Divorced fathers need help: study

A study on the effect marriage break-ups have on fathers highlights the need for specialised male counselling, says Relationship Services.

The Families Commission released a report yesterday that found fathers who did not live with their children needed extra support from community services.

The Pathways Through Parental Separation report, a small study which spoke to 20 fathers, was funded to find ways to support men through the process of separation.

Researchers David Mitchell and Philip Chapman said focus groups revealed men were unprepared for the separation process and their inability to find the right support when they most needed it.

The study contradicted many service providers' views that they were present for all family members, Mr Chapman said.

"That contradiction needs to be urgently addressed," he said.

Relationship Services national practice manager Cary Hayward said many parents who were separating would undertake counselling funded by the Family Court.

"This counselling is very helpful in many cases.

"However it is geared towards helping the parents reach agreement on arrangements for the children. There may not be so much focus on helping parents come to terms with the separation and what it means for them; something the fathers in this report referred to as separation coaching."

The fathers in the report also believed the counselling process seemed to suit women more.

"This is something which, as counsellors, we need to be aware of.

"It's important that men find a counsellor they are comfortable with, that they can talk with," Mr Hayward said.

Men were more likely to work outside the home which made it difficult to keep up the level of contact they'd like with their children.

- NZPA