Family Reintegration Therapy: A Discussion with Natalie Goldberg, LCSW

Divorce and custody disputes can be emotional and challenging to both the children and parents. One of the more challenging situations arises when a parent has been alienated or estranged from their child due to trauma, conflict, or difficult circumstances. In these situations, it is often vital that the parent and the child reconnect and rebuild a relationship of trust and hope.

 

One of the tools that families can utilize is family reintegration therapy, also known as family systems therapy, which is a form of therapy that aims to restore the parent-child relationship. Sometimes family reintegration therapy is used interchangeably with the term family reunification therapy, yet the two are different forms of therapies that have distinct and important differences.

Patterson Bookwalter’s Associate Attorney Violet Soliz had the opportunity to sit down with Natalie Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker in the DMV, to discuss the differences between the two types of therapies and why Natalie Goldberg recommends that the families she works with participate in family reintegration therapy.

Violet Soliz: Thank you for meeting with me today. Before we get into our discussion, can you please provide a background about your profession and experience?

Natalie Goldberg: Yes, I am a licensed clinical social worker with nearly two decades of experience with families who are going through the divorce process. I work with children, couples, families, and other professionals to help the family navigate the process and resolve any disputes in a respectful and constructive way.

 

Violet: Can you explain what family reunification therapy and family reintegration therapy are?

Natalie: Family reunification therapy involves reunifying the child with a parent, sometimes called the disfavored or rejected parent, to restore the parent-child dynamic, whereas family reintegration therapy is similar but the key difference is it brings in the entire family and other important members of the family system to reunite and re-establish that relationship. This is also known as a systems approach.

 

Violet: Do you recommend one of the therapies over the other and if so, why?

Natalie: I recommend family reintegration therapy because it recognizes that reintegration is a systems issue, so you need to reintegrate the parent-child relationship within the entire family system. It is also an evidence-based approach that has proven to be successful.

 

Violet: Why is a systems approach important?

Natalie: Because if you are trying to reunify a child with a parent but there are other people in the system who are reinforcing the disfavored dynamic, then the reunification won’t be effective. It’s much more effective to have other system members involved such as the other parent, sometimes referred to as the favored or preferred parent, siblings, extended family members, and childcare providers.

 

Violet: What other benefits are there to family reintegration therapy?

Natalie: It is a systems approach so you are doing a thorough assessment of the parent-child relationship within the context of a system. With this approach you are not missing any areas of intervention. For example, there are situations where a system member reinforces the dynamic of a “good” parent and a “bad” parent, so it is important to involve that system member. If you miss these areas of intervention, then the likelihood of success decreases.

 

Violet: What steps are involved in family reintegration therapy?

Natalie: There will be an initial assessment where I look at the parents and child, and any other third party system member, to get an idea of what is occurring within the system, why there is a parent-child conflict and what contributed to it. There is a psychoeducation component where I determine whether the child is resisting or refusing the relationship with the parent, on what continuum is this occurring and under what circumstances. This will help determine the treatment plan. The next step will be to work with the preferred parent to see how they are reinforcing the dynamic and if there are any actions on their part that need intervention. Sometimes I’ll see the rejected parent counter-rejecting the child and that would also need to be addressed. At the entire stage of the therapy are treatment goals that are child-centered, in addition to therapeutic sessions. The final step depends on the case and can look different for every family. It’s not realistic to expect an ending where the parent-child relationship has been perfectly restored, but you do want it to be functioning with regular contact between the parent and child, and between the parents so that they can co-parent or keep each other informed of decisions.

 

Violet: What tips do you have for families to be successful?

Natalie: Families should have a good team of professionals to work with, and to remain child-centered throughout the process. One of the biggest predictors of success is the existence of a co-parenting relationship.

 

Violet: Do you need a court order or can families voluntarily choose to partake in this?

Natalie: Either. Most of my work does not involve an active court case, so in those instances the families voluntarily agree to the therapy. If there is a court case already pending, then a court can certainly order the family to participate in the therapy.

 

Violet: What should people be aware of before beginning the therapy?

Natalie: These cases may take a very long time because this type of therapy is gradual so that boundaries are respected and everyone is comfortable with the pace of rebuilding the relationships.

 

Violet: Thank you for being here today and for doing all of the hard work that you do for children and families.

Natalie: Thank you for having me!

If you’re navigating a divorce or custody dispute and have questions about whether family reintegration therapy is appropriate for your family, contact the office of Patterson Bookwalter, PLLC to speak with an experienced attorney who can help guide you in the best direction for you and your family.