beverly Hills, California. Barbara is a psychiatrist and family therapist with a private practice in Brea, California. More information about the authors, their books and blog “Divorce . . . A Child’s View” is available at http://www.achildsviewofdivorce.com.
Amie and Barbara are available for speaking engagements. To contact Amie or Barbara, email them at Amie(at)achildsviewofdivorce(dot)com or Barbara(at)achildsviewofdivorce(dot)com or call 310-694-5444. For information on legal services, please visit http://www.libertaslaw.com/professionals/amie_greenberg.html.

The “I Am Divorced … But I’m Still Me” books are published by Telemachus Press and are currently available in print through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The books are also available as e-books through Kindle Fire, Nook, and iPad. Additional information on ordering can be found at achildsviewofdivorce(dot)com.