One Size Really Does Not Fit All: The Importance of Incorporating Culturally Relevant Adaptations in Reunification Therapy

• Published date: 01 October 2021
• Author: April Harris‐Britt,Diane Paces‐Wiles,Noa Wax
• Date: 01 October 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12601

ONE SIZE REALLY DOES NOT FIT ALL: THE IMPORTANCE OF

INCORPORATING CULTURALLY RELEVANT ADAPTATIONS IN

REUNIFICATION THERAPY

April Harris-Britt, Diane Paces-Wiles, and Noa Wax

Reunification therapy is specialized family therapy to address parent–child relational disruption (i.e. child resistance to or

refusal of parent contact), typically during or following a high-conflict divorce or custody dispute. The literature discussing

reunification therapy interventions with families involving racial diversity, SES, religiosity, and other socio-cultural aspects is

limited to non-existent. In the move towards being culturally sensitive to the ever-present multitude of identities that exist

within family systems, professionals are challenged to develop a balanced approach between providing competent practice

that is culturally sound and considering empirical evidence. This paper offers suggestions for enhancing evidence-informed

interventions to address parent–child contact problems within diverse populations by incorporating culturally specific inter-

ventions to increase parenting skills, reduce parent and child distress, and repair attachments through therapeutic experiences.

Practitioner’sKeypoints

Reunification therapy is specialized family therapy to address parent–child relational disruption (i.e. child resistance

to or refusal of parent contact), typically during or following a high-conflict divorce or custody dispute.

Some of the Evidence Based Treatments (EBTs) for family therapy have been translated into practical Evidence-

Informed Interventions (EIIs) for use with high-conflict, court-involved families; however, the research is significantly

limited as it pertains to the challenges of treating and assisting such families from diverse cultural backgrounds.

This paper offers suggestions for enhancing EIIs to address parent–child contact problems within diverse populations

by incorporating culturally specific interventions to increase parenting skills, reduce parent and child distress, and

repair attachments through therapeutic experiences.

Keywords: Diversity; FamilyTherapy; Reunification; Court-Involved Families; Cultural Adaptations.

There is an overall dearth of literature related to effective clinical interventions for families

engaged in high-conflict custody disputes who ultimately are referred for parent–child reunification

or reparative therapy. As for the research in which specific programs or protocols are evaluated,

case studies, clinical observations, and qualitative studies are dominant, with few randomized con-

trolled trials or other empirical research (Fidler, Bala, & Saini, 2013). The limitations of such

research are significantly related to the profile of families involved in parent–child contact issues,

which are often exceedingly complex. This minimizes the likelihood of being able to develop suc-

cessful, large-scale studies that employ a standardized scientific method with consistency.

Current research emphasizes multifactorial contributors to a child resisting or refusing contact

with a parent and therefore warranting reunification therapy. Among these are child developmental

stages, child adjustment, parental adjustment, parental conflict level, and individual parenting

behaviors and styles (Freeman, Abel, Cowper-Smith, & Stein, 2004; Kelly & Johnston, 2001).

Adding to the co mplexity of the t reatment for t hese families is the glaring incongruence between

the diversity of the peo ple residing in the U nited States and th ose populations studied in the

research for family therapy interventions. Evidence-based treatments (EBTs), which are based on

research-derived empirical findings, are largely accepted as the interventions most likely to maxi-

mize effectiveness, ef ficiency, and accountability (Nevo & Slonim-Nevo, 2011). However, to date,

Corresponding: ahb@ahbpsych.com; aharris-britt@fielding.edu

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 59 No. 4, October 2021 673–682, doi: 10.1111/fcre.12601

© 2021 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.