Skip to main content

← All articles

Family

15 articles

  1. Jun 23, 2026 · 4 min read

    High-Conflict Co-Parenting Classes: A Practical Guide

    Court-ordered or by choice, high-conflict co-parenting classes teach skills to protect your kids. Here's how they work and how to choose the right one.

  2. Jun 23, 2026 · 4 min read

    How to Communicate With a High-Conflict Ex

    Communicating with a high-conflict ex can feel like a trap. Practical rules — including the BIFF method — to keep exchanges calm, brief, and child-focused.

  3. Feb 12, 2026 · 17 min read

    7 Ways Kids Absorb Parents' Emotions in Divorce

    7 Ways Children’s Brains Absorb Their Parents’ Emotions in Divorce(And What You Can Do About It) © 2026 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. Divorce is a stressful time…

  4. Jul 16, 2025 · 3 min read

    Just Launched: A New Way to Support Your Clients in High-Conflict Situations

    Just Launched: A New Way to Support Your Clients in High-Conflict Situations Support Your Clients Navigating High Conflict RelationshipsIf you work with…

  5. Apr 2, 2025 · 9 min read

    Responding to the “Bully’s Story” in Families, at Work, in Court, or Anywhere

    Responding to the “Bully’s Story”in Families, at Work, in Court, or Anywhere © 2025 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. One of the main differences between child bullies…

  6. Feb 5, 2025 · 10 min read

    Recognizing True and False Allegations of Abuse

    Recognizing True and False Allegations of Abuse © 2025 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. High conflict situations—whether in families, at work, in communities, or…

  7. Jan 2, 2025 · 9 min read

    Negative Advocates: How They (We) Become Emotionally Hooked

    Negative Advocates: How They (We) Become Emotionally Hooked © 2025 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. High conflict disputes usually involve one or more people with a…

  8. Dec 3, 2024 · 12 min read

    Protecting the Elderly in Our New World of Adult Bullies

    Protecting the Elderly in Our New World of Adult Bullies © 2024 by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. In this holiday season, there is much family joy to go around as we…

  9. Jan 23, 2024

    Domestic Violence vs. High Conflict Families: Are one or two people driving the conflict?

    For years, there has been a tension between the terms “high conflict families” and “domestic violence” in family courts. Since the 1980s, family law professionals (lawyers, judges, mediators, and therapists) have considered most separating and divorcing families to have two fairly equal contributors to the disputes they bring to court.

  10. Dec 20, 2019

    BIFF Communications for Estranged Families

    Use the BIFF method — Brief, Informative, Friendly, Firm — to write calm responses to hostile messages from estranged family. Examples inside.

  11. Dec 22, 2018

    Dealing with Family Hostility at the Holiday Table?

    Dealing with Family Hostility at the Holiday Table?©2018 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Watch out! Uncle Joe’s coming to the holiday dinner. Oh, no! Sister-in-law Mary…

  12. Nov 14, 2018

    Handling High Conflict Situations During the Holidays

    ©2018 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.Holidays at any time of year can be a time of fun and visiting with family and friends. But it also can be a combustible mix of…

  13. Jul 10, 2017

    Handling Probate Cases with Toxic Families

    Handling Probate Cases with Toxic Families©2017 John Edwards & Judy CopelandAll families are psychotic. Everybody has basically the same family, it’s…

  14. Nov 21, 2016

    Calming Holiday Conflicts

    Calming Holiday Conflicts ©2016 Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq.When family and friends gather for this holiday season, it can be a time of joy—and conflict. This year,…

  15. Sep 12, 2010

    Kids and Self-Esteem

    Kids and Self-Esteem © 2010 By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. I just got back from a 2-week vacation hiking in Peru. It’s a really beautiful country, but also really…