Reenvisioning co-parent education: An acceptance and commitment therapy approach to intrapersonal change in high conflict co-parents

Abstract

High-conflict co-parenting inflicts considerable emotional and psychological strain, often hindering parents' capacity for emotional regulation, adaptability, and cooperation. In such cases, intervention is critical. Although co-parenting and divorce education programs have become more common, many still lack a robust theoretical foundation and underprioritize intrapersonal barriers to cooperation. To narrow the gap, this pre-post pilot study examined the impact of a co-parenting education program grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on intrapersonal vulnerabilities of co-parenting–psychological flexibility, co-parenting self-efficacy, and self-regulation. Results indicated significant improvements in self-regulation and co-parenting self-efficacy, and a small-to-medium practical effect was observed in psychological flexibility.