New Ways for Families
A free online course for separating parents – practical skills for raising children together when things are hard.
What is New Ways for Families?
New Ways for Families is a short, structured online course for separated and separating parents. It teaches you the practical skills you need to communicate, make decisions and parent together when separation makes that hard – whether your co-parent is engaged, withdrawn, angry, or anywhere in between.
The course was developed by Bill Eddy and the High Conflict Institute in the United States, and is offered in Australia by Interact Support. We provide it free of charge to separating parents because we believe better-supported parents make better-supported decisions for their children.
Who it’s for
New Ways for Families is designed for any parent navigating separation or post-separation parenting, including:
- Parents who are recently separated and trying to set up workable arrangements for the first time.
- Parents whose post-separation parenting has become tense, conflict-prone or stuck.
- Parents preparing for Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) mediation who want to come in better equipped.
- Parents whose co-parent isn’t willing to do the course themselves – it only takes one of you to make a real difference.
The course is suitable whether your separation is recent or long-standing, and whether you’re in conflict over parenting, finances, communication or all three.
What you’ll learn – the four BIG skills
New Ways teaches four core skills that, used consistently, change how post-separation parenting feels for everyone – especially the children.
1. Managed emotions
Practical techniques for noticing your own emotional reactions before they take over, and for responding instead of reacting when you’re triggered by something the other parent does or says.
2. Flexible thinking
Tools for stepping outside black-and-white “they’re wrong, I’m right” thinking and considering a wider range of options – even when you feel certain you already have the answer.
3. Moderate behaviour
Choosing measured, calm responses over extreme ones – whether the situation involves a text message, a handover, a school issue or a financial disagreement. Moderate behaviour protects your credibility and your children.
4. Checking yourself
A regular self-check practice so you can spot when you’re slipping into old patterns – before those patterns drive a decision you’ll regret.
How it works
- Online and self-paced – complete it from home, on your phone or laptop, at the pace that suits you.
- Six short modules – built around the four BIG skills, with practical exercises you can apply straight away.
- Free of charge – Interact Support covers the full cost so you don’t have to.
- Confidential – what you put into the exercises stays with you. Your participation is not shared with your co-parent, your lawyer or a court unless you choose to share it yourself.
- No prerequisites – you don’t need to be in mediation, in court, or working with us already to enrol.
Why “New Ways”?
Most parenting after separation falls into one of two patterns: a long, slow drift into ongoing low-level conflict, or a sharper escalation into high-conflict litigation. Either way, children get caught in the middle.
New Ways is about deliberately choosing a different pattern – not pretending the conflict isn’t there, but learning to handle it in ways that don’t cost your children, your wellbeing or your bank account. It’s a short course that’s designed to give you new defaults.
Parents who complete New Ways often report that they react less, listen more, and make clearer decisions – even when their co-parent doesn’t change anything at all.
What it is not
- Not therapy. The course teaches skills, not therapy or counselling. If you need ongoing emotional support, please talk to your GP, a counsellor, or a service like Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).
- Not legal advice. New Ways doesn’t tell you what the Family Law Act says, what a court would decide, or what your rights are. For that, see a family lawyer or a community legal centre.
- Not a substitute for safety planning. If you or your children are at risk of harm, please contact emergency services (000) or 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
Ready to start?
The course is free. There’s no waitlist. You can start today and work through it at your own pace.
New Ways for Families® is a programme of the High Conflict Institute, offered in Australia by Interact Support Inc.