Co-Parenting Counseling in Utah County
Lower the conflict, improve communication, and build a parenting partnership that works for your kids. Licensed therapists in Orem, Pleasant Grove, and online.
- Divorced, separated & never-married parents
- Most major insurance accepted
- In person or online
Does this sound familiar?
- “We can’t agree on anything.”
- “I dread every hand-off.”
- “The kids are caught in the middle.”
- “Every text turns into a fight.”
- “I just want this to be easier for them.”
A calmer co-parenting relationship is possible.
You Can End the Relationship Without Ending the Conflict
Separating from a partner doesn’t end the relationship when you share children. It changes it into something new: a parenting partnership that has to keep working, sometimes for many years, whether or not the two of you get along.
Co-parenting counseling isn’t about repairing your relationship with your co-parent. It’s about building a working relationship that lets you both raise your kids with less conflict, more consistency, and more peace, for them and for you.
At Willow Therapy, our therapists help parents at every stage, from a recent separation to years of ongoing conflict. We also offer family therapy and blended family therapy when those fit your situation better.
Your kids don’t need their parents to be friends. They need to not be caught in the middle.
Signs Co-Parenting Counseling Could Help
You may recognize your family in a few of these.
Constant conflict over decisions
Disagreements about schedules, school, discipline, or money that turn every conversation into a battle.
Communication that breaks down fast
Texts and calls that escalate quickly, or go unanswered out of frustration.
Kids caught in the middle
Children carrying messages, feeling like they have to choose sides, or absorbing tension that isn’t theirs to carry.
Different rules in each home
Inconsistent expectations that leave kids confused and give co-parents new things to disagree about.
Difficulty separating the marriage from the parenting
Old relationship wounds spilling into parenting decisions long after the relationship ended.
Anxiety around hand-offs and transitions
Dread or tension around pickups, drop-offs, and shared events like school programs or holidays.
New partners & blended dynamics
Stepparents, new partners, or half-siblings adding new relationships and loyalties to manage.
Feeling unsupported or alone
Carrying most of the parenting load, or feeling like you have no one who understands the specific stress of co-parenting.
Worry about your child’s adjustment
Watching for signs that the separation or the conflict is affecting your child, and not knowing how to help.
Who Co-Parenting Counseling Helps
Co-parenting counseling isn’t only for people going through a divorce right now.
Recently separated or divorcing parents
Building a new parenting structure while everything else is in flux. Some clients also want individual support after divorce.
Long-separated co-parents in ongoing conflict
Years out from the split, but still stuck in the same fights. It’s never too late to build a better working relationship.
Parents who were never married
Co-parenting counseling isn’t only for divorce. It helps any parents who live apart build a workable partnership.
Blended families & stepparents
New partners, stepsiblings, and shifting roles add complexity on top of co-parenting. See our blended family therapy.
High-conflict co-parenting
When communication has broken down and every interaction feels like a fight, a therapist can help create structure and reduce the conflict your child sees.
Parents who actually get along
Even amicable co-parents benefit from a neutral space to plan ahead, for example how to talk to kids about a new partner or handle a big transition like a move.
How Therapy Helps
Our therapists use approaches suited to co-parenting, family systems, and communication. The mix depends on you and on your therapist’s training.
Co-parenting counseling
Sessions built around your parenting partnership rather than your past relationship, focused on communication, consistency, and reducing conflict your kids experience.
Structured communication tools
Learn business-like, low-conflict ways to communicate about the kids, including how and when to use co-parenting apps or written communication. Learn about integrative systemic therapy.
Family systems approaches
Understand the patterns between both households and how they affect your child, drawing on family systems thinking. Learn about attachment-based therapy.
Individual support alongside co-parenting work
Process your own grief, anger, or stress in individual sessions so those feelings show up less in your co-parenting.
Family & child sessions when helpful
When it fits, your therapist may recommend sessions for your child or a family session to support the whole family system.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Focus on what you can control, your own actions and responses, even when your co-parent doesn’t change. Learn about ACT.
What Working Together Looks Like
Every family’s situation is different, but co-parenting counseling often follows this path.
Start with your situation
Your therapist listens to your co-parenting relationship, the conflicts that come up most, and what you hope will be different.
Set goals together, or on your own
Depending on your situation, you and your co-parent may set shared goals together, or you may work individually on your side of the dynamic.
Build communication tools
You learn low-conflict ways to communicate about logistics, decisions, and problems as they come up.
