In October, two Santa Cruz siblings were violently removed from a relative’s home and forced into a family therapy program with their mother.
After that, Maya and Sebastian, now 16 and 12, were not heard from until May 29, when they ran away from their mother’s home and went into hiding.
“We finally got away,” Maya says in the first of a series of videos, taken with a shaky camera as the kids were driven away during their 3am escape.
Since then, the kids have taken to Instagram to describe their experiences with reunification therapy, a controversial program that ostensibly aims to reunite children with alienated parents.
“I was so scared, I didn’t move at all,” says Sebastian. He says one transport agent pushed him into the car seat by his throat.
They were then driven to Los Angeles, where their mother waited with two family therapists: Santa Cruz-based Regina Marshall and Lynn Steinberg, who has a practice in Southern California.
Both kids have accused their mother of abuse and say they want to live with their father. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Connolly has awarded full custody to their mother.
In a brief filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, psychologist Catherine Barrett states that, when the court determined that no abuse had occurred, Steinberg suggested that the children’s father must have been alienating the mother.
Barrett calls this a “false choice,” and says that, if the kids’ psychologist had used a clinically accepted framework, they may have been able to discern a cause for the kids’ behavior.
“…it should be noted that parental alienation has not been empirically validated by the field of clinical or forensic psychology and does not align with the research of the field,” she states in the court filing.
As a result, “the children unquestionably experienced trauma during their retrieval and likely during ‘reunification therapy,’” Barrett states.
Reunification therapy and the concept of parental alienation is controversial in psychiatric circles, the latter not recognized in the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Tina Swithin, who campaigns against reunification therapy in her blog One Mom’s Battle, says there is little oversight or regulation for reunification therapy.
“It has all sprouted up from the infiltration of this pseudoscience,” she says.
In the Program
The four-day, intensive therapy program included being kept in a room with the knobs removed from the door, which was equipped with an alarm, Maya says.
The kids say they were repeatedly accused of lying about their accusations against their mother. They were also threatened with being taken to a “wilderness camp,” where insubordination could mean having food or blankets withheld.
“Even when I first came in I was crying and sobbing because I didn’t want to see my mom, and Lynn Steinberg told me, ‘you’re overreacting, you’re faking it,’” Maya says.
Transport agents guarded the door, she says, and one of them slept on a mattress outside.
While the sessions included efforts to reconnect the kids with their mother—such as going through their childhood toys with their mother to try to rekindle happy memories—they were also coached to lie about their location, forbidden to contact their friends and father, and change their names.
“We just had to keep lying and hiding, and the thing I wanted more than anything else was to talk to my dad,” Maya says. “But that was the thing we were prevented from the most.”
A Professional’s Take
Pennsylvania-based licensed clinical psychologist Jaime Zuckerman, who is not involved in Maya and Sebastian’s case, says such therapeutic methods can be psychologically damaging.
“The way they go about doing this, to rip the children away from the healthy parent and force them into a relationship that they do not want to be with, is extremely traumatic for them,” Zuckerman says.
Still, the kids’ experience, while often flying under the radar of public perception, is a fairly common occurrence, she says.
“It’s just never really been talked about in this way,” she says. “This is the first case that’s been vocalized on social media.”
Zuckerman says these cases often begin with a claim of parental alienation, a concept not widely accepted in psychiatric circles.
But many judges are not well educated in nuanced issues such as coercive abuse and narcissistic abuse, and many see it as one parent keeping children from the other parent, she says.
Because many judges aim for children to have relationships with both parents, they often rule in favor of the “alienated” parent.
“Because it’s hearsay and because it’s coming from children, and because it’s a contentious divorce, all of these things together really align with the idea that the child is making it up and the parent is coaching them,” Zuckerman says.
Steinberg did not return multiple requests for comment. But she says in her website that her program has a 100% success rate, a claim seemingly belied by the kids’ escape.
But Zuckerman says that many children subjected to programs like Steinberg’s frequently pretend to comply to end the hours of interrogation and “gaslighting.”
“Lynn Steinberg is notorious for brainwashing children and forcing them to align with the abusive parent,” she says.
Court-appointed reunification therapist Jeanette Yoffe, who practices in Los Angeles, says she creates intricate plans that involve all family members.
“But it has to be done step by step by step, and it is imperative that everyone follows the treatment plan that the reunification therapist puts into place, to follow the child’s lead and progress,” she says. “Because the children are victims here.”
When a child does not want to be with one parent, Yoffe says she strives to find out why, and delves into all points of view. But she never uses force.
“To forcefully coerce a child to do reunification therapy is unethical and immoral,” she says. “And it will cause further trauma down the line.”
Yoffe is dubious of Steinberg’s claim that her four-day program can be successful.
“It doesn’t take four days,” she says. “It can take four years. This is a process; you can’t force it. “When we have children stating they don’t want to return, we have to believe them and understand where their anxiety is coming from and decide as a team what is the best practice here.”
Ongoing Efforts
Since the siblings were taken, Maya’s friends have mounted a campaign to change the local and state laws that allowed it. And they have kept the story in the public eye, with several public picketing events throughout the county.
