The purpose of reunification therapy is to reunite or reestablish a relationship between a parent and child.
The first thing to know about this kind of therapy is that it should be about the kids. The primary focus and goals center around the needs of the children involved.
Therapist As Advocate
Therapy should begin with the kids well beforehand. This gives the therapist a chance to build a strong rapport and trust. Reunification therapy happens without the other parent present. Thus, it’s most successful if the therapist has a strong bond with the children so that they feel they have someone they trust in the room who advocates for them.
Tread lightly!
The next thing to remember for a parent in this situation is not to badmouth the other parent. This is counterproductive and backfires every time. The kids still love and want to connect with whichever parent has been on the outside no matter what. Maligning them only puts the children in the middle and makes it harder for them.
Last, if the kids involved are of very different ages, it may be best to consider doing reunification separately with each child. The kinds of questions and needs a 17 year old may have will differ greatly from those of a 9 year old.
There’s a lot to discuss on the topic of reunification, and we get the conversation going on this Tips on Teens:
Clinical Director Kent Toussaint answers your parenting questions every Wednesday at 12:00pm in our weekly segment Tips On Teens on Facebook Live. Have questions about parenting kids and teens? Send them to: TipsOnTeens@TeenTherapyCenter.com. We love to hear from you!
Head on over to our Facebook page every Wednesday at 12:00pm to watch LIVE! Check out our page here – https://www.facebook.com/TeenTherapyCenter/
If you have more questions or would like more information, please contact our Clinical Director, Kent Toussaint at 818.697.8555.