Many of us may remember times when children were expected to be seen and not heard. Children were expected to do as they were told and were simply not asked for their opinions. Decisions about them were made without consultation. Nothing could be further from current thinking. Thirty years ago, the concept of “custody” was…

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When a couple split up, what is the first thing that goes through your mind? It might be about what will happen to the kids. Maybe there will be money worries. Anyone who has been close to a friend or family member going through a separation knows it is a stressful time. There are lots…

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Rosanne Cubitt, Mediator and Head of Professional Practice (Mediation) Relationships Scotland is calling for more families to be made aware of mediation as an alternate route to court action and, off the back of our manifesto, we are asking for a change to the current law to make this happen We are encouraged by the…

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I recently undertook Core Solution’s Flagship ‘Mediation, Negotiation and Conflict Management Skills’ Course. Having been with Relationships Scotland for over 7 years, I had been very keen to explore both counselling and mediation from a practitioners viewpoint. By chance, mediation presented the first opportunity. Here’s what I learned: For many years I have found significant…

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Scottish Parliament

Guest blog post by Morag Chisholm, Counsellor & Treasurer at Relationships Scotland Dumfries & Galloway Politicians both sides of the border are fond of extolling the virtues of family values, often without taking time to understand the complexities of modern relationships. MSPs at our recent Parliamentary event instead chose listening and learning with third and…

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This article originally featured in The Scotsman. Family mediation helps resolve issues between separating couples more quickly and more cost effectively than those cases that go through the courts. Family mediators work directly with separating partners to improve communication, reduce conflict and help the couple themselves agree on practical, workable arrangements for the future care…

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By one of those strange quirks that occur I found out unofficially this week that I have achieved all of the Relationships Scotland course requirements and am now an Accredited Mediator with FM West. Clearly I was very pleased and relieved that all the work I have done has been worthwhile. But not having the…

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So the schools in Scotland have closed for the summer – and the rain has poured down ever since. I have to confess that this has suited me very well as it has meant that I am quite happy to be at home and getting on with completing my written assignments to gain accreditation in…

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My cousin’s wife was competing in a final tennis match last week, so he and I decided to have a coffee in the local café before going to watch her. I assumed he would pick me up. He assumed that I was meeting him in the café. Result? He sat in the café for 25…

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My name is Yvonne and I live with my husband in the East Neuk of Fife, which is a lovely place to call home. Mind you, my true home is Glasgow where I was born, brought up and educated. I have two children in their mid-20s, one in Glasgow and the other in Aberdeen. When…

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