Keeping the Developmental Frame: Child-Centered Conjoint Therapy

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

“…CCCT (Greenberg, Doi Fick, & Schnider, ; Greenberg et al, ; Greenberg & Doi Fick, 2005; Greenberg, Gould, Gould‐Saltman, & Stahl, ) is an adaptive, coping‐focused, multisystemic 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 elsewhere (Greenberg, Doi Fick, & Schnider, ; Greenberg et al, ; Greenberg & Doi Fick, 2005; Greenberg et al, ), the CCCT model was developed with careful attention to relevant ethical codes and professional practice guidelines (American Psychological Association, ). Although it preceded the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Guidelines for Court‐Involved Therapy, the procedures in the model are consistent with the Guidelines and designed to limit bias and remain consistent with relevant research.…”

“…The court may create the context for treatment by issuing orders about the behavioral changes it wants to see, such as: peaceable exchanges, improvement in the child's behavior, the child's access to extracurricular activities with appropriate conduct by parents, attention to a child's educational or medical needs, adherence to the parenting plan, and so on. A therapeutic plan may be a necessary element of those goals (Greenberg et al, ). Family court professionals disagree about how specific the court can be in ordering interventions, and jurisdictional differences abound.…”

“…Ultimately, the therapist may need to rely on the court's underlying orders to promote cooperation in treatment. Components of effective therapy orders/stipulations are extensively discussed in Greenberg, Doi Fick, and Schnider (2012) and the AFCC Guidelines (2011).…”

“…A brief, age-appropriate explanation of the court's findings can begin the shift to comply with adult decisions. Specific procedures for this process are beyond the scope of this article but are described in Greenberg, Doi Fick, and Schnider (2012) and will also be addressed in a future publication.…”