
Navigating Divorce and Custody with Compassionate Support
Divorce and custody disputes can be emotionally challenging and disruptive for all involved. At REDEFINE Psychological Services, we understand the complexities of these situations. Our experienced psychologists provide comprehensive support to families navigating this difficult transition, focusing on minimizing stress and promoting healthy outcomes for children.
Request an AppointmentOur Divorce and Custody Services Include:
Parent Coordination
Parent coordination is a child focused, alternative dispute resolution process where a trained professional, typically a mental health provider, helps separated or divorced parents resolve and problem solve ongoing conflicts about parenting and custody arrangements. The parent coordinator assists parents in implementing, interpreting, and complying with court ordered parenting plans by:
- facilitating communication and cooperation
- mediating disputes and helping make day-to-day child related decisions
- educating parents about co parenting and children’s needs
- providing parents, attorneys, and the court with recommendations for new or modified parenting time provisions, as necessary
- reducing conflict and keeping parents out of court.
In some cases, with court approval, the parent coordinator can make limited decisions if parents cannot agree. The primary goal is to reduce the negative impact of parental conflict on children and ensure their well-being. Parent coordination is usually court ordered or agreed upon by consent agreement by both parties. It is typically utilized in cases of high conflict divorce or separation.
Reunification Therapy
Reunification Therapy (sometimes called Reintegration Therapy) is a specialized form of family therapy aimed at repairing and rebuilding the relationship between a parent and child after it has become strained, distant, or severed-often due to divorce, separation, parental alienation, or extended absence. Reunification therapy is commonly court ordered in situations where a child resists or refuses contact with one parent, but it can also be ordered through consent agreement voluntarily by families seeking to restore a healthy parent-child bond. Reunification therapy typically involves:
- An initial assessment of the family to determine the feasibility of Reunification therapy and the pace to proceed. This initial assessment will also help to determine if additional supports or interventions may be necessary to facilitate the reunification process.
- Individual and joint sessions, sometimes including the entire family, are utilized and tailored to the needs and dynamics of those involved.
- The process will typically involve addressing emotional wounds, communication challenges, and negative patterns that have developed due to separation or conflict. The process focuses on the reestablishment of a secure and healthy bond between the child and the estranged parent.
The main goal of reunification therapy is to help the child and parent overcome barriers such as fear, anger, confusion, or alienation, and facilitate a functional, caring relationship moving forward. The process is structured and typically moves at a pace that prioritizes the child’s best interests. It is important to note that reunification therapy is NOT traditional family therapy. It is a targeted intervention designed to address specific disruptions in the parent child relationship, often within a legal or court ordered context.
Parent Coaching
Parent coaching is a service offered at REDEFINE Psychological Services wherein a mental health provider works with one or both parents to address parenting challenges or improve family dynamics. Typically, parent coaching is time limited in that parents often will present to parent coaching wanting or needing to address specific issues, making the intervention targeted. The process is collaborative, non judgmental, and focuses on:
- setting parenting goals tailored to the family’s unique needs
- helping parents learn evidenced based strategies to better manage child behavior, emotional regulation, and communication
- helping parents by providing psychoeducation about child development, mental health diagnoses, and behaviorism
- fostering the development of parenting skills and techniques to help parent’s approach and engage with their children more effectively.
- Strengthening the parent child relationship and fostering confidence in parenting abilities.
Sessions may occur in person or via telehealth and in some cases a provider will need to come to the home for observation and to provide direct parenting support. Parent coaching typically only involves providing intervention to the parent to help foster practical tools.
Evaluations in the context of Custody Litigation
Evaluations in the context of custody litigation typically occur through court order or consent agreement. Each case is unique but listed below are commonly offered referral questions that arise in the context of custody litigation. Dr. Wilson is available to discuss the specific needs of a party and/or family’s case with the involved parties.
