Treatment role changes during a family dispute
A psychologist has provided individual therapy to one parent for several months. The parent is now involved in a contested custody proceeding and asks the psychologist to write that the other parent is psychologically unfit. The psychologist has never interviewed or tested the other parent and has heard the family history only through the therapy client. A lawyer offers an additional fee if the letter can guarantee that it will help obtain custody. The client fears that declining the request means the psychologist no longer believes their account. The psychologist wants to preserve the therapeutic relationship while avoiding an unsupported forensic opinion. There is no immediate safety allegation in the request that independently resolves the role conflict. The task is to distinguish supportive treatment from an impartial evaluation and to explain the limits without punishing or abandoning the client.
1. Identify the principal role and evidence limitations.
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Individual treatment does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of the unexamined parent or automatically establish suitability for an impartial custody role. Attribute the client's reports accurately, recognize the potential conflict, and do not present allegations as a completed assessment.
2. Give an appropriate response to the client and lawyer.
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Explain the psychologist's treatment role, limits on available evidence, and the difference between support and a forensic conclusion. Consider an independent qualified evaluator where appropriate. Any authorized factual communication should be accurate and limited; neither payment nor pressure justifies a guaranteed legal result.