Could You and Your Family Benefit from Reunification Therapy?

 Posted on October 18,2024 in Divorce

Divorce is rarely easy, and the aftermath of divorce can be challenging for all those involved. Family ties can be strained to the breaking point, including the relationship between parents and children and the relationship between divorced spouses who must cooperate for the good of the children. Issues like parental alienation, high conflict divorce, or situations where the bond between a parent and child has been seriously strained may benefit from a type of therapy known as reunification therapy.

In some instances, the court may order reunification therapy when a child refuses to spend time with one parent. If you believe reunification therapy could help your family get past some of the challenges the divorce has produced, speak to a Wheaton, IL family law attorney from Andrew Cores Family Law Group. Your attorney can help you find a legitimate therapist who is skilled in reunification therapy to help your family get back on track.    

How Does Reunification Therapy Work?

The basic goal of reunification therapy is to address underlying issues between a parent and child, siblings, or between two ex-spouses who are struggling to co-parent. Trust and communication are rebuilt between the parties, and positive relationships are promoted. There are a variety of specialized reunification therapy techniques, including:

• Helping individual family members develop positive coping skills and deal with their emotions through individual therapy.

• Addressing any known issues and rebuilding weakened relationships through family therapy sessions.

• Mediating disagreements between family members while promoting communication.

• Identifying and changing negative thought patterns through cognitive-behavioral therapy.

When parent-child relationships are disrupted – as they often are during and after a divorce – there can be negative impacts on the child or adolescent. Children who experience these disrupted relationships with their parents have a higher long-term risk of stress-related physical health issues, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, and poor social and school adjustment. For all these reasons, reunification therapy is worth the commitment of time and effort. However, if one or more parties are not fully committed to the goals of reunification therapy, it may not be successful.      

Reunification therapy could be court-ordered when parental alienation is present, and one parent is disparaging or undermining the relationship of the child with the other parent. The child – who may have had a good relationship with the rejected parent prior to this time – may take on the attitudes of the parent engaged in parental alienation. Parental alienation is not the only reason a child may reject one parent during or after a divorce. The child may have heard things during the divorce that he or she found very upsetting and is dealing with that by refusing to have a relationship with one parent.

What Are Some Relationships That Can Benefit from Reunification Therapy?

There are many different ways reunification therapy can help families following a divorce, especially in the following situations:

• Siblings who have "taken sides" with a different parent, so they are now in conflict with one another.

• There was intense marital conflict before or after the separation which continued during a litigious divorce.

• There is a total lack of functional co-parenting, perhaps because of infidelity during the marriage.  

• The attitudes and behaviors of extended family members are causing problems between the parents and child or children.

• A child is particularly vulnerable due to emotional or physical issues present before the divorce.

Contact a DuPage County Divorce Lawyer

At Andrew Cores Family Law Group, all of our Wheaton, IL family law attorneys are trained in mediation and collaborative law. Attorneys Andrew Cores and Wendy Musielak are Fellows with the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. We are committed to helping you and your family find divorce solutions that are less stressful and work for the entire family. Call 630-871-1002 today to schedule your free consultation.