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Section 47 and Section 32 Reports

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Sometimes, when a family is engaged in a Court process, perhaps because of a separation or an issue regarding custody or access, the Court can request a Section 47 Assessment and Report or a Section 32 Assessment and Report be carried out, in order to determine what the best interest of the child or children are.

In carrying out such an assessment, I am very mindful of what a difficult process this can be for parents as well as for children and I would engage therapeutically with families to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard. My background in Systemic practice means that I am very aware of family dynamics and how each person in a family can be influenced by and influential of other family members. My expertise in the area of attachment makes it possible for me to assess how a child’s attachment can best be protected and enhanced by decisions made by the Court. Also, having lectured in TCD in the area of ‘The Impact of Organisations on Individuals’ I have a keen awareness of how the Court as an Organisation or Institution can impact on family life.

Family life can be difficult when the family are involved in litigation. However, I feel it is possible  to work in collaboration with families in order to ascertain the best interest of the children, even when tensions and disagreements are present. I know that collaborative practice is what will work best for the child and I know also that parents want what’s best for the children too. Going through the Court can be a stressful time for families. That does not in any way undermine the potential for families to work together with me in order to best protect the welfare of children.

Here’s a link that you may find useful if you are looking for further information on section 47 reports

Information on where Section 47 Reports fit in the law. Here’s a link that you may find useful if you are looking for further information on Section 32 reports www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2015/act/9/section/63/enacted/en/html

The Best Gift to Give Yourself is Authenticity. My view on why in the Irish Times.

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The Best Gift of All is Authenticity… Find out why in my article in The Irish Times http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/get-real-this-season-give-yourself-the-gift-of-authenticity-1.2879061

Mental Fitness

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‘Mental Fitness’

‘The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.’
Tony Robbins

Being fit, getting fit, feeling fit; there is a lot of talk about it at this time of year… with new year’s resolutions abounding and RTE’s Operation Transformation on many people’s TV screens. And there is no doubt about it, fitness is fantastic and has a multitude of health benefits. But think for a moment just about the word fit…. think what it would be like to then focus on the term ‘mental fitness’ in your mind, instead of always associating it with the physical. Physical fitness has almost become one word but what if we were to broaden the word out…
What would you imagine this country would be like if RTE dedicated an entire series of Operation Transformation to our mental fitness? Yes, physical fitness matters a great deal and it is important to pay attention to our diet, our level of physical activity and our BMI. But is it more important than our level of mental fitness? Does our daily diet of thoughts not impact on us just as much, colouring our experience of living this life, influencing how we each feel?
We indeed have a crisis in this country. As a nation we are physically less active than we ever have been before so attention to physical fitness, particularly for children, matters an awful lot. But mental fitness matters too as the levels of depression and anxiety being experienced are at a very high level, for our young people growing up as well as for many adults. It’s just not as obvious as how a person is doing mentally is not immediately obvious when we look at them, whereas a person’s physical appearance which can hint towards a level of physical fitness, unlike a person’s mind, is readily available for us to see.
The phrase ‘mental fitness’ is one I tweeted about this morning. I stated that a person’s mental fitness level mattered as much as a person’s physical fitness level and I got an immediate positive response from Operation Transformation. So maybe the idea is catching on. Maybe a new journey could be beginning where people in the future will spend 30 minutes every day doing a ‘mental fitness workout’.
What do you believe would happen if people in this country took their mental fitness as seriously as they take their physical fitness? What would happen if as much effort was going into selecting thoughts for the day as is going into the planning of healthy meals? Would the mental health of the nation start to rise? I believe it certainly would. Do you?
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