Reunification therapy

If you or your child are unsafe, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233, thehotline.org) can help with safety planning. If you or your child are in crisis, call or text 988.

What reunification therapy is

Imagine a father in Saginaw who has not had a real conversation with his 10-year-old son in a year. After a bitter divorce, the boy refuses visits and goes quiet on the phone. The court asks whether therapy could help them reconnect. The father is hopeful. The mother is worried. The boy has opinions of his own.

Reunification therapy is a form of family therapy aimed at repairing a relationship between a child and a parent when contact has broken down, usually after separation or divorce. It may be voluntary, but it is often ordered by a family court. Sessions typically include the child and the estranged parent, and may also involve the other parent, since everyone in the system shapes what happens.

How it usually works

There is no single model. In a 2025 article in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Singh and Mader, of Alberta Forensic Psychology, reviewed the literature and found significant variation in how professionals understand the causes of parent-child contact problems and in the treatments they describe. They proposed an integrative, staged framework guided by systemic principles. Common elements across approaches include:

• Assessment of why the child is resisting, including any safety concerns.
• Separate sessions with each parent and the child before joint sessions.
• Gradual, structured contact, building on small successes (see rupture and repair).
• Coaching parents to reduce conflict and support the child’s relationships.

Reunification therapy in Michigan

Michigan’s Parenting Time Guideline, published by the State Court Administrative Office, describes “therapeutic parenting time” for complex or reunifying cases, such as when a child is refusing to see a parent. It states that therapeutic parenting time is not appropriate in domestic violence or child abuse cases unless the perpetrator is engaged in treatment specific to the abusive behavior and taking responsibility. It also suggests orders spell out the goals, who will be seen, the limits of confidentiality, who pays, and how therapy will end. For guidance on your specific case, consult a family law attorney.

Why it is controversial

A child can resist a parent for many reasons: loyalty binds, a parent’s harsh or frightening behavior, abuse, or the influence of the other parent sometimes described as parental alienation. Clinicians Joan Kelly and Janet Johnston emphasized distinguishing these causes, since some children’s distance from a parent is understandable.

The sharpest criticism targets intensive, coercive programs. In 2023, California enacted Piqui’s Law. Its Family Code section 3193 bars courts from ordering reunification programs that require a no-contact order, an overnight or out-of-state stay, a transfer of custody, or transport using force or threats. A 2023 report to the UN Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls also raised concerns about how alienation claims and related interventions are used in custody cases involving abuse.

Common misconceptions

“It always works if the child just goes.” Outcome research is limited, and forcing contact can deepen distress.

“Resistance always means manipulation.” Resistance has many possible causes, including real harm.

“The therapist decides custody.” Therapists may report to the court, but judges decide custody.

When to talk with a therapist

Outside of court, voluntary family therapy can help a parent and child rebuild trust slowly when it is safe. Where there is violence, coercion or fear, joint sessions and couples therapy are generally not recommended; individual therapy and safety planning come first. A therapist can also support a parent grieving estrangement while legal questions are worked out.