FFP 35: Reunification Therapy or Reunification Trauma?

📋 Summary:

In this heartfelt and eye-opening episode, host Charity welcomes returning guest Massimo Covello, a Canadian father who opens up about his long and costly battle to reunify with his children after years of parental alienation. Massimo shares the stark contrast between two reunification therapists—one who acted swiftly and ethically to restore his relationship with his children, and another who prolonged the process, empowered the alienating parent, and disregarded key documentation and red flags.

The episode explores the systemic failures in the reunification process, the emotional toll on targeted parents, the misuse of therapeutic power, and the lack of accountability from courts, mediators, and therapists. Massimo and Charity also discuss how to screen potential therapists, what questions to ask, and the impact of child manipulation that leads to estrangement under the guise of “therapy.”

🧠 Talking Points:

• Therapist Selection Matters: Massimo describes his drastically different outcomes between two therapists.
• Gatekeeping & Stalling Tactics: His ex-spouse delayed therapy intake forms by 28 days, causing the first therapist to walk away. No court intervention followed
• Reunification vs. Talk Therapy: The episode emphasizes the need to distinguish between true reunification therapy (which includes both parent and child) and traditional therapy (which may exclude the targeted parent).
• Therapist Bias: The second therapist refused to read existing reports and accepted false narratives from the alienating parent, reinforcing the alienation.
• Apology as a Reunification Step: Massimo describes being required to apologize (on video) to his child, even though he had done nothing wrong—an emotionally painful but sometimes strategic step to re-establish contact..
• Systemic Profit & Lack of Oversight: Massimo spent over $250,000 over 11 years, only to feel justice was never served and outcomes were dictated by power and money, not child well-being.
• How to Vet a Therapist: Charity and Massimo list essential questions parents should ask, including:
  • What does your reunification process look like?
  • When does the targeted parent get involved?
  • Do you understand parental alienation, estrangement, and manipulation behaviors?

🔑 Key Takeaways:

1. The therapist you get can make or break the reunification process. .
2. Alienating parents often manipulate the process
3. Accountability is missing. 
4. Apologies, while painful, are often required as symbolic gestures 
5. Reunification therapy must prioritize the child’s relationship with both parents
6. Systemic change is needed. 

👉 Be my guest! Share your story and join the fight for awareness by signing up here: https://tally.so/r/w710AP

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info@parentalalienationisreal.net

Message Massimo: massimocovello@icloud.com

Together, we can amplify the voices of alienated parents and fight for change. Don’t forget to like, share, and follow for more episodes.

🎙️ Let’s rebuild fractured families.

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