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Reunification Therapy is often ordered before a case has been effectively triaged, and attorneys often request Reunification Therapy resulting in a court order before the appointed mental health professionals have had the opportunity to assess the needs of the family. This can result in an unclear court order that does not effectively work to resolve the issues at hand. It is vital that attorneys consult with their mental health professionals in advance, preferably via a conference call, in order to examine case issues and determine both what approaches may be needed, and if the particular therapist is a good fit for those needs. We are assuming here that there has already been a determination that the court or parents are stating it is in the child’s best interests to move forward with such therapy and the case is suitable.4 Attorneys should be prepared to share with the mental health professional their views on whether they are requesting: 1. Unification Therapy – the process of introducing a child to a parent who they have never met or who they have not seen in a significant amount of time. 2. Reunification Therapy due to an issue of estrangement – the process of working to nurture a parent-child relationship that has been damaged due to a parent’s own poor choices and behavior. 3. Reunification Therapy due to an issue of alienation – the process of working to nurture a parent-child relationship that has been damaged due to manipulation (intentional or otherwise) of the child by one parent to resist or reject the other parent. 4 Educational and therapy

* In many states including the State of California, the court will approve an independent representative in a reunification catagory as not bond, license, or credentials are required to provide this service to individuals in pursuit in or out of the county or state authority offices.