Shared Spaces
Shared Spaces is a program for co-parents who want to communicate more effectively as a family, manage conflicts positively, and parent their children successfully.
In Shared Spaces co-parents attend a day-long interactive workshop led by Missouri State University faculty with expertise in family communication and child development. This session focuses on vital information and teaches concrete skills to help co-parents improve their communication and make it easier for them to work together in the best interests of their children and families.
Following the workshop, co-parents receive ongoing support in the form in individual and joint “conflict coaching” sessions. These coaching sessions ensure parents are able to practice the skills learned in the workshop and build their ability and confidence in managing communication with their co-parents.
The Shared Spaces program is ideal for anyone who is co-parenting a child, including:
- Married or co-habitating couples
- Divorced or separated co-parents
- Never-married co-parents
- Multigenerational families
The Shared Spaces program can assist co-parents in achieving their conflict and communication goals so that they can work together in the best interests of their children:
- Staying calm when discussing tough issues.
- Expressing your point of view effectively.
- Sharing information openly with each other.
- Being cooperative and respectful with each other.
- Having a better understanding each other’s point of view and perspective.
- Avoiding misunderstandings.
- Communicating directly with your co-parent (not through your children or others in your lives).
Individuals are referred to the Shared Spaces program directly by Family Court Commissioners. This program is a court-university collaboration between the Greene County Family Court, the Greene County Juvenile Division, and the Center for Dispute Resolution at Missouri State University. Funding provided by a grant from the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator.