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Guest: Athena McCullough, LPC, LMFT

When families are caught in high-conflict divorce—battling in courtrooms and struggling to communicate—Athena McCullough steps in. She's a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in the complex intersection of family therapy and the legal system.

What We Cover

In this conversation, Athena shares her expertise on helping families navigate high-conflict divorce, the real impact of parental conflict on children, and practical strategies for maintaining healthy relationships during difficult times.

Timestamps
[0:00] Introduction - Who is Athena McCullough?
[1:30] Attorneys vs. mediation: What's best for divorcing couples?
[4:45] Do therapists go to court?
[6:15] The big question: Should unhappy parents stay together for the kids?
[10:00] How high conflict affects children
[13:30] Triangulation and emotional parentification
[17:45] When kids become their parent's emotional support
[21:00] Communicating with teens during conflict
[24:15] Active listening: Hearing what's underneath the anger
[26:30] Managing your own reactivity as a parent
[29:15] What is reunification therapy?
[31:00] Athena's journey into high-conflict divorce work
[32:00] Final advice: Slow down and listen

Key Takeaways

• Slow down and listen
  • Ask more questions than you give advice
• Behavior is communication
  • Problematic behavior means your child is trying to tell you something
• You can only control yourself
  • Focus on your own reactions, not controlling others
• Kids say important things in difficult ways
  • Look past the tone to hear the message
• "There's no traffic jam on the high road"
  • You don't get to keep misbehaving just because someone else does

About Athena McCullough

Athena is a licensed therapist based in Littleton, Colorado, who owns a group practice specializing in high-conflict divorce and court-ordered family therapy. She works with families navigating complex court systems and provides reunification therapy for disconnected parents and children.

Connect with Athena:
McCulloughFamilyTherapy.com | Serving clients throughout Colorado

Learn more about Jason's practice: Colorado Relationship Recovery