Mother Ordered to Seek Counseling--What Type of Counseling Qualifies?

[jhg224]

Hi everyone,

State: MN

I found this forum through Google and am trying to assist a friend of mine who is a single mom.

She's been court-ordered to attend counseling as part of the child custody agreement between her and the children's father.

My question is: what qualifies/constitutes counseling? She doesn't have health insurance, and private counseling can be quite expensive. Could she go to free group counseling at a church, or something similar? Or does this need to be one-on-one with a licensed counselor of some sort.

The court document says:

"Mother shall seek counseling regarding anxiety issues within 6 months, will attend at least 4 sessions, and will follow through with all recommendations."

She was also ordered to attend a co-parenting class which she is signed up for. The counseling part is where we have some questions.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Proserpina]

Hi everyone,

State: MN

I found this forum through Google and am trying to assist a friend of mine who is a single mom.

She's been court-ordered to attend counseling as part of the child custody agreement between her and the children's father.

My question is: what qualifies/constitutes counseling? She doesn't have health insurance, and private counseling can be quite expensive. Could she go to free group counseling at a church, or something similar? Or does this need to be one-on-one with a licensed counselor of some sort.

The court document says:

"Mother shall seek counseling regarding anxiety issues within 6 months, will attend at least 4 sessions, and will follow through with all recommendations"

She was also order to attend a co-parenting class which she is signed up for, which was easy to do. The counseling part is where we have some questions.

Thanks in advance!

It would be best to have Mom sign up here.

 

[stealth2]

She may want to check with her county mental health services - they often provide counseling on a sliding scale based on income/ability to pay.

 

[jhg224]

She may want to check with her county mental health services - they often provide counseling on a sliding scale based on income/ability to pay.

Thanks for the suggestion, I really appreciate it. Do you think that the county/courts would have some type of guideline sheet on what qualifies as counseling, or more information on these requirements?

 

[mistoffolees]

Thanks for the suggestion, I really appreciate it. Do you think that the county/courts would have some type of guideline sheet on what qualifies as counseling, or more information on these requirements?

Well, it's not that simple.

Legally, someone only has to follow the letter of the court order. So if the order says you need counseling, a church counseling group would probably be acceptable.

However, if the other parent objects, they can drag the person back into court to try to get a ruling that a church counseling group is not sufficient- and some judges might agree that it needs to be a licensed therapist.

If it were me, the decision would hinge on how contentious everything has been - and the type of group. If things were reasonably amicable and if the church group had a professional leader, I'd take my chances. OTOH, if ex has been dragging EVERYTHING back to court and the church group is simply a "gripe session", I think I'd look for something a little more structured.

 

[ecmst12]

"Follow through with all recommendations", to me, implies an individual assessment and evaluation. Perhaps after that, group sessions could be part of the recommendations. Depending on the severity of her issues, that may not be sufficient to help her. MANY counseling centers will charge on a sliding scale.