What Is Reunification Therapy?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Reunification Therapy?Types of Reunification TherapyTechniquesWhat Reunification Therapy Can Help WithBenefits of Reunification TherapyEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Reunification Therapy?

Types of Reunification Therapy

Techniques

What Reunification Therapy Can Help With

Benefits of Reunification Therapy

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

Reunification therapy refers tofamily therapythat aims to reunite or reestablish a relationship, usually between a parent and child. It emphasizesattachment, promotes healthy communication, and works to heal injuries in the relationship. It can aim to improve relationships within the family or treat alienation.

The primary goal of this type of therapy is to reestablish trust between the parent and child, so allowing therapy to progress at the child’s pace is essential.

Reunification work can be long-term, though short-term intensive programs are also available.

In most cases, reunification therapy happens after ahigh-conflict divorce. A judge often orders this therapy to repair the bond between parent and child following intense disagreements and disputes during the parents’ separation and legal battle. When reunification is court-ordered following divorce, it often includes co-parenting work in addition to parent-child sessions.

Less commonly, reunification therapy might be recommended when a child has been removed from the home, when a child has been in foster care due to neglect, or if a child perpetrated abuse against another child in the home. In these cases, reunification aims to establish a safe living environment for all family members.

Because reunification therapy is a type of family therapy, a therapist doing reunification work might use techniques seen in other kinds of family therapy sessions. However, there are specific emphases that are unique to reunification therapy.

Co-Parenting Work

Co-parenting work is essentially couples counseling and parenting for parents who are no longer together.

When reunification therapy is needed after a high-conflict divorce, co-parenting work is an essential part of the process. Co-parenting refers to working together to raise a child or children regardless of the parents’ relationship to each other, including step-parents.

Something I say to divorced parents all the time is, “If you got along great, you would still be married to each other.” The conflict that led to the divorce will usually interfere with the parents’ ability to come together for their children.

Furthermore, if the need for reunification work stems from a parent alienating the child from the other parent, there are typically feelings of hurt and anger to work through.

Attachment Work

Because reunification is often recommended (or mandated) due to a rupture in a parent-child relationship, interventions often focus on fostering strong attachment. This can range from facilitating a conversation about a past argument to simply playing a game together and having a positive interaction.

Communication Skills/Conflict Resolution

Improving communication skills not only allows family members to work through specific conflicts in their relationships, but it gives them the ability to address future problems when they arise. All family members learn to express themselves in appropriate and productive ways, even through difficult topics.

Reunification therapy can be an essential component of repairing relationships within a family that has experienced disruption or alienation. It can foster healthy attachment between parents and children and help parents get on the same page for the sake of the children following a high-conflict divorce.

The effectiveness of reunification therapy varies. With any therapy, client engagement is essential for progress, and those who are court-ordered to attend therapy might be less inclined to engage. In cases of parental alienation, the parent might prevent the child from reuniting with the alienated parent.

However, reunification therapists have access to interventions and treatment models that have shown to be effective.Joint sessions between parents, therapist willingness to address and remove barriers to treatment, and flexibility with the treatment model have shown to predict success in reunification therapy.

Although reunification therapy is often recommended for cases of alienation, it is not the only approach for a family to heal. Divorce is stressful and upsetting, and therapy focused on repairing relationships within the family can be beneficial.

If a parent suspects alienation, they can seek out reunification therapy independently or request that the judge order it. This could limit confidentiality, as court-ordered treatment often requires that information about treatment, including session content, be shared with the judge.

Hurt feelings and anger are expected and common between a divorced couple. Reunification therapy can provide the space for the couple to work through these issues even if they know they will not get back together. It can pave the way for a healthy co-parenting relationship in the future.

Reunification therapy is intense, difficult, and emotional work. Be prepared for this as you work to strengthen your relationship with your children.

Online Therapy Services for Kids and Families, Tried and Tested

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Warshak RA.Reclaiming parent–child relationships: outcomes of family bridges with alienated children.Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 2019;60(8):645-667.

Baker AJL, Murray C, Adkins K.Parameters of reunification therapy and predictors of treatment success in high conflict divorce cases: a survey of mental health professionals.Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 2020;61(8):593-614.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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