Reunification therapy addresses clinical relationship concerns. A custody or parenting-plan evaluation addresses an evaluative referral question. The roles should be clarified before an engagement.
Why is the distinction important for parents?
A parent may approach therapy hoping that the clinician will decide a legal dispute or recommend a particular parenting arrangement. That expectation can be inconsistent with the role the clinician has actually accepted.
Ask directly what the professional is engaged to do and what falls outside that work. Clarifying the role protects against relying on a service for a purpose it does not perform.
Can a treating therapist ever communicate with a court?
Communication may occur within an appropriate treatment framework. That possibility does not transform the engagement into a custody evaluation.
Ask what information may be shared, with whom, on what basis, and for what purpose. Do not assume that treatment automatically produces a report or testimony favorable to either parent.
What should I clarify before the first appointment?
Ask who the client is, whether the engagement is treatment or evaluation, and how the professional would explain their role to all participants. Ask about confidentiality, records, and any anticipated communication with counsel.
If different professionals have described the assignment differently, raise that conflict before assuming everyone is working toward the same objective.
What if the requested role changes?
Ask how a proposed change would be discussed and documented. A family’s circumstances may change, but that does not mean a clinician should silently take on a new professional function.
The legal effect of an order or a proposed change should be clarified with counsel. Parents can use the professional role guide to identify questions for that conversation.