New Ways for Families® Counseling In Toronto (Court Approved)
Most conflict between separating parents doesn’t come from disagreeing about what’s best for the kids — it comes from how that disagreement gets handled. New Ways for Families® is a structured, skills-based counselling program built specifically to change that pattern, teaching each parent to manage conflict differently before it does more damage.
The Four Big Skills
The program is built around four core competencies:
- Managed Emotions — responding instead of reacting in high-stress moments
- Flexible Thinking — moving away from rigid, all-or-nothing positions
- Moderate Behaviours — keeping actions proportionate to the actual situation
- Checking Yourself — building the self-awareness to catch unhelpful patterns before they escalate
These aren’t abstract concepts — they’re taught through structured, workbook-based sessions designed to be applied immediately to real co-parenting situations.
New Ways for Families® Counseling
Separation and divorce are difficult, but managing the conflict between co-parents is often the greatest challenge. At Ontario Family Solutions, we offer the New Ways for Families® program, a structured and practical skills-based counseling service. This program is designed to help parents navigate co-parenting in a way that reduces conflict and protects the wellbeing of their children. It is a “no blame, no shame” approach focused on building practical skills for a healthier future.
The New Ways for Families® method focuses on empowering parents with 4 Big Skills: Managed Emotions, Flexible Thinking, Moderate Behaviors, and Checking Yourself. Unlike traditional therapy, this program is typically delivered to each parent separately, allowing you to learn and practice these crucial co-parenting skills in a supportive, individual setting. The goal is to help you manage disputes effectively, communicate calmly, and make child-centred decisions as you reorganize your family.
How Sessions Are Structured
Each parent works through the program individually rather than in joint sessions, which keeps the focus on that parent’s own skills rather than reopening conflict with the other parent in the room. The program runs a minimum of six weeks, with pacing depending on frequency and availability. Optional parent-child sessions can be added once the individual work is underway.
The entire approach is delivered “no blame, no shame” — the goal is better outcomes for the children, not assigning fault for how things got difficult.
Who This Is For
New Ways for Families® is built for parents going through separation or divorce who are already in high conflict, or who want to head off conflict before it escalates. It’s often recommended by counsel or the court specifically because it’s a recognized, structured program rather than open-ended talk therapy.
To learn practical skills that reduce high conflict, improve coparenting communication, and protect your children from stress.
This service is for parents going through separation or divorce who are experiencing high conflict or wish to prevent it.