eNews

   Resource Center  /   eNews
Ask the Experts

Jennifer Myers Harrison, PsyD, ABPP, ATR-BC

A Trauma-Informed Lens for Family Court: 10 Tips for Applying It Across Roles

Image
Families arrive in our courtrooms and offices at some of the hardest moments of their lives. Many carry histories of harm that long predate the case in front of us, and the legal process itself can stir those histories back to the surface. A trauma-informed lens helps us see this clearly. It does not ask every professional to become a therapist, and it does not ask us to set aside neutrality or critical judgment. It asks us to understand how adversity and fear shape behavior, and to do our work in a way that does not add to the harm.

What follows are ten practical considerations for bringing that lens to family court, whatever role we play. Judges, evaluators, mediators, parenting coordinators, minor's counsel, attorneys, and treating clinicians each have a different vantage point, but the lens is available to all of us.

Ask the Experts

Premela G. Deck, JD, PhD, LICSW

Introducing Parent-Child Contact Cases: A Guide to Aligning Professionals Using a Systems Perspective

Image
If you have ever worked on a case involving a child who refuses to see a parent, you already know how quickly things can unravel — not just within the family, but among the professionals trying to help them.

Picture this: an attorney for the favored parent is convinced the other parent is dangerous and files emergency motions accordingly. A therapist working with the rejected parent shares, candidly, that they believe the child is being "brainwashed." The child's therapist, having only ever met with one parent, produces notes that read more like an advocacy document than a clinical record. Meanwhile, the family therapist — who was appointed to work with the whole system — is fielding calls from lawyers who want to know when she'll be "recommending" the child resume overnight visits. No one is collaborating. No one is certain what anyone else's role actually is. And the family, watching all of this unfold, is more entrenched than ever.

Sound familiar?

Ask the Experts

Ruth Ouzts Moore, PhD

Breaking the Cycle: Mental Health and Resilience in High-Conflict Divorce

Image
Divorce is often a highly stressful life event that can significantly disrupt the stability of a family. When parents separate, they frequently encounter major changes in financial arrangements, household responsibilities, living conditions, childcare, and visitation schedules. In many cases, one partner may be more emotionally prepared for the actual divorce, having experienced an “emotional divorce” long before the legal process began. As a result, the other partner may feel shocked, betrayed, or blindsided. These intense emotional reactions can contribute to heightened conflict and more complex family dynamics, potentially exacerbating mental health concerns—particularly for individuals with a prior history of psychological difficulties. Thus, it is essential to support clients in finding purpose and meaning during this transition. Beyond simply adapting to a new reality, clients benefit from developing resilience and the capacity to move forward in a healthy, constructive manner. Here are 10 important considerations when working with clients who have mental health concerns and are involved in high-conflict divorce.

Ask the Experts
1234
About

AFCC is the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – the premier interdisciplinary international association of professionals dedicated to the resolution of family conflict. AFCC members include many of the leading practitioners, researchers, educators and policymakers in the family court arena. AFCC provides training and education, and does not license, certify, or regulate the practice of its members.

Quick Contact
Loading