Court Experienced Reunification Therapy for High Conflict Cases in Newport Beach, CA
Child Centered. Neutral. Experienced with Court Orders, Attorneys and Minors Counsel.
Reunification therapy is a specialized service that helps children safely reconnect with a parent after separation, conflict, or estrangement.
With over 10 years of experience, we understand that family breakdowns don’t happen overnight and healing doesn’t either. We specialize in reunification therapy, conjoint court-ordered treatment, and child-centered healing for families impacted by:
Parental alienation
High-conflict co-parenting
Estrangement or cutoff
Custody disputes & legal separation
Loyalty binds and emotional pressure on children
When trust has been damaged or contact with a parent has been severed, children often become caught in confusion, fear, or survival. Our role is to create a neutral, clinically guided space where families can begin to understand the roots of the disconnect and start the process of repair with safety and compassion.
At The Couples Therapy & Reunification Counseling, we provide court experienced reunification therapy for high conflict families in Newport Beach and Orange County, offering a child centered and structured approach for court involved cases.
Our reunification therapists have experience working with family law attorneys, minors counsel, and court ordered custody cases. We understand how emotionally charged and legally sensitive reunification can be. Each case is approached with professional neutrality, clear boundaries, and a focus on the child’s emotional safety while supporting gradual and meaningful reconnection.
If you are seeking a reunification therapist in Newport Beach or Orange County, our team offers a thoughtful and structured process designed to reduce resistance, rebuild trust, and support long term family stability. Whether reunification is court ordered or voluntarily pursued, we invite you to request a confidential consultation to discuss how reunification therapy may support your family.
Experienced in Court Ordered Reunification Therapy High Conflict Custody Cases & Attorney Involved Family Systems.
Our Services
Court-Ordered & Family Reunification Services
Reunification/ Reintegration Therapy (Child–Parent)
Conjoint Court-Ordered Therapy
Parenting Plans & Structured Co-Parenting Sessions
Therapeutic Supervised Sessions / Monitored Visits
Parent–Child Letter Writing, Phone Call & Text Protocols
Affidavits, Progress Reports & Court-Informed Documentation
Reintegrating Estranged Parents
Clinical Reports for Attorneys & Minor's Counsel
Couples Therapy
Gottman Method & EFT-Based Couples Counseling
Communication & Conflict Resolution
Child & Adolescent Therapy
Trauma-Informed Child Therapy
Anxiety, Emotional Regulation & Behavioral Support
Safe Expression of Feelings & Coping Skills
Support for Loyalty Binds & Parent-Child Conflict
Children of Divorce & Separation
Family Therapy
Parent–Child Relationship Repair
Boundaries, Roles & Structure in the Home
Family Rules & Emotional Safety Framework
Intergenerational Healing & Cycle-Breaking
Why Families Choose Us
At The Couples Therapy & Reunification Counseling, families trust us because we understand that healing takes more than a court order, it takes safety, structure, and compassion. We meet families where they are and help them move toward connection at a healthy and clinically appropriate pace.
✔ Court-Informed & Clinically Structured
We specialize in cases involving attorneys, the court system, and minor’s counsel. Our model is structured, documented, evidence-based, and written with clear language for legal professionals. We understand the process — and we guide families through it with confidence and clarity.
✔ The Quiroz Bridge Method of Reunification™
Our unique approach uses step-by-step phases to gently rebuild trust between a parent and child. Each phase is designed to reduce anxiety, create safety, and allow healing to happen without pressure.
✔ Child-Centered & Trauma-Informed
We prioritize the child’s emotional wellbeing above all. We take time to understand their fears, defenses, and experiences — not to force connection, but to create safety so connection can grow naturally.
✔ Neutral Space — No Blame, No Taking Sides
We do not assign fault. We help families move away from defensiveness and toward understanding. Our space is neutral, respectful, and focused on healing — not arguments or winning.
✔ Experienced Clinicians Specializing in High-Conflict Dynamics
Our team is trained in family systems, attachment theory, trauma work, and reunification therapy. We work with families experiencing resistance, ambivalence, emotional cutoff, and complex loyalty binds.
