The Most Effective Methods/Approaches/Interventions for High-Conflict Post-Divorced or Separated Co-Parents and Their Children and/or Adolescents: A Delphi Study
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Authors
Barcelo, Danielle
Issue Date
2026-03
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
High-Conflict Post-Divorced , Co-Parenting , High-Conflict Separated
Alternative Title
Abstract
A high-conflict divorce extends beyond two years post-divorce and involves intense anger, hostility, and lack of trust between the co-parents. The problem addressed through this study was that H-CP-D/SC-P dynamics have negative impacts on children, adolescents, and co-parents in this system. The purpose of this Delphi study was to achieve consensus among licensed marriage and family therapists regarding the most effective methods/approaches and interventions to address H-CP-D/SC-P dynamics to promote the best interests of children, adolescents, and co-parents. The guiding theoretical framework for this study was Emery’s hierarchy of children’s needs in divorce and two homes. Mixed methods and the Delphi technique were used to generate consensus in response to the primary and subordinate research questions. The original panel of experts consisted of 40 licensed marriage and family therapists with one or more years of experience in the field. The study’s research questions addressed the most effective methods/approaches and interventions to treat H-CP-D/SC-P dynamics, the negative impacts of H-CP-D/SC-P, and the ways to cope with H-CP-D/SC-P in regard to children, adolescents, and co-parents. This study used a modified Delphi design and thematic analysis to code the expert’s responses from round one’s questionnaire by the researcher. For the round two questionnaire, descriptive statistics were used for the subsequent rating round to determine consensus. Experts established the most effective methods/approaches and interventions when working with H-CP-D/SC-P: Divorce Mediation, Parallel Parenting, Family Therapy, Improved Communication Through Enhanced Resources, and High-Conflict Separated Parent Intervention Therapy. The top impacts of H-CP-D/SC-P were: Emotional Difficulties, Psychological Adjustment, Relationship Difficulties, Behavioral Challenges, and Academic Performance Issues. The top ways children, adolescents, and co-parents cope with H-CP-D/SC-P were: Emotional Processing, Support Systems, Coping Mechanisms, Conflict Management, and Emotional Wellbeing. This study helps advance research on this topic by contributing to the foundational clinical research on effective methods/approaches and interventions on H-CP-D/SC-P. This study’s findings can use the expert-agreed upon content to create a specific treatment manual, protocol, or set of guidelines, which can then be tested for feasibility and effectiveness in a real-world setting.