Their efforts have so far been successful. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in March approved an ordinance that prohibits the use of force by companies that transport children.
Claire Protti, 16, and a group of friends met with Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin and Senator John Laird, both of whom are backing Senate Bill 331—also known as Piqui’s law—which would require that anyone testifying in custody disputes have the proper training or education.
The law would also require special training for judges in domestic violence issues and would prohibit courts from ordering reunification therapy.
SB 331 passed unanimously out of the Senate floor on May 24 and is now being considered by the Assembly.
Protti says that the group wants to keep publicizing the issue as their friends wait to return to Santa Cruz.
“Maya right now is in a state of limbo,” she says. “They aren’t able to come home to see their family for fear they will be taken and we don’t know how long this will continue.”
The group is also calling for a recall of Judge Connolly, who is up for reelection in 2024, Protti says.
“We want to show her that we are disappointed in her, she has been failing us,” she says.
I’d like to correct a few misconceptions in the Good Times article on Reunification Therapy. Specifically, the phenomenon of “parental alienation” wherein one parent actively undermines the relationship between and child and their other parent is not controversial in the field of Family Therapy. It is not a medical condition or psychiatric illness, but it does sometimes happen. Secondly, “reunification therapy” can be a valuable process to help willing children reconnect with an alienated or estranged parent. The article associates the broader concepts of parental alienation and reunification with a horrifically abusive case of malpractice and use of force. Fortunately, the vast majority of reunification therapists make careful assessments about the advisability of reunification, gain consent from all parties before proceeding with any steps toward reunification, and accept that, in some cases reunification, is not in the best interest of the children.
That’s funny because I was never told I had a choice or option to opt out of reunification therapy. I was mandated by the court and forced to sit across from my abusive father every two weeks. Nothing changed any of my opinions about him but I did have to live in fear that something I said would trigger him and he’d come after me. He threatened every person in my family’s lives including mine. I had panic attacks every time I had to go to reunification therapy or go on a visit with him. I was about 5 or 6 when I decided I wanted to just live with my mom because she was safe, but I didn’t get to actually make that decision until I was 18. I could have avoided over a decade of abuse had I been given a choice. But no. Kids know nothing.
I wish that was the case for me and my kids. after talking once over the phone with Ms. Janette Yoffe she allowed herself to show up (unknown to me) as an OUR CUSTODY expert in our kids custody hearing and like a puppet stated all my ex stated to HER about our family lives. after all Ms. Yoffe was handpicked and forced on me against all laws (piques law) her once OVER THE PHONE BEFORE SHE CAME TO COURT AND ACTED (impersonated herself as an expert though she is a child kidnapper in every sense of the word).
For the last 18 months Ms.Yoffe along side my ex and his attorneys at cypress LLP allow themselves on writing fraudulent court declaration pretending she is our family therapist and that I shouldn’t see my minor kids though we had no history (as there is none) of abuse. Ms. Yoffe is a child abuser and has caused me and my kids so much harm. Truly an unethical person . I can’t imagine any professional who would allow themselves to speak as an court expert without knowing anything. just wants money. I had to pay her 1300 after one phone call where she allowed herself after one phone call to state I need a 10k psychological evaluation, have to have monitor to see my kids (I paid 50 k to see my kids seven hour a week). a total recettering. Before these monitors came and lied in court. Family visitation services. Be careful. Unknown to me they had been employed and worked with both attorneys as I found out after a year and half being forced to hire them., Its truly sad as they are like a gang and you can’t get away from them as they want only money and not the best interest of a chid. they are like a $100 an hour baby sitters who make you feel like a criminal. forced by the attorneys though we never had any issues of abuse. this is the worse abuse I have ever experienced. its truly sad. all these mean people who dont care about the kids but only money controlling your. life. though I am a doctor of Psychology I would never allow myself to make A DRIVE THOUGH DIAGNOSIS. ITS CRAZY. EVEN FOR THE JUDGE TO INGNORE SUCH FACTS AND DOES NOT LET ME SEE MY KIDS. ITS UNBELIEVABLE for 5 years. MS> YOUFFE need a psych exam. she is among the most (she is) among the worst and unethical mental health providers I have meet in my 30 years in mental health care field. SO SO HAPPY ABOUT ALL THE LAWS AND REGULATION AGAINST such therapist and therapy style (drive through or guns for hire therapist ). she is a puppet. she stated the same story my ex-states. All lies. The way my ex and his attorneys do in their abusive supplemental declarations ($284K later they are forcing me to pay as they framed me too miss court, hearings, even for the first TRO) are heartless and child abuser. Its so so sad. Both my attorneys and opposing attorney (stacey feinberg who picked put yoffe and spoke with her and my ex and attorney 4 month before forcing her on me (decit as I didn’t realize she was hand picked by my ex-attorney Stacey Feinberg (also a child abuser ) along side my own attorneys (pedram masouri and Kate grossbard who lied and rewrote my declaration forcing ms. Y0ffe on me and my kids life somehow. totally abuse in the family court and with the handpicked commissioner who allowed themselves to take my parental rights away without having to hear me or ANY OF MY WITNESSES (ie. teacher, other moms and or our best friends). NONE. the commissioner felt the plaintiffs witness (gun for hire) were enough and he didn’t have to hear my side. He took away all my right as a parent. Allowed my ex to evict me from our home based on hearsy. Nothing . NO MATERIAL EVIDENCE WHAT SO EVER. So so scary. Be aware of all in STANLEY COURT HOUSE . ITS LOTS OF INJUSTICE. I FEEL LIKE I AM GETTNG DIVORCED IN AFGAHANSTAN.
