Catching Them Before Too Much Damage is Done: Early Intervention with Resistance‐Refusal Dynamics

• Author: Hon. Robert A. Schnider,Lyn R. Greenberg,Lynda Doi Fick
• Date: 01 October 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12242
• Published date: 01 October 2016

ARTICLES

CATCHING THEM BEFORE TOO MUCH DAMAGE IS DONE: EARLY

INTERVENTION WITH RESISTANCE-REFUSAL DYNAMICS

Lyn R. Greenberg, Lynda Doi Fick, and Hon. Robert A. Schnider

Children often need help before their parents are ready to stop fighting. Children at the center of high-conflict disputes, particu-

larly those who resist contact with a parent, face extraordinary risks of maladjustment. Years of investigation and litigation

may precede any meaningful attempt at intervention, based on the questionable belief that all elements of causality (or blame)

must be established before any effective treatment can occur. Children’s functioning may continue to deteriorate during this

time, undermining their future adjustment and reducing the chance of successful interventionlater. We illustrate the application

of the coping-focused, multisystemic Child Centered Conjoint Therapy model to assisting these families. Methods to assist

children without compromising external investigations are discussed.

Key Points for the Family Court Community:

Children at the center of conflict often exhibit dysfunction early, failing to master developmental tasks or developing

other symptoms.

Trained professionals can identify problem behaviors and intervene early, before problems become entrenched.

It is not always necessary to conclusively assign blame or the causes of dysfunction in order to assist the child.

Early intervention allows better integration with the child’s natural world and activities.

With disciplined procedures, effective treatment can occur without tainting or interfering with external investigations

or evaluations.

Keywords: Child Abuse; Child-Centered Conjoint Therapy; Court-Involved Therapy; Domestic Violence; High-Conflict

Divorce; Resistance–Refusal Dynamics; Reunification; and Visitation Resistance.

ADJUSTING OUR THINKING TO FOCUS ON COPING

The risks to children at the center of conflict have been well established in the professional litera-

ture, but there is less agreement as to the best way to support or assist families before too much dam-

age is done to children’s development. Children at the center of conflict exhibit dysfunctional

patterns early, failing to master essential developmental skills or demonstrating regressive or inap-

propriate behavior (Kelly, 2012). Older children may begin to alter their behavior based on their per-

ception of parents’ needs, rather than developing independent relationship skills. Younger children

are extremely vulnerable to anxiety or anger in adults or older siblings, and may demonstrate regres-

sive behavior, anxiety, or resistance to parenting transitions. All of these behaviors can be caused by

a variety of factors, but are also associated with difficulties in future adjustment. Some children can

maintain developmentally appropriate behavior in neutral settings, at least early on, but demonstrate

more difficulty when exposed directly to the parenting conflict or subjected to it for a longer period

of time. Although behaviorally focused therapies exist in many areas of psychology, the process of

litigation may prioritize blame over assisting the child. As described below, the Child-Centered Con-

joint Therapy (CCCT) model is designed to provide immediate assistance by supporting essential

developmental skills. Even while parents argue about the root cause of the problem, a skilled family

Correspondence: lyn@lyngreenbergphd.com

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 54 No. 4, October 2016 548–563

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C2016 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

therapist or therapeutic team can focus on preventing deterioration and giving the child some oppor-

tunity and permission for normative experiences while other issues in the case are pending.

As described by Greenberg and Lebow (2016), there is an expanding research base underscoring

the importance of children’s development of effective coping abilities, as well as a greater apprecia-

tion of the variety of venues for supporting these abilities. Other studies underscore common ele-

ments in successful outcomes for children of divorce (Dunn, Davies, O’Connor, & Sturgess, 2001;

Pedro-Carroll, 2005; Pedro-Carroll, Sandler, & Wolchik, 2005; Sandler, Tein, Mehta, Wolchik, &

Ayers, 2000). These include both coping abilities and coping efficacy, as well as access to the normal

peer and developmental activities that other children enjoy (Pedro-Carroll, 2005). Coping abilities

include, but are not limited to, the ability to differentiate one’s own feelings from someone else’s,

appropriately express independent needs and feelings, regulate emotions, manage distress, recognize

danger, know the difference between anxiety or discomfort and danger, ask for help, and form

healthy relationships with others.

Critical among these abilities is that the child actively engages with others, in an appropriate way,

to get his/her needs met. Coping efficacy reflects the child’s confidence that, if s/he uses healthy cop-

ing skills, someone in the environment will respond. Pedro-Carroll (2005) notes the importance of

children having a realistic appraisal of control, recognizing what they can and cannot change and

which decisions are ultimately made by adults. Both the general developmental literature and out-

come investigations with children of divorce underscore the importance of children having access to

the activities that other children enjoy (Johnston, Roseby, & Kuehnle, 2009, pp. 152–153). This is

also consistent with literature from other disciplines recognizing the importance of various activities

to children’s development and management of difficulties in both adults and children (Austin, 2013;

Austin, 1982; Moran, Sullivan, & Sullivan, 2015).

For the child’s adjustment, these issues are considerably more important than the subjects, such as

exact timeshare, that often preoccupy adults. With early intervention, many children can have a

respite from dysfunctional family dynamics, develop or maintain healthy social and relationship-

building skills, learn healthy coping abilities, and benefit from safer venues for resolving conflict or

maintaining connections with a parent.

THE CHILD-CENTERED CONJOINT THERAPY (CCCT) MODEL

CCCT (Greenberg, Doi Fick, & Schnider, 2012; Greenberg et al., 2008; Greenberg & Doi Fick,

2005; Greenberg, Gould, Gould-Saltman, & Stahl, 2003) is an adaptive, coping-focused, multisyste-

mic approach useful for children of preschool age and above. Adapted interventions can be done

with even younger children, with focus on the parenting behaviors that support development. As

described below, the therapist maintains discretion as to who is involved in each session. CCCT is

focused on developmental tasks that a child needs to achieve in order to function successfully in

future relationships. Drawing on research from developmental and family psychology, recreation

therapy, and other disciplines, the approach is designed to consider the full tapestry of a child’s activ-

ities and relationships as resources for both supporting healthy development and resolving parent–

child contact problems. Family discussion of emotionally loaded history may be an ultimate compo-

nent, but the intervention rarely begins there; rather, the focus is on establishing healthy, pro-social

behavior in the child, as well as protection and support for the child’s emotional independence. The

model is designed to be coordinated by a highly skilled family therapist, or a designated child’s ther-

apist, who maintains a systemic approach, but, a clear focus on the child’s independent needs and

involves family members as appropriate.

The model is designed to give the therapist flexibility with who attends sessions and the interven-

tions used. Initially, “family therapy” may consist of separate sessions with the therapist serving as a

conduit for communication, or conjoint sessions focused on daily issues and skill building. The mod-

el provides an opportunity for parents to implement and practice the skills they were taught in

psycho-educational settings. Other elements of the intervention may include establishing detailed

Greenberg et al./CATCHING THEM BEFORE TOO MUCH DAMAGE IS DONE 549