✔ Compassion With Structure
Healing requires heart — but it also requires direction. We provide both. Families feel supported emotionally, while also guided with clear expectations, therapeutic structure, and ethical pacing.
✔ Real Progress, Clearly Communicated
We provide collaborative updates, clinical assessments, structured reports, and—when appropriate—professional recommendations for next steps. Our documentation supports both the therapeutic and legal processes with clarity and professionalism.
The Quiroz Bridge Method of Reunification
Reunification is not simply “resuming contact.” It requires clinical structure, clear pacing, and trauma-informed guidance.
Our model integrates:
Trauma-informed care – understanding behaviors as emotional responses, not defiance
Attachment-based interventions – repairing fear, mistrust, and emotional distance
Child-centered pacing – ensuring safety, readiness, and autonomy
Structured phases of reunification – restoring trust gradually and ethically
Court-informed language & documentation – clarity for legal professionals and families
We help families navigate difficult dynamics without blame, only with honesty, clinical guidance, and steady structure. As therapy progresses, we work toward establishing healthy parent-child bonds, collaborative co-parenting, and long-term emotional resilience.
Where the Quiroz Bridge Method Comes From?
The Quiroz Bridge Method™ was developed after years of working directly with court-involved families facing resistance, emotional cutoff, and high-conflict dynamics. This model evolved from observing a clear pattern:
When pressure increases, children shut down.
When safety increases, connection becomes possible.
Through clinical practice, research-based interventions, and hundreds of hours in reunification settings, we learned that families don’t heal by force — they heal through structure, compassion, and emotional safety. The method was built to address exactly that.
It integrates:
Attachment theory
Trauma-informed practices
Family systems therapy
Gradual exposure & desensitization
Legal and court-aligned structure
Child readiness assessments
Parent accountability & emotional education
This approach allows both parent and child to move toward reconnection without pressure, blame, or fear, making space for authentic rebuilding of trust.
Why the Method Works
The Quiroz Bridge Method™ follows the natural way the brain responds to safety and threat. Rather than demanding closeness, it first lowers defenses and supports emotional regulation , which makes genuine relational repair possible.
It works because it is:
✔ Child-centered — therapy adapts to the child’s emotional pace and nervous system
✔ Paced in phases — reducing anxiety and preventing emotional shutdown
✔ Trauma-informed — behavior is seen through the lens of what the child has experienced
✔ Attachment-focused — we look at what broke trust and how it can be safely repaired
✔ Collaborative — parents receive guidance, accountability, and tools, not judgment
✔ Court-informed — structured communication supports clarity for attorneys and the court
We Don’t Force Connection — We Build the Conditions for It to Grow
When therapy is respectful, neutral, and clinically guided…
children become more open,
parents become more regulated,
and families begin to shift.
That's where the bridge begins to form.
And that is why this method works.
Why Families Go To Reunification or Conjoint Therapy
Reunification therapy isn’t something most families imagine needing, until everything falls apart. Whether the breakdown came slowly over years or erupted through a legal battle, the pain is deep, and the stakes are high.
We often hear from parents, children, or court-appointed professionals facing situations like these:
“My child refuses to see me, no matter how many times I reach out.”
Parental rejection can feel like grief in real time. Whether alienation is at play or not, we help address the emotional and developmental needs beneath the behavior.
“This is court-ordered—but we’re all still emotionally raw.”
You might be walking into therapy because a judge mandated it, not because you feel ready. We create a structured, trauma-informed space where healing can begin on its own timeline.
“We haven’t spoken in years. Where do we even start?”
Estrangement often brings silence, confusion, and fear. Therapy helps each party explore the rupture, gently, at a pace that builds trust rather than forces contact.
“My child is stuck between two parents and it’s tearing them apart.”
Children in high-conflict family dynamics often carry invisible emotional burdens. We support their well-being while helping parents find new ways to communicate without weaponizing the child.
Reunification therapy in Montebello and Newport Beach, CA isn’t about blame, it’s about giving your family a safe, structured path toward clarity, healing, and maybe even connection.
