Can a childs counselor halt visitation?

[cry4me]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

To make a long story short my childs (this son is 8 years old) counselor said that if Dad did attend the highly recommended counseling sessions with our son and did not get more involved in our childrens lifes, he (the counselor) was going to talk to the courts and get visitation stopped with Dad until Dad takes care of some things such as parenting class and show some true involvment with the kids (we have 3 total).

Here is a little bit of what prompted the need for Dad to be involved... Our middle son was mad at me becuase he stold some cookies and I told him that he had to go to bed without dessert and sent him to bed right then and there. Our son then asked me if he could use the restroom, while he was doing that he told my younger son to squeeze our 3 month old kitten and my younger son did. This resulted in the cat needing to be put down due to internal injuries.... The very next day I took my son to his counselors office and scheduled a psyc evaluation for him which takes place next week. There have been other things in the past that I have been dealing with such as my son stealing pocket knifes and taking them to school. Tons of lying and showing no remorse for anything and I mean ANYTHING.

Can the counselor really do that or is this just a scare tactic to get Dad into the counseling room? How much pull do counselors have?

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

To make a long story short my childs (this son is 8 years old) counselor said that if Dad did attend the highly recommended counseling sessions with our son and did not get more involved in our childrens lifes, he (the counselor) was going to talk to the courts and get visitation stopped with Dad until Dad takes care of some things such as parenting class and show some true involvment with the kids (we have 3 total).

Here is a little bit of what prompted the need for Dad to be involved... Our middle son was mad at me becuase he stold some cookies and I told him that he had to go to bed without dessert and sent him to bed right then and there. Our son then asked me if he could use the restroom, while he was doing that he told my younger son to squeeze our 3 month old kitten and my younger son did. This resulted in the cat needing to be put down due to internal injuries.... The very next day I took my son to his counselors office and scheduled a psyc evaluation for him which takes place next week. There have been other things in the past that I have been dealing with such as my son stealing pocket knifes and taking them to school. Tons of lying and showing no remorse for anything and I mean ANYTHING.

Can the counselor really do that or is this just a scare tactic to get Dad into the counseling room? How much pull do counselors have?

Is this a court-appointed counselor?

 

[cry4me]

Is this a court-appointed counselor?

No, but it is a school recommended counselor.

 

[Proserpina]

No, but it is a school recommended counselor.

The counselor has no standing to approach the court about anything at all relating to your child and certainly cannot stop or ask the court to stop visitation.

YOU can petition the court to modify or enforce a current order, and the counselor can testify.

To be perfectly honest my initial thought was that this counselor is seriously overstepping some boundaries here. Others may disagree.

 

[cry4me]

The counselor has no standing to approach the court about anything at all relating to your child and certainly cannot stop or ask the court to stop visitation.

YOU can petition the court to modify or enforce a current order, and the counselor can testify.

To be perfectly honest my initial thought was that this counselor is seriously overstepping some boundaries here. Others may disagree.

Fair enough, I myself was not sure how a councelor would be able to stop visitation. I guess I should have questioned him when he said that. He just asked me to send an email to Dad asking him if he would join in the sessions and if he says "no" then he was going to try to halt visitation because that was a clear sign from Dad that he did not want to be involved in the issues at hand with our son.

 

[Proserpina]

Fair enough, I myself was not sure how a councelor would be able to stop visitation. I guess I should have questioned him when he said that. He just asked me to send an email to Dad asking him if he would join in the sessions and if he says "no" then he was going to try to halt visitation because that was a clear sign from Dad that he did not want to be involved in the issues at hand with our son.

The counselor isn't party to your custody order.

He has no standing to do anything at all except testify in court once YOU (or Dad) files something.

 

[CJane]

What is Dad's current visitation schedule, and how often does he actually see the kids?

Because I fail to see, from a mental health standpoint, why removing time with Dad would HELP the child's mental state unless Dad is causing the problems.

