Court-Ordered Conjoint Therapy Program
How The Program Works
Expert counseling and therapists serving Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, Leucadia, La Costa, Encinitas, and San Diego County.
Step 1 – Intake Assessment & Agreement
Each participant is assessed before therapy begins to ensure readiness and legal alignment.
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Individual session for each parent: Each parent shares their perspective and learns about the therapy process.
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Parent-child session (with the non-mandated parent): Prepares the child and parent for what’s to come and sets expectations.
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Review of court documents: Therapist reviews all relevant custody orders and referrals.
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Consultation with third parties: Includes contact with other therapists, minor’s counsel, or other professionals involved in the case.
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Therapy Agreement: The therapist outlines a full plan of care. All parties must agree to this contract before therapy can begin.
Step 2 – Progression Through Four Phases of Therapy
Once the treatment plan is accepted, the family moves through four carefully designed phases:
1. Preparation
The child meets with the therapist individually.
The parent meets with the therapist individually.
The goal is emotional preparation and alignment before entering conjoint sessions.
2. Conjoint Therapy
Parent and child meet together with the therapist.
Individual sessions may continue as needed to support the process or remove emotional blocks.
3. Parent-Child Meet-Ups
Structured, therapist-directed meet-ups occur outside of therapy—usually just before or between sessions.
These provide a more natural, low-pressure space for connection.
Conjoint sessions continue alongside.
4. Consolidation
As the relationship improves, sessions taper in frequency.
The program ends with a closing session and a formal letter to the court summarizing progress and outcomes.
Ready To Start?
We understand that court orders come after careful consideration of safety and best interest. If the court mandates custody visits or conjoint therapy, it believes healing is both possible and necessary – we take the position that there is no safety issue, unless the courts say otherwise. Our role is to facilitate the reconnection and healing process with professionalism and compassion.
We provide written updates to parents and professionals regarding:
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Progress made
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Barriers to success
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Non-compliance with the program