What People Are Saying
I walked in feeling hopeless. My child wouldn’t speak to me for months. Through their reunification program, we slowly rebuilt trust. The first time we laughed together again, I cried. They didn’t just help us reconnect they helped us heal.”
— Former Customer
They didn’t just focus on compliance. They focused on the heart. They helped us understand, repair, and reconnect. I will be forever grateful for their dedication and belief in healing
— Former CustomerWho Reunification and Conjoint Therapy Is For
Reunification therapy isn’t just about meeting court requirements—it’s about helping families navigate some of the hardest relational ruptures they’ve experienced. We work with a wide range of families in Montebello and Los Angeles who are facing:
Parent/Child Estrangement due to conflict, separation, or long-standing emotional distance
Parental Alienation Allegations, whether confirmed or contested
Children Resisting Contact with a parent after divorce or high-conflict custody disputes
Family Reconnection Post-Trauma following abuse investigations or protective separation
Court-Ordered Conjoint Therapy between family members where communication has broken down
Rebuilding Relationships After Legal or DCFS Involvement
Our role is to help all parties—especially children—feel emotionally safe, heard, and supported while navigating this process.
Get Started With Court Ordered Therapy in Orange County, CA
Pick Your Therapist
Browse our team of trauma-informed therapists in Montebello and find the right fit for your journey.
Schedule Your Free Consult
Book a no-pressure call to talk about your needs, ask questions, and see if we’re the right match.
Begin Living Life On Your Terms
Start healing old wounds, building stronger relationships, and creating the life you deserve—with therapy designed around you.
Therapists in Montebello, & Newport Beach, CA
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![headshot of maria jessica quiroz a couples therapist in la at the couples therapy and reunification counseling, therapist in montebello ca, therapy in la]()
Maria Jessica Quiroz, LMFT
Clinical Director Reunification and Couples Expert
Relationship Expert
Montebello and Newport Beach, CA
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![Michelle Cortez]()
Michelle Cortez, AMFT
Reunification & Couples Specialist
Newport Beach, CA
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![headshot of angelique st jean an addiction counselor in newport beach ca at the couples therapy and reunification counseling]()
Angelique St. Jean
Addiction Recovery, Trauma, and Family Systems Therapy
Newport Beach, CA
Frequently Asked Questions About Reunification and Court Ordered Therapy
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Reunification therapy is a specialized, child-focused intervention designed to rebuild the relationship between an estranged parent and child. This therapy helps address underlying emotional issues, facilitating communication and fostering a new, healthier relationship dynamic.
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Court-ordered reunification therapy is a structured, legally mandated form of family therapy designed to repair and rebuild the relationship between a parent and child when there has been estrangement, parental alienation, or significant conflict following divorce or separation. This therapy is typically ordered by a family court judge in cases where the parent-child bond has been disrupted due to high-conflict custody disputes, allegations of abuse (substantiated or unsubstantiated), or long periods of separation.
Key Aspects of Court-Ordered Reunification Therapy:
Mandated by the Court – A judge requires both the parent and child to participate in therapy sessions with a trained professional.
Focuses on the Child’s Best Interests – The goal is to repair trust, heal emotional wounds, and rebuild the parent-child relationship in a way that is emotionally safe for the child.
Facilitated by a Licensed Therapist – The therapy is conducted by a professional skilled in reunification therapy, family dynamics, and often high-conflict divorce cases.
Structured Process – Therapy sessions follow a gradual process, often beginning with individual sessions for the child and parent before moving into joint sessions.
Parental Cooperation Required – Both parents (including the custodial parent) are expected to support the process, as resistance or interference can negatively impact the therapy and, in some cases, lead to legal consequences.
Monitored Progress & Reporting – The therapist may be required to provide progress reports to the court, attorneys, or other appointed professionals.
Can Influence Custody Arrangements – The outcomes of reunification therapy may impact custody agreements, visitation rights, and future parenting plans.
