Course overview

Who should attend

This program is for parents and carers who are separated or going through separation and want to better understand how conflict and change affect their children. It is suitable for those navigating co-parenting challenges and looking for strategies to support their children's wellbeing - including court-ordered participants, for whom a certificate of completion will satisfy court order requirements.

Course structure

The online learning section includes over 30 topics delivered in 3 parts. In parts 1 and 2, you are required to choose at least 7 topics in each part that meet your needs and situation. All topics in part 3 must be completed before participating in the group session.

Part 1 — Self-care & self-compassion

Topics include:

• Dealing with loss
• Practical self-compassion exercises
• Managing drug/alcohol challenges
• Mindfulness
• Self-care for transgender people
• Stories of resilience

Part 2 — Post-separation parenting

Topics include:

• Focusing on children's needs
• 'Brief, Informative, Firm and Friendly' messages
• Business-type relationships
• Self-regulation exercises
• New rules and boundaries for co-parenting
• Communication strategies

Part 3 — Children (all topics required)

Topics include:

• Understanding children's needs
• Managing difficult behaviours and emotions
• Different parenting styles
• How separation affects children's behaviour
• An interview with 2 experienced child consultants

This program runs regularly throughout the year, with weekly morning and lunchtime group discussions between February and mid-December. Evening and weekend sessions are not available.

Preview the course

This program has been evaluated with strong outcomes from participants:

• 90% of parents learned new skills to use in their co-parenting relationship
• 90.27% gained a greater understanding of their child(ren)'s behaviour and emotions
• 93.7% were satisfied with the program
• 91.7% had an increased understanding of self-care

What participants say:

"It opened my eyes up around co-parenting and how the children also view the relationship between the parents."

"Hearing about experiences in a safe environment over Zoom is helpful."

"I'm not alone – others are going through this – and you can come out the other side."

"It's okay to ask for help. Knowledge is power and the more knowledge you have in this area, the more successful you are going to be at co-parenting."

Enrolment and course access

The program involves 4 steps:

1. Registration
Bookings are essential. Register online

2. Online learning
After registering, you'll receive instructions to access our online learning management system. The self-paced learning typically takes 8–9 hours and includes presentations, interviews, quizzes, reflection exercises, and a workbook to guide you through the program. You'll have access to the online content for 4 months from the date of purchase.

3. Group discussion
A brief assessment is completed before you join an online, 2-hour small group discussion, which you can book through the learning management system. Sessions fill up quickly — book early to secure your place.

4. Certificate of completion
Once you complete both the online learning and group discussion, you'll receive a certificate. For court-ordered participants, this satisfies requirements for Court Orders.

Contact us

For further details or questions, please contact our Centre for Learning and Innovation:

Phone: (03) 8573 2222

Email: [email protected]