Mental Health Professionals Vital to Family Law
DENTON, TX — The role of the mental health professional in family law cases is vital. These professionals serve family law clients as counselors, parent facilitators/ coordinators, and as the mental health expert in collaborative law cases.
To discuss how family lawyers and the mental health workers can effectively work together in family law cases, KoonsFuller held an open reception and discussion session Thursday, November 10 at the Denton office.
More than 60 marriage and family therapists and other mental health professionals from throughout North Texas convened to discuss parent facilitation/coordination and to learn more about collaborative law.
Charla Bradshaw, KoonsFuller’s Denton Managing Partner, spoke about how teamwork between therapists and family lawyers is essential to address the problems she sees in her practice every day.
“Just today, we had three instances in which a mental health professional was vital in the lives of our clients and their families,” Charla says. “We need to be able to refer people to the right professionals to serve their needs and I want to know personally those I refer clients.”
Charla completed all but her thesis toward a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy before she went to law school. She maintains close connections with the mental health community for her clients and those served by other KoonsFuller attorneys.
Also participating in the event were the other Denton-based KoonsFuller lawyers — Sean Abeyta, Neda Garrett, Eric Navarrette and Victor Rivera.
The law firm plans to hold similar events for professionals in other KoonsFuller offices in the near future.
Charla Bradshaw, second from left, met with Denton-area mental health professionals at the reception in KoonsFuller’s local office.
