805-390-6384
805-390-6384 
REUNIFICATION THERAPY By Scott Barrella, MS LMFT CPIM
Specialized Therapy with estranged parent and their children. There is no standard number of sessions or time frame for this type of therapy. It is not covered by insurance and will involve individual sessions initially followed by sessions with the child. ZOOM or in person in Simi Valley only. FEE IS $300 per session - Not coverrd by Insurance, Reports and Court apprearances are Additional fees
Reunification therapy begins when the therapist meets with the parent and child separately to gather background information from each individual’s perspective and to assess the needs of the family. The therapist will then determine on a case-by-case basis the best structure and process forward for the reunification team. That team may include individual therapists (to assist with the tasks noted above specific to favored versus non-favored parents) and/or a co-parenting therapist, in addition to the reunification therapist. The success of reunification therapy depends on the willingness of all participants to prioritize the emotional needs of all parties and to be actively involved in the process in a positive way.
It is also important for the child to understand the reunification therapy process and how it will affect them. The first goal is to prepare the child and the disenfranchised parent to have conjoint sessions. There is no standard number of sessions or time frame for this preparation, which may involve individual sessions with the child and each parent. Contact may begin with letters or Facetime/Skype sessions, then transition to joint sessions playing games or doing other activities together to set a framework for comfort before delving into deeper therapeutic issues. For others where readiness of the child is not a concern, joint therapy sessions can begin immediately. The ultimate goal of reunification therapy is to use therapy to work on healing the rift in the parent-child relationship. It is important for the child to understand the reunification therapist is there to ensure their side is communicated clearly to the other parent.
Please read all points on the INTAKE CONTRACT.
Call 805-390-6384 for details and scheduling.
Mr. Scott Barrella, MS LMFT has been a licensed therapist in California since 1995. He started Cornerstone Counseling Center in 1997 and wrote the evidence-based curricula for several of the court-approved programs. These include Parenting, High-Conflict Coparenting, Anger Management and Batterers Intervention programs. He also has been a respected trainer and consultant for the Ventura Probation Department, Ventura Family Court Mediators, and CAMFT organization for over two decades. Mr. Barrella is designated as an “Expert Witness” in the area of Domestic Violence and Reunification in both Los Angeles and Ventura County Family Courts. He is a long-standing member of the City of Simi Valley Taskforce on Homelessness and the Ventura County Continuum of Care Team, both of which address housing and homelessness. He has diagnosed and treated thousands of families with complex family dynamic issues and is an EAP Provider for Cigna Healthcare. He was an instructor at CSUN and CSUCI in the Masters in Counseling programs. Subjects taught included law and ethics, family intervention strategies, diagnostic interviewing, and domestic violence treatment. He is a CAMFT Member and conducts his private practice as a marriage and family therapist in Ventura and Los Angeles County. He has practiced in the Ventura County area since 1997.