Family Therapy & Reunification Therapy
Family Therapy and Reunification Therapy are grounded in a trauma-informed, developmentally informed approach that focuses on long-term relational health
Family relationships can become strained or disrupted during separation and divorce, particularly when conflict is prolonged or when families are navigating legal or court-related processes. Family Therapy and Reunification Therapy at Rise Up Counselling provide structured, child-centred support to help repair and strengthen family relationships when connection has been impacted by conflict, distance, or disruption.
This work recognizes that family breakdown rarely exists within a single relationship.
Parent-child relationships are shaped by the broader family system, including co-parenting dynamics, unresolved conflict, emotional injuries and patterns that develop over time. Our role is to support families in navigating these complex dynamics while prioritizing emotional and physical safety at every stage of the process.
Family Therapy and Reunification Therapy are grounded in a trauma-informed, developmentally informed approach that focuses on long-term relational health rather than short-term compliance or externally imposed outcomes.
Understanding the Complexity
of Family Systems:
When parent-child relationships are disrupted, the challenges are rarely confined to a single reason. Family dynamics often involve multiple layers, including co-parenting conflict, loyalty binds, emotional overwhelm and differing perspectives on responsibility, safety, or readiness for contact.
This work can be uncomfortable. Meaningful change often requires families to engage with difficult emotions such as fear, grief, anger, or resistance.
At Rise Up Counselling, we recognize that discomfort can be part of the therapeutic process; however, safety is always paramount. Emotional and physical safety guide all decisions about pacing, structure and progression.
Progress is guided by family members’ engagement, readiness and trust in the therapeutic process, rather than by fixed timelines.
Supported Families
Who This Service is For
This service may be accessed voluntarily or as part of a court-involved process, depending on the family’s circumstances.
Family Therapy and Reunification Therapy may be appropriate for:
Families experiencing relationship breakdown following separation or divorce
Situations where parent-child contact has been disrupted, limited, or strained
Families navigating prolonged or high-conflict dynamics
Families involved in legal or court-related processes where therapeutic support has been recommended or ordered
Focus Areas
What This Work Focuses On
The child’s experience remains central throughout the process, while acknowledging that lasting change requires attention to the entire family system.
This work focuses on supporting families with:
Rebuilding trust, attachment, physical & emotional safety
Supporting reconnection after periods of conflict, distance, or disrupted contact
Addressing co-parenting dynamics that impact the parent–child relationship
Reducing loyalty conflicts & emotional burden for children
Strengthening communication & relational stability across the family system
Supporting parents in understanding & responding to their child’s emotional needs
Family Therapy and Reunification Therapy are structured, intentional and carefully paced. The work is multifaceted and may involve individual sessions, parent-only sessions, child-only sessions, co-parenting sessions, or joint family sessions, depending on the family’s needs and the stage of the process.
Reunification Therapy or Reintegration therapy involving parent/child contact issues, in particular, is often more intensive and may be court-ordered.
This work focuses on overcoming barriers to connection, rebuilding trust and supporting safe, developmentally appropriate reconnection over time. Progress is guided by family members’ participation, engagement and responsiveness to the therapeutic process, rather than by fixed timelines.
When you contact Rise Up Counselling, Gabbi or Helen will gather information to understand the family’s circumstances and determine how best to be helpful. In many cases, lawyers are the initial point of contact, particularly when reunification therapy has been ordered by the family court.
Where appropriate and with consent, we may review relevant materials such as court orders, assessments, or collateral information to ensure the work is informed and consistent. Clear roles, expectations and boundaries are established at the outset to support transparency and emotional safety.
When appropriate, we collaborate with mediators, lawyers, judges, and other professionals involved in the family’s matter. This collaboration is conducted within clear therapeutic boundaries and is intended to support clarity, consistency and a child-focused approach.
Our role is therapeutic, not forensic. We do not provide parenting time or decision-making recommendations to the court, nor do we conduct parenting capacity assessments.
Our approach is child-centred, trauma-informed and grounded in an understanding of complex family systems and co-parenting dynamics. Clinicians at Rise Up Counselling have received specialized training in working with high-conflict families, disrupted parent-child relationships and reunification processes, including addressing and overcoming barriers to connection in a safe, developmentally appropriate way.
What distinguishes our work is our ability to hold complexity, supporting children’s emotional safety while also helping parents reflect, learn and change patterns that impact the family system. We focus on long-term relational health, not short-term compliance or externally driven outcomes.
Take the First Step
Family relationships can be repaired, even after significant strain or disruption. Family Therapy and Reunification Therapy offer a thoughtful, child-focused path toward reconnection and healthier relationships over time.
To learn more or to discuss whether this service may be appropriate for your family, we invite you to contact Rise Up Counselling.
frequently asked questions
Helpful Information
Yes. Virtual sessions are available. When working with children and families, our preference is to conduct in-person sessions with children whenever possible to best support engagement, safety, and relational work.
If separation, conflict, or disrupted contact is affecting your relationship with your child, therapy may help create clarity, safety and healthier patterns of connection. Early intervention often leads to better outcomes.
Yes. A retainer is required to cover administrative time, coordination with professionals, review of materials and written communication where appropriate.
Our services are therapeutic, not forensic. We do not provide expert opinions. With consent, we may provide written summaries based on our observations and direct therapeutic work. We do not make recommendations regarding parenting time or decision-making.
Family therapy sessions are $220. Many extended health benefit plans cover services provided by Registered Social Workers or Psychotherapists. We recommend checking with your provider. If one family member is covering the cost of all family therapy services, there is a policy that the non-paying participant must incur cost for sessions missed or late cancellation as per our cancellation policy.
We require 24 hour advance notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Late cancellations or missed appointments will incur a full charge.