The Swiss Association for Shared Parenthood (GeCoBi) offers a training course that is unparalleled in Switzerland: training to become a qualified separation counselor. A separation counselor helps people who are affected by separation and divorce to cope constructively with this decisive event in their lives.
When a love breaks down, it doesn't just have emotional consequences for many of those affected. Many legal, economic and practical questions are also waiting for an answer: Who should move out? Who takes care of the children? What do you have to consider when drafting a divorce convention? What are my rights and how can I enforce them?
What Does a Separation Counselor Do?
In a separation and divorce situation, many people feel left alone. A separation counselor is available to advise those affected in this difficult phase of life. He helps them to get an overview of their entire situation. He supports them in dealing with the pending issues and helps them to take the right steps. The consultant's role is similar to that of a general practitioner: he can treat common, less serious cases himself and will refer to an expert in complex situations.
After completing their training, a separation counselor should be able to competently advise those seeking advice on their separation or divorce – comprehensively and holistically. This requires that he is well versed in a number of subject areas without having to be a specialist.
What does the training consist of?
The training imparts essential knowledge from the specialist areas relating to the topic of separation and divorce. This includes divorce and family law, but also how children deal with the separation of their parents. However, special emphasis is placed on the amicable settlement of conflicts - from dealing with tense relationships to the concrete elaboration of a divorce convention. Other topics are the peculiarities of intercultural relationships and domestic violence. Last but not least, the future separation counselors are also trained in conducting a counseling interview.
dates and costs
The training begins after the 2012 summer holidays and will be completed by the end of the year. It is divided into seven thematic modules of 2 days of instruction taught by qualified professionals. The costs for the entire training amount to CHF 3,550. This amount includes attending all seven training modules, the final examination and the award of the 'dipl. Separation Advisor GeCoBi'.
Further information
Detailed information about the GeCoBi separation counselor training course can be found on the website: weiterbildung.gecobi.ch .
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