SINGLE PARTY INDEPENDENT PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION:
Often referred to as an Independent Mental Health Evaluation (IME), courts will often refer parents (or children) in the context of custody litigation for a psychological evaluation. In the case that a parent is court ordered to submit to an IME, the evaluator will seek to clarify the presence of mental health, personality, or substance abuse diagnoses and determine how these diagnoses affect the examinee’s daily functioning. The results of the evaluation then help the reader, typically a judge, understand how a person’s current state has or may affect their parenting. OF NOTE, THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS A PARENTAL FITNESS OR PARENTAL CAPACITY EVALUATION which includes a direct assessment of parenting abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. An IME in the context of custody litigation typically involves interviews with the examinee and other relevant parties, record review, and psychological testing. At times, parents may present for an IME with a history of violence and in these cases a violence risk assessment may be added to the evaluation as an additional component. As noted, in some cases, children in the context of custody litigation can be referred for a psychological or psychoeducational assessment. This often occurs, when the court or the parents have concerns about a child’s mental health functioning and need clarity. The information that is produced in the context of these child assessments is often used to help inform custody and parenting plans by the courts.
PARENTAL CAPACITY/PARENTAL FITNESS EVALUATION:
A parental capacity evaluation, also known as a parental fitness evaluation, is comprehensive evaluation that typically includes clinical interview(s) with the parent, interviews with other collateral sources, interviews with the child if the child is old enough, psychological testing of the parent, parent-child observations, and record review. A parental capacity evaluation is used to assess for the presence of any mental health, personality, or substance use disorders and also seeks to directly assess a parent’s ability to care for the needs of their child. These evaluations are typically ordered by a court or referred through Child Protective Services or the Department of Social Services.
The objective of a parental capacity evaluation is to clarify the presence of pathology, the presence of parenting deficits, as well as parenting strengths and weaknesses. A parental capacity evaluation is usually ordered to help clarify if the parent can provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for the child. Please note, a parental capacity evaluation is NOT an assessment of the child and the child is not the client. However, to determine the presence of parenting deficits, the evaluator must also understand the exact needs of the child including psychological, physical, and educational needs. Therefore, the child is involved in the parental capacity assessment to add context to assessing the parent’s abilities and to understand the parent-child attachment. In cases where the parent presents with deficits, the evaluator will then provide recommendations to guide the parent to improved parenting. At the completion of the assessment, the evaluator will integrate the findings and recommendations into a written report which will be submitted to the referral source to help inform decision making surrounding the parent and child(ren). Both parents are often referred for parental fitness evaluations and in these cases, the same evaluator can conduct evaluations of both parents.
CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS:
A child custody evaluation is a specialized assessment performed to provide recommendations to the court regarding the best interests of the children in custody disputes. The evaluation typically includes comprehensive evaluations of all the parties involved in custody litigation, including the minor children. It is in the context of custody evaluations, that an evaluator will make recommendations to include recommendations pertaining to custody and visitation.
Child custody evaluations are highly complex and nuanced, therefore procedures vary case to case. However typically a child custody evaluation will include;
- Multiple clinical interviews with parents or legal guardian and children if age appropriate
- psychological testing with all age appropriate individuals involved
- record review including review of school records, medical records, police reports, mental health treatment records, medical records, court documents, etc.
- collateral interviews with relevant parties including treatment providers, teachers, physicians, extended family members, employers, guardian ad litem, etc.
- Child observations typically conducted in the home, (but potentially off site as well), unless circumstances such as protective orders or findings of abuse contradict such observation.
- substance use assessments or violence risk assessments in some cases when the presenting parent(s) have a history of substance misuse or violence or if the referring agency is specifically requesting these additional components be included.
- written report (or verbal if requested) with specific recommendations pertaining to custody and visitation as well as other recommendations specified by the court order or consent order.
Child Custody evaluations are not typically considered confidential as they are ordered by a court or through consent agreement. Our clinicians on staff who conduct these evaluations adhere to the clinical practice standard and ethical guidelines set forth by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and Specialty Forensic Guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association. Dr. Wilson is also a member of the AFCC and the APA.