Practice consistency across households
Where possible, you work toward shared expectations that give your kids more stability.
Adjust as your family changes
Co-parenting needs shift as kids grow and circumstances change. Many families check back in at these turning points.
Meet Therapists Who Work With Co-Parenting & Family Dynamics
These therapists list family therapy, co-parenting, or blended family support among their areas of focus. Choose by location, or call us and we’ll help match you.
7 therapists
Sierra Livermore
AMFT
Orem · Virtual
Co-parenting, conscious uncoupling & blended family dynamics
Meet Sierra →
Ivy Christiansen
LMFT
Pleasant Grove · Virtual
Family systems, culturally sensitive care for parents at every stage
Meet Ivy →
Samuel Major
PhD, LMFT
Pleasant Grove · Virtual
Doctoral-level depth in family systems & co-parenting across family stages
Meet Samuel →
Jeanna Cunningham
PhD, CMHC
Pleasant Grove · Virtual
Family dynamics, parenting stress & postpartum adjustment
Meet Jeanna →
Andria Beckham
ACMHC
Orem · Virtual
Goal-oriented family & couples support for parents
Meet Andria →
Kelsey Tuia
AMFT
Orem · Virtual
Family therapy for parents navigating difficult circumstances
Meet Kelsey →
Celeste Webster
CSW
Orem · Virtual
Family therapy for parents and children ages 10+
Meet Celeste →
Not sure who to choose? Call (801) 410-0542 or schedule online, and our team will help you find a good fit. See all therapist profiles →
Navigating a blended family too?
Learn how we support stepparents, biological parents, and kids adjusting to a new family structure.
Insurance & Payment
We accept most major insurance plans, including Select Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and others. Individual sessions focused on your own stress or adjustment are typically covered like standard outpatient therapy. Joint co-parenting sessions may be billed differently depending on your plan.
Our team will verify your benefits and talk through your options, including self-pay, before your first appointment. Check your coverage →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is co-parenting counseling?
Co-parenting counseling helps parents who live apart, whether divorced, separated, or never married, build a workable parenting partnership. It focuses on communication, consistency, and reducing the conflict children are exposed to, rather than on repairing the couple’s relationship.
Do both parents need to attend?
It depends on your situation. Joint sessions can help when both parents are willing to participate constructively. When that isn’t possible or safe, individual coaching can still help you change your side of the dynamic. Couples counseling is different and is for partners working on their relationship, not co-parents.
What if my co-parent won’t participate?
You can still benefit from working with a therapist on your own. Many parents find that changing their own communication and responses reduces conflict, even when the other parent doesn’t engage in therapy.
Is this the same as mediation?
No. Mediation is typically for reaching specific legal or custody agreements, often with an attorney or mediator. Co-parenting counseling focuses on the ongoing relationship and communication between parents. Some families use both.
Can co-parenting counseling be used in a custody case?
Our therapists provide counseling, not custody evaluations or legal recommendations, and we don’t testify in custody disputes. If you need documentation or evaluation for a legal matter, we can help you understand the difference and, if needed, point you toward the right type of professional.
What if there’s a history of abuse or high conflict?
Safety comes first. If there’s a history of abuse or intimidation, joint sessions may not be appropriate, and your therapist will talk with you about safe alternatives, including individual support.
How can I help my kids through co-parenting conflict?
Keeping kids out of adult conflict, avoiding putting them in the middle, and keeping routines as consistent as possible all help. A therapist can give you specific, age-appropriate strategies, and can work directly with your child if that would help.
Is co-parenting counseling only for parents who are divorcing right now?
No. It helps parents at any point, newly separated, years out but still struggling, or never married and living apart. It’s never too late to build a better working relationship.
Is co-parenting counseling covered by insurance?
Coverage depends on your plan and how sessions are billed. Individual sessions focused on your own stress, anxiety, or adjustment are often covered like any other outpatient therapy. Joint co-parenting sessions may be billed differently depending on your insurance. Our team will verify your benefits and explain your options, including self-pay, before your first appointment. Verify your coverage here.
How do I choose a therapist?
Browse the profiles above and filter by location, or call us at (801) 410-0542 and our team will help match you. If the first fit isn’t right, let us know and we’ll help you find a better one.
Ready to Build a Calmer Co-Parenting Partnership?
Your kids benefit every time conflict goes down. Schedule an appointment in Orem, Pleasant Grove, or online.
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