Navigating the Crossfire: Therapy with Families in High-Conflict Legal Matters

Description:

Working with families involved in high-conflict legal disputes presents unique challenges compared to working with intact family systems. Parental conflict often disrupts the therapeutic process, interfering with treatment goals and the relationship between the child and the therapist. A lack of specialized training and education for professionals dealing with high-conflict families means these families frequently do not receive the support they need. When therapists are unprepared or uninformed about the complexities of these situations, they may unintentionally contribute to the problem. Additionally, therapists may face numerous ethical challenges when providing services to families in high-conflict legal cases. Parents, or even other professionals, may unknowingly request actions that fall outside of ethical practice, such as making recommendations on parenting time or custody. The heightened emotional intensity and complexity of these situations result in a higher number of ethical complaints. This workshop is designed to educate therapists who work with children and families on how to ethically navigate their role within a chaotic system while collaborating effectively with other professionals. Participants will also learn how to adjust their practice policies and procedures to better serve these families.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to –

1. Understand ways to remain objective and ethical in their role as therapists in legal proceedings.
2. Engage in clinical interventions for children and families in high conflict to be able to apply them to their practice.
3. Collaborate and consult with legal professionals who have mutual clients to increase positive outcomes.