Improving the lives of children and families through the constructive resolution of family conflict.
About AFCC-BC
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts’ Provisional British Columbia Chapter (AFCC-BC) is a diverse community of interdisciplinary professionals and allies dedicated to the constructive resolution of family conflict through education, innovation, and collaboration. AFCC-BC's membership includes leading practitioners, researchers, teachers, activists, allies, policymakers, and judges in the family dynamic and family law arena.
We bring the strengths and values of our parent organization to our provincial chapter, focusing on providing our membership with jurisdiction-specific education, information, and training. Our events are offered online and in-person to allow for the inclusivity of practitioners throughout the province of BC.
Join our membership
In order to be effective when engaging with families in conflict, it is vital for family dynamic practitioners and family law professionals to proactively engage with rapidly changing best practices and keep pace with cutting-edge research. AFCC is a truly international organization. Its original purpose was to provide continuing, specialized education for judicial officers, attorneys, and mental health professionals working with family court issues. Present day, there are over 5,400 members of AFCC in approximately 24 countries.
AFCC members are widely accepted as leading practitioners, teachers, and researchers in their respective fields within the context of family dynamics and family law. The organization continues to be a critical point of intersection for professionals who work with families in conflict, providing opportunities for cross-professional communication and training.
CURRENT PROJECTS
TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICE Project
Development of a trauma-informed practice training webinar series. With a focus on trauma-informed practice, support of families that have experienced/are experiencing family violence, the impact of attachment on family member’s engagement and behaviour in family law, amongst other topics, this project is rooted in supporting families navigating conflict through a trauma-informed lens.
Empowering the child in family law & Family Services Project
Development of a child-centric practice training webinar series. Family law professionals, family services facilitators, and allied professionals that are deeply experienced in child-centric work will provide valuable insight into possible opportunities to empower and strengthen children’s best interests, voices, and needs in family law and family services.
Tell it like it could/should be in family law & Family Services PROJECT
A web panel series dedicated to elevating conversation around current gaps and opportunities in family law and family services. Seasoned professionals will discuss systemic issues, professional gaps, and service opportunities in efforts to propel innovative change in how to better support families navigating conflict from low-hanging fruit to blue sky perspectives.
Organizing Committee of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts’ Provisional British Columbia Chapter
AFCC-BC’s Organizing Committee has 200+ years of collective in-depth and diverse experience in the family law and family dynamic arena. The professionals and members of the bench who have contributed to the start of AFCC’s provisional chapter in British Columbia, are a cross-section of diverse personal and professional backgrounds humbled by the opportunity to empower the collaboration of their peers towards the constructive resolution of conflict for families.
Agnes Huang
member of the bench
Todd Bell
member of the bench
Marianne Cottingham
member of the bench
Joan Cotie
Talia Spear
Audra Bayer
upCOMING events
July 2024
NEURODIVERSITY, TRAUMA & SUPPORTING NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN
Presented by:
Dr. Robert Grant, EdD, LPC, NCC, RPT-S
Robert Jason Grant, EdD, LPC, NCC, RPT-S, is a licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor, registered play therapist supervisor, and certified autism specialist. He owns and operates the AutPlay Therapy mental health clinic and specializes in working with children, adolescents, families, and adults primarily serving neurodivergent individuals (autism, ADHD, sensory differences, learning disorders, and developmental disabilities). Dr. Grant is the creator of AutPlay® Therapy, an integrative family play therapy framework designed to help address the mental health needs of neurodivergent children and adolescents. He is also trauma-informed and trained and utilizes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Dr. Grant is a supervisor, consultant, and life coach and utilizes several years of advanced training and his own lived Neurodivergent experience to provide affirming services to children and their families. He has infused his experience and love for education and mental health care to create training programs for professionals and care givers. He is an international trainer and keynote presenter having presented for the American Counseling Association for Play Therapy, American Mental Health Counselors Association, and The World Autism Congress. Dr. Grant is also a multi-published author of several articles, book chapters, and books.
In 2015, he was awarded Play Therapist of the Year by the Missouri Association for Play Therapy. In 2017, he was presented with the APT Service Award by the National Association for Play Therapy. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Association for Play Therapy and is a board member for the Digital Play Therapy Program. He is also a part-time instructor in the Play Therapy Certificate program at Mid America Nazarene University (MNU).
Past events
UNDERSTANDING & Managing High-Conflict Situations
Presented by Bill Eddy LCSW, Esq.
Moderated by Agnes Huang
William A. (“Bill”) Eddy is an attorney, therapist, mediator and the Chief Innovation Officer of the High Conflict Institute based in San Diego, California. He provides training to professionals on the subject of managing high-conflict personalities and situations in over 35 states in the U.S., 7 provinces in Canada, and 12 other countries, and frequently for AFCC.
Mr. Eddy is the author of several books, including the brand new BIFF for Lawyers and Law Offices (2024): Mediating High Conflict Disputes: High Conflict People in Legal Disputes; and Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. He is the developer of the New Ways for Families skills training method for potentially high-conflict parents in separation and divorce cases, and the New Ways for Mediation method for high-conflict disputes or any dispute.
Resist-Refuse and Domestic Violence allegations: Abuse, Anxiety, or alienation?
Presented by Deb Link MA, LMFT
and Sara Zafar, JD
Deb Link is a licensed marriage and family therapist, qualified neutral and evaluator under MV Rule 114, Parenting Consultant, and custody evaluator. She has been qualified by the court multiple times as an expert in domestic violence and coercive control in contested child custody cases. Deb co-created the Rebalancing Power clas, designed to empower survivors of domestic abuse who share custody and/or parenting time with their perpetrator.
Sara Zafar is currently of counsel at Franklin Lw Office in Wichita, KS, practicing primarily in Family Law. She has also served as Title IX Coordinator at Wichita State University, Attorney with Kansas Legal Services, and Attorney at the Kansas Coalition against Sexual and Domestic Violence. Sara has extensive experience working with and representing survivors of sexual and domestic violence, and human trafficking, and training professionals. Sara received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law.
AFCC-BC Parenting Plan Guide
A parenting plan is a written document that outlines an agreement by guardians about how they will raise their child(ren) if separated or divorced and is intended to establish principles and rules to guide how guardians will share responsibilities and time with their child(ren)
AFCC-BC is pleased to present the AFCC-BC Parenting Plan Guide (the "Guide"). The Guide is a valuable, and free resource that is expected to be widely used by guardians/parents and professionals throughout the province to develop child-focused, developmentally appropriate parenting plans.
A Parenting Plan Guide Task Force has prepared the Guide by adapting AFCC Ontario's Parenting Plan Guide, a document that has been widely used by practicing family justice professionals, parents, and the Courts in Ontario.