Court-Involved Therapy en español
Providing services throughout California via secure telehealth.
Family & Children's Counseling Services (commonly known as "Heal, Play, Love" due to our url and tag line) provides court-involved therapeutic services that may include:
- Reunification
- Co / Parallel Parenting
- Court-Ordered Interventions
- Individual (Anger, Trauma)
- Parent- Child; Family
- High-Conflict Family Systems
* Note We do not provide substance use counseling
Role Clarification and Boundaries
Services are provided in accordance with the governing court order, applicable ethical standards, and relevant law. FCCS provides treatment-focused therapeutic services only, does not conduct custody evaluations or forensic investigations, and operates within a clearly defined, role-limited scope.
FCCS clinicians:
- Do not provide custody evaluations
- Do not make custody or visitation recommendations
- Do not perform forensic evaluations
- Do not offer legal opinions
- Do not serve dual roles (evaluator, mediator, investigator, etc.)
Our role is therapeutic and focuses on repairing relational ruptures, fostering resilience, strengthening emotional regulation and communication skills, and working toward healthy relational functioning.
Neutrality and Professional Conduct
FCCS clinicians maintain neutrality and professional boundaries in all court-involved matters.
Treatment emphasizes safety and stabilization through trauma-informed interventions, including emotional regulation, communication skills, and therapeutic rupture-and-repair, without alignment with any party’s position.
High-conflict dynamics are approached with structure, predictability, and role clarity.
Court-Aware Documentation and Declarations
FCCS clinicians routinely prepare Summaries of Service, which may be used as Declarations when authorized or ordered by the court. These summaries accurately reflect the nature, duration, and focus of services provided, as well as observed progress and identified treatment goals.
FCCS clinicians do not provide forensic evaluations, custody opinions, or legal determinations, as those tasks are outside the scope of our practice.
Communication with Counsel
FCCS respects the role of counsel and the court. Communication with attorneys occurs only with appropriate client release of authorization.
All inquiries are handled within ethical and legal guidelines.
FCCS does not provide informal opinions or off-record assessments about custody arrangement.
Capacity and Case Acceptance
Due to the intensity and complexity of court-involved work, FCCS maintains limited capacity for court-ordered cases.
Acceptance is based on:
- Clinical appropriateness
- Scope alignment with the court order
- Availability and resource considerations
Professional Credentials
FCCS is directed by Melinda Haynes, MA, LMFT #102308
She is a Member of the Associaton of Family and Conciliation Courts, an international, multidisciplinary network focused on collaboration, shared expertise, and access to timely research and resources supporting work with court-involved families.
FCCS is a California LMFT charitable nonprofit corporation.
en español
Find a provider: Meet Our Team.
How Court Ordered Therapy Works
Reasons for Court Involved / Court Ordered Therapy
Download a pdf of this page below:
| court_involved_therapy_policies_download.pdf |
Off site resources:
Can the Court Order Me or My Children Into Therapy?
https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/family-code/fam-sect-3190/
Navigating Mandated Mental Health Treatment
neurolaunch.com/court-ordetherapy/
Court Ordered Treatment and Its Impact on the Therapeutic Process
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6474319/
Guidelines for Court- Involved Therapy (pdf)
www.afccnet.org/Portals/0/Committees/Therapy-2011-Family_Court_Review.pdf?ver=2017-01-18-222910-007
Guidelines for Court - Involved Therapy UNC School of Government (pdf)
sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/course_materials/GuidelinesforCourtInvolvedTherapyAFCC.pdf
Mandated Treatment
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/what-is-mandated-treatment-and-when-does-it-apply-0422197
Court Ordered Therapy
www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/court-ordered-therapy
Benefits of Court Ordered Therapy
https://www.carepatron.com/guides/court-ordered-therapy
Understanding Court Ordered Counseling
https://lawsandmore.com/court-ordered-counseling/
Understanding Court Mandated Therapy
https://www.grouporttherapy.com/blog/court-mandated-therapy
Mandatory Therapy- Ethical Implications
https://neurolaunch.com/mandatory-therapy/
Court Involved Treatment (pdf)
www.afccnet.org/Portals/13/5%20-%20Court-Involved%20Therapy%20Part%20I.pdf
Court Ordered Reunification Therapy
neurolaunch.com/therapeutic-visitation-rules/
Related Topics:
court-ordered therapy
reunification therapist near me
high-conflict custody therapy
parallel parenting therapy
therapist for family court cases
co-parent counseling required by court