“I was in charge of everything and in control of nothing.”
— Sarah Manguso
Kate Lewis - PhD
Co-parenting Intermediary
People come to me at very different points. Some are brand new to separation and trying to understand what fair even looks like. Some have managed for years with an arrangement that has quietly stopped working. Some are facing a change in circumstances that has put unbearable pressure on something that used to hold. Some are furious. Some are exhausted. Some are desperate to stay out of court and don't know if that's possible. Some are curious about what court might actually give them.Whatever has brought you here, I work with parents who need a better way through.
What I do
Most co-parenting conflict doesn’t need a judge. It needs structure, a neutral space, and someone who can hold the process while both parents find their way to something workable.I work with you to build a plan that fits your actual family. Both parents have a voice, both parents are supported through finding compromises they can both manage and agree on. Where relevant, bringing in the voices of grandparents, step-parents and others who matter to your child. Creating space for each person to feel heard and contribute. Then both parents are given support to implement it and adjust what isn’t working, immediately or over time. Reducing the daily grind of conflict.I have worked with families across the full range of what co-parenting conflict looks like. Nothing about your situation will be unfamiliar to me.By short-circuiting patterns and shifting the focus towards solutions, parents are able to lay the foundations for a new partnership on the basis of common purpose. Often parents are changed by the process and sometimes things that didn't seem possible can become natural.
How it works
Working with me is voluntary, discreet and time-limited. We begin with a contract that sets out the scope, identifies specific issues, and names what we’re working towards, giving both parents a clear goal from the start.What each parent shares with me is held in confidence. Nothing is disclosed to the other party without your agreement.Everything I do is benchmarked against family court frameworks, child welfare guidelines, and established good practice in dispute resolution. But I am not a lawyer and nothing in this process constitutes legal advice.
About me
I’m a mediator with a research background in trauma-informed approaches to working with vulnerable people, I hold a doctorate from Goldsmiths, University of London as well as accreditations in SEND, Civil, Commercial and Community Mediation.The ultimate ambition is not just workable arrangements but a gradual shift in how parents relate to one another, one that makes the immediate bearable and opens up new possibilities for ways of being in the future.I work with a small number of clients and am available by referral or direct enquiry.