Reunification Therapy is a specialized form of family therapy, often involving the courts. The therapist holds multiple roles (i.e. therapist, mediator, consultant and evaluator) and there is more limited confidentiality. 

FSWC structures the Reunification process in a thoughtful, deliberate, and safe manner. Using a thorough assessment process, we will customize the reunification therapy to your specific family, context, and emotional needs. 

Phase One: Individual intakes are completed with 1) the custodial parent/preferred parent, 2) the noncustodial parent/reunifying parent, and 3) the child/children involved. Additional meetings with professional and non-professional collaterals may be recommended. This includes attorneys, other household members, and/or other close family members. All materials are reviewed and treatment recommendations are provided. 

Phase Two: Individual and Joint Sessions are conducted in order to improve communication, heal past hurts, establish goals for healthy relationships, and re-establish a positive connection. 

Phase Three: Sessions are spaced out and/or increased connection begins outside of the therapy session. The goal is to support more natural parent-child interactions and to maintain progress across time.

Phase Four: The reunification therapist can help provide feedback to parents, attorneys, or judges regarding visitation and custody, and whether reunification therapy is needed anymore.

There are many limitations to confidentiality in Reunification Therapy:

• Both parents are required to sign releases for both attorneys at the start of treatment
• Information may be disclosed to the Court, your attorney, or the opposite side’s attorney during legal action. Once disclosed, the information will no longer be protected under federal medical privacy law. 
• There is no confidentiality between parents.

Similar to traditional therapy, additional limitations to confidentiality include: 

• Professionals working with your family may, at times, consult with other FSWC professionals as needed. 
• Your therapist is a mandated reporter and is required by law to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect. This includes a child witnessing domestic violence, parental non-compliance with their child’s essential medical treatment recommendations, and when a parent is impaired while supervising their child or driving. Reports are NOT to be interpreted as support for or against any family member, nor does it indicate that the therapist finds the allegations credible.
• If you sign a Release of Information (ROI) for us to speak to another professional or non-professional collateral, then you are allowing your therapist to break confidentiality in order to discuss protected health information related to your case. That information may be subject to re-disclosure by a recipient of such information. 

FSWC utilizes a minimum of 6 hours to complete a comprehensive family assessment and evaluation (2 hours with the preferred/custodial parent, 2 hours with the reunifying/non-custodial parent, and 2 hours with the child(ren)). Afterwards, a treatment plan is formed and individual and joint sessions are scheduled. The length of these services will vary based on the cooperation of the family members and complexity of the ruptures. 

As such, you should expect a minimum of 10 hour-long sessions. 

To provide meaningful and lasting changes, some families may engage in 20+ reunification therapy sessions. This is especially the case when we assist your family in maintaining progress across time and when advancing the family therapy support even after initial reunification has been achieved. 

No- court ordered services is NOT required for Reunification Therapy at FSWC. Sometimes families will pursue Reunification Therapy because it was simply recommended by the courts, whereas others will use it in attempt to repair and strengthen relationships completely outside of the court process/influence. 

Any time there is parental alienation, estrangement, or if a child refuses to see one of their parents, then our Reunification Process is geared to specifically address this in a thorough, deliberate and safe manner. 

During phase one, our thorough assessment process includes an estimated six (6) sessions, priced at $250/hour. After which, our individual and family therapy sessions are priced at $200/hour. *These sessions may be covered by your insurance company.

All communication outside of session (including talking with you, third parties, and collaborating with collaterals) and administrative tasks are priced at $200/hour. *Insurance does NOT cover these case management tasks. 

Additional court related fees and missed appointment fees are detailed in the Reunification Therapy Consent Form. 

Yes and No. 

When reunification therapy is used to address someone’s mood, emotional distress, or level of functioning, then most insurance companies view this form of family therapy as “medically necessary” and will cover it per your benefit plan. 

Reunification Therapy that is sought solely for legal purposes is not deemed “medically necessary” by health insurance companies, and thus would be an out of pocket expense. 

Additional Insurance Considerations:

• Insurance does not cover communication and administrative tasks that occur outside of the face-to-face therapy session, or any court-related tasks
• Insurance may not cover family therapy (codes 90847 and 90846)
• Insurance limits sessions to 30-60 minutes

It is not uncommon for a child to resist reunifying with an estranged or alienated parent. Given the complexity of the hurt and the persistence of the estrangement, they may feel hopeless or worried about trying to bond and connect again. 

Don’t worry! Our family therapists understand the complex emotions and ways resistance may be a coping skill that has helped stabilize or prevent further hurt. 

Based on our thorough phase-one assessments, we will prescribe a treatment plan that honors the level of resistance present. Through meaningful one-on-one sessions, we will work towards joint sessions at a pace that is safe but intentional. 

Reunification Therapy is a specialized service. Prior to getting started, we will have a free 20 minute virtual consultation call to see if our services are a good fit for your needs.

Schedule your consultation today!