ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the many ways that therapists for traumatized children may interface with other systems. Therapists can play an important role in the life of children by advocating for the child in school meetings or by educating the legal system about the impact of trauma on their client’s life. With systems that control children’s access to treatment, the therapist can try to insure continuity of care and try to maintain an appropriate treatment length for their clients. Therapists should be particularly sensitive to the ethical quagmires encountered in family court and try to avoid situations in which they are asked to carry out protocols that may harm children by exposing them to dangerous situations. A protocol called “abuse-proofing” seeks to ensure the child’s safety when they are reunifying a parent for whom abuse allegations have been alleged but not proven. A therapist should never disbelieve disclosures because of court findings or others’ opinions without reviewing the evidence themselves. Embodying values of respect and openness that counter the traumatic experiences of your client may help defeat the client’s unconscious attempts to restage traumatic scenarios in their environments.