Court-ordered reunification therapy is often used when a child has refused contact with a parent, whether due to justified concerns (such as past abuse or neglect) or unjustified alienation (such as one parent turning the child against the other). The therapist helps assess the root cause of the estrangement and provides interventions to work toward a healthier relationship.
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The process typically involves individual sessions to understand each family member's perspective, followed by joint sessions aimed at healing emotional wounds and improving communication. The ultimate goal is to create a strong, positive bond based on empathy, understanding, and trust, paving the way for long-term family harmony.
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We deeply value our clients and strive to ensure a seamless process. Our intake evaluation consists of two individual sessions one for each parent between $500-700. After the evaluation, sessions with the child/children will be $250-350 per session, depending on the severity of the case. Please note that additional time may be required depending on the number of children involved.
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Signs of Estrangement: Persistent anger, fear, or reluctance from the child to engage with the estranged parent.
Failed Reconciliation Attempts: When independent efforts to repair the relationship have not been successful.
Court-Ordered Reunification: Therapy becomes essential when mandated by the court to ensure the child's well-being.
Communication Breakdown: Ongoing issues in communication between a parent and child that require structured therapeutic support.
When these signs are present, reunification therapy provides the structured support needed to address communication breakdowns and restore trust. Seeking therapy at the right time can be a crucial step toward reestablishing a healthy and loving relationship within the family.
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This process is designed to address the emotional needs of each family member while focusing on the child’s well-being and the development of healthy communication.
Initial Assessment: Individual sessions to understand each family member’s perspective and emotional state.
Child-Focused Approach: Prioritizing the well-being of the child throughout the process.
Joint Sessions: Gradual introduction of joint sessions to address past hurts and improve communication.
Effective Communication Skills: Development of effective communication strategies to foster a new, healthy relationship dynamic.
Healing and Rebuilding: Aiming to restore trust and create a supportive, unified family environment.
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Parental alienation occurs when a child is influenced to reject or resist a relationship with one parent, often due to the actions or behaviors of the other parent. This can happen in high-conflict custody cases and can create deep emotional distress for both the child and the rejected parent. Reunification therapy helps address the impact of alienation, rebuild trust, and restore healthy parent-child relationships in a structured and supportive way.
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Yes, we do. Most of the cases we handle involve set court orders, and we have extensive experience writing reports and making recommendations. We work closely with minor’s counsel and lawyers on a daily basis to ensure a structured and effective reunification process that prioritizes the child’s well-being.
Our Mission: Supporting Healing, Not Just Compliance
Court orders may require therapy, but healing cannot be mandated. Healing happens when people feel seen, understood, and safe enough to try again.
At The Couples Therapy & Reunification Counseling, our mission goes far beyond checking the boxes of compliance. For over 10 years, we have walked alongside families through some of their most painful transitions, heartbreak, distance, conflict, fear, and silence.
What we have learned is simple:
The heart needs structure, but it also needs compassion.
Children need boundaries, but they also need hope.
Parents may feel judged, but they still deserve a chance to repair.
We don’t just facilitate sessions, we create opportunities for healing. Every phase of our reunification process is intentionally designed to protect emotional safety while gradually rebuilding trust. We have seen families who walked in defeated, and walk out hand in hand. We have seen children soften, parents grow, and relationships become possible again, even after years of separation.
This is not just our work.
This is our calling.
Our mission is to help families heal their hearts, not just follow orders. Because when healing begins — compliance is no longer the goal. Connection becomes the outcome.
Visit Our Mental Health Clinic
Office Address: 1001 Dove Street, Suite 270, Newport Beach, CA 92660 (NewPort Beach)
Hours
Monday 9am–6pm
Tuesday 9am–6pm
Thursday 9am–6pm
Friday 9am–6pm
Saturday: 8am - 4pm
Phone
(562)-774-6787
🚨 Important Notice: Emergency Situations 🚨
If you are experiencing a crisis, feeling unsafe, or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
For mental health emergencies, you can also contact:
📞 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Dial 988 (Available 24/7)
📞 National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233
📞 Crisis Text Line – Text HELLO to 741741
Our practice does not provide emergency services. If you need immediate help, please seek emergency support.
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