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.

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

Past events

July 9, 2024 @ 4:30pm pacific/7:30pm eastern (1 hour in length + q&a to follow)

Neurodivergence and Neurodiversity Affirming Understanding: What It Is and Why It Matters

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).

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

Presented by Nicholas Bala, LL.M, L.S.M, J.D

Prof. Bala is an expert on Family and Children’s Law, with research focussing on issues related to parental separation issues including parental alienation and relocation; children in the family courts, including role of child’s counsel and judicial interviewing of children; spousal abuse and its effects on children; children in the criminal courts; and access to family justice.

Much of his research work is interdisciplinary; he has undertaken many collaborative projects with psychologists, social workers, criminologists and health professionals to better understand the effects of involvement in the justice system on children, youth and families. He has published extensively in journals in law, medicine, psychology and social work. 

TRAUMA & Attachment informed PRACTICE SERIES

Decoding behaviours in “high conflict” matters: Practical tools to empower trauma & attachment informed services

Presented by: Raheena Lalani Dahya, LL.B., LL.M., FRDP-MED

Raheena Lalani Dahya, is a family law and community mediator in Toronto, Canada; a Professor of Alternative Dispute Resolution at Humber College; and a faculty member of family law mediation programs at various institutions in Canada. Her academic focus is split into three streams: (1) the application of interpersonal neurobiology principles to the practice mediation, including trauma-informed and attachment-informed mediation; (2) culture and conflict in an algorithmic society; and (3) risk assessment and the mitigation of violence in interpersonal conflict.

She is a lawyer in Ontario, and an unregistered Barrister in England and Wales. She is accredited as a mediator by multiple institutions internationally. Currently, Raheena is serving her fifth term as an Executive Board Director of the Ontario Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section; and her first term as a global mediation trainer for the Aga Khan International Conciliation and Arbitration Board.

Raheena served four terms as a Board Director for the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario, a family mediation accrediting body, where she founded the Family Violence Section and served as the inaugural Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Raheena is an avid yoga practitioner and a certified yoga teacher.

September 24 @ 4:30pm PACIFIC

Seen and Heard: Children’s Voices, Choices and Experiences in Family Law & Family Services

Presented by:
MICHAEL ZIMMERMAN

Michael Zimmerman began his legal career in New Brunswick. In 2014, he moved to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where he oversaw the operations of provincial family justice services and the development and implementation of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer Program.

Michael also directed the development/amendment of the following statutes: Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, Judicature Act, Maintenance Enforcement Act, Family Law Act, Adoption Act, Child Protection Act, Child and Youth Advocate Act as well as the corresponding reform of impact policies and programs. In 2020 Michael moved from Prince Edward Island to Bowne Island.

He is a Family Law Lawyer and works as the Managing Lawyer (Roster) with the Child and Youth Legal Centre at the Society for Children and Youth of BC. He is currently the Communications Officer for the CBA Child and Youth Law Section and the Co-Chair of the CBABC Children’s Law Section.

What will this presentation include:

1 hour webinar presented by Michael Zimmerman

How to hear children’s voices and see their experiences through various systems via a variety of tools as well as approaches in family law and family services. Discussion on the benefits and downfalls of each approach and/or tool. Case studies of how these approaches and tools are woven together, and the view/experience from a child/youth’s lens.

15-30 minutes of submissions and live presentations directly from children and adults (who experienced family litigation and/or family services as children)

Live discussion with adults who experienced family law and family services as a child and wished to share those experiences/discuss opportunities for consideration. Written in experiences of children who have/are experiencing co-parenting conflict, family law litigation, and family services

30-minute panel discussion

Opportunities for improvement within family law and family services settings to hear children’s voices, unveil their experiences, and support them appropriately through their journey.

CURRENT PROJECTS

TRAUMA & ATTACHMENT INFORMED SERVICES

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 best interests of childREN in family law & Family Services

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

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.

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.