Also, if I had a child who was showing such sociopathic tendencies so young, I'd have him in to see a psychiatrist and neurologist to rule out actual mental illness/a physical problem rather than a counselor.

 

[cry4me]

What is Dad's current visitation schedule, and how often does he actually see the kids?

Because I fail to see, from a mental health standpoint, why removing time with Dad would HELP the child's mental state unless Dad is causing the problems.

Also, if I had a child who was showing such sociopathic tendencies so young, I'd have him in to see a psychiatrist and neurologist to rule out actual mental illness/a physical problem rather than a counselor.

Dad currently has the standard visitation schedule EOW and every other holiday.

He has an appt on Friday for a psychiatric evaluation and after he has that they are going to try to see if he needs to be matched up with some meds. It is also then that they will match him up with a psychiatrist.

 

[stealth2]

To be perfectly honest my initial thought was that this counselor is seriously overstepping some boundaries here. Others may disagree.

I 100% agree.

 

[Ohiogal]

I 100% agree.

As do I and I would also point to this poster's posting history.

https://forum.freeadvice.com/search.php?searchid=3403897

 

[Ohiogal]

OP, couple questions:

1) Did this behavior happen before or after January when you decided it was a good idea to tell dad that he was NOT the father of the 5 year old in your opinion because YOU had sex with another man and never told him?
2) How do you believe dad is to blame for the behavior of children that have been in your custody?
3) Did you manage to block dad's email -- for legal reasons, of course?
4)Have you apologized to Pro for cursing at her when she said something you didn't like?
5) Does dad live six hours away from where the child attends counseling? If not how far away does dad live?
6) Has dad gotten his four weeks with his children this summer?
7) How does dad's girlfriend interfere with all this?

 

[Ohiogal]

Dad currently has the standard visitation schedule EOW and every other holiday.

He has an appt on Friday for a psychiatric evaluation and after he has that they are going to try to see if he needs to be matched up with some meds. It is also then that they will match him up with a psychiatrist.

Yet in other posts you said he was moving six hours away and he was gonig to have four weeks in the summer and extended time at holidays.

 

[mistoffolees]

The counselor has no standing to approach the court about anything at all relating to your child and certainly cannot stop or ask the court to stop visitation.

I agree. In fact, I think I'd be seriously looking for a different counselor.

 

[cry4me]

OP, couple questions:

1) Did this behavior happen before or after January when you decided it was a good idea to tell dad that he was NOT the father of the 5 year old in your opinion because YOU had sex with another man and never told him?
2) How do you believe dad is to blame for the behavior of children that have been in your custody?
3) Did you manage to block dad's email -- for legal reasons, of course?
4)Have you apologized to Pro for cursing at her when she said something you didn't like?
5) Does dad live six hours away from where the child attends counseling? If not how far away does dad live?
6) Has dad gotten his four weeks with his children this summer?
7) How does dad's girlfriend interfere with all this?

Ohiogal, I remember you. You are the one that they where chewing out for bad advice..
1)Read the whole thread, I never told Dad that he might not be the Dad and I was raped so dont make it sound like I cheated

2) Read ALL the posts I have posted in regards to Dad, you will have your answer (note: this is the counselor saying this about the visits not me, so back down)

3)Block Dads e-mail?? That would be Dads friends email (again, read slower) and yes I blocked it for legal reasons of course.

4) This has nothing to do with Pro

5)Dad still lives here in town, he desided to attend another semester at his schooling

6) Dad has gotten his visitation time

7)Never said anything in this current post about the girlfriend... I am following the advise that I got to leave her out of it..
SMH, good grief Ohiogal,, get with the program

 

[cry4me]

OP, couple questions:


4)Have you apologized to Pro for cursing at her when she said something you didn't like? QUOTE]

I just took the time to look thru the things that I have posted and I dont see anywhere, where I cursed at Pro for anything......