Establishing Treatment Framework

Once an assessment is complete, the therapist (working with a family) establishes a general framework that will be followed during reunification therapy. A typical framework has a number of components that include: 

• Setting clear therapeutic goals
• Developing safety protocols and guidelines
• Creating communication boundaries
• Establishing session structure and frequency

Individual Therapy Components

Individual therapy is a key element of reunification. There are a number of post-divorce issues that can be addressed through reunification individual therapy, including processing grief and loss. In many instances, individual therapy will also address processing grief and loss. In addition, time will be spent addressing or managing stress and anxiety. Through individual therapy, family members are aided in building coping skills, including age-appropriate skills of this nature for children.

Parent-Focused Interventions

Reunification therapy also includes a variety of parent-focused interventions. Among these interventions are:

• Parenting skills development
• Co-parenting communication strategies
• Managing emotional triggers
• Better understanding children’s needs post-divorce

Child-Focused Interventions

A crucial component of this type of reunification therapy is comprehensive child-focused interventions. Among the most important types of child-focused interventions are:

• Age-appropriate emotional expression
• Building trust and security
• Processing divorce-related emotions
• Developing healthy coping mechanisms

Family Integration Sessions

Beyond individual therapeutic elements, there are family integration sessions. These sessions begin to be designed during the assessment phase to meet the unique needs, goals, and objectives of a particular family unit. Thus, the specific elements of family integration sessions vary from one case to another but can include:

• Supervised family interactions
• Structured communication exercises
• Trust-building activities
• Family role clarification

Progress Monitoring

A vital element of divorce-related reunification therapy is monitoring progress of the family throughout the therapeutic and associated sessions. Progress monitoring includes processes that include but are not limited to:

• Regular assessment of treatment goals
• Adjustment of intervention strategies
• Documentation of family progress
• Feedback from all participants

Transition Planning

Finally, during the course of reunification therapy, a major objective is transition planning. Transition planning is designed to be comprehensive and establishes both short-term and long-term objectives. Examples of milestones and objectives that are used during the course of transition planning include:

• Developing maintenance strategies
• Creating crisis management plans
• Establishing ongoing support systems
• Planning for future challenges

The primary responsibility of a New Jersey divorce attorney is to pursue your divorce through the judicial process. With that said, many attorneys recognize a responsibility to assist clients in finding supportive services when their marriages are coming to an and. As a consequence, your divorce lawyer may be in a position to assist you in finding other supportive services, including a therapist that can assist you with reunification therapy during or after the conclusion of divorce proceedings. Therefore, you are well-served by asking your lawyer for information about this type of therapy when you are at the start of New Jersey marriage dissolution proceedings. If you have questions concerning reunification therapy and divorce, call the Law Offices of Peter Van Aulen today at (201) 845-7400 for an initial free consultation.