She allowed herself to call my Psychologist (a doctor of psychology like myself ) a sounding board after one call with her.
She allowed herself to diagnosis me after one phone call.
Defamed me like my ex-did. This women along side my ex-attorneys at cypress LLP (stacy feinberg and Sharmila singh the full time volunteer at the stanley court house as a settlement officer) who gets will all stamped (i.e after court hearings and minute orders prepared by them)
and and that she does not care about our kids wellbeing at all makes it more challenging . heartless people. imagine that.. Ms. YOffe the one time therapist (drive through therapist ) also give me a diagnosis and disclosed my minor kids name and allowed herself to contact my second attorneys along the opposing attorneys who hand picked her before introducing me to her to without my consent. I feel vert invaded by these people who act like they are expert in all. They lawyers are pretending to be psychologist forcing me to see a provider I don’t want to see. Cant believe all that one has to endure. After being abused by this therapist, lawyers who have helped alinate me from my minor kids for. money. I have been so abused. Its amazing what they do. Ms. Yoffe hasn’t let me see my daughter for 18 months. from the time she was 13. After one phone call and 40K later in legal fees for all the lawyers talking with her and breaching our confidentilaty. Diagnosing me without any knowledge. Breaching all HIPPA and MFT duties. Asking her how she came up with her diagnosis and the opposing attorneys (who hand picked her 4 moths before forcing her on me along side with there monitors who charge me another 50k to see my kids for 7 hours a week). its totally sad. . 100k for this women a suppose therapist who I have never seen who allowed herself to kidnap my kids without ever knowing us. she has been writing declaration in court along side my ex and his attorney pretending like she is our family therapist to alienate me and my kids. totally sad. at leasrt two declaration a month after I TALKED TO HER ONCE IN OCTOBER OF 2022. IMAGINE THAT. I have to pay for the attorneys living outside of Los Angeles as some sort of false contempt hearing they held without notice to me (as they did when they obtained the false TRO on false child abuse allegations and evicted me from my home without allowing me to be heard in court). NO NOTICE WHAT SO EVER AS THEY CLAIM. My ex- though I supported my ex and his career since 2007 and the court feels I need to pay him child support after he took all my rights away based on fraud and lies. he hid all our joint assets and the commissioner does not care to hear me. he didn’t allow me to submit evidece or hear any one of my witnesses. now I have to pay his legal fees along side my ex-attorneys who have abused my kids and I along side Ms..Yoffee. she is a monster. can’t believe what me and my kids have to put up with though this abusive court system. Now my ex- who took 100% percent of our assets and hid them feel like they can abuse me more. They have taken my kids based on false child abuse allegations. along side not following procedures. Doreen boxer who was my sister judge the same week I was at stanley court house allowed herself to take my parental rights away with any sort of history (as there is none, not even A DRIVING VIOLATION AT 55) TO TAKE MY KIDS. MY LIFE, MY DOG AND MY HOME. I WAS EVICTED WITHOUT HAVING A CHANCE TO BE HEARD. IMAGINE THAT . GOD HELP ME AND MY KIDS. MY Ex and his ATTORNEY who ARE full Time volunteer at Stanley court house as a settlement officer are dangerous . They can do what ever they like. you life is in their hands sad to say as they are guns for hire. ALL THEY THINK ABOUT IS MONEY. NOT THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. Ms. Janette Yoffe, who was handpicked by Stacy Feinberg (UTAH RESIDENT) AND SHARMILA SINGH (Full time volunteers at Stanley court house ) took my kids away without any history of anything. they disclosed me and my kids names in court AND in abusive baseless MOTIONs (to ABUSIVE) TO HURT ME AND MY KIDS. I was given an bench warrant and RFO forced to pay my ex-attorney fees though I dont have income for the past 20 years as we were having kids and I was raising them while my ex-build his career. its sad how the court works in US. I am super sad and in disbelief
I wish that was the case for me and my kids. after talking once over the phone with Ms. Janette Yoffe she allowed herself to show up (unknown to me) as an OUR CUSTODY expert in our kids custody hearing and like a puppet stated all my ex stated to HER about our family lives. after all Ms. Yoffe was handpicked and forced on me against all laws (piques law) her once OVER THE PHONE BEFORE SHE CAME TO COURT AND ACTED (impersonated herself as an expert though she is a child kidnapper in every sense of the word).
For the last 18 months Ms.Yoffe along side my ex and his attorneys at cypress LLP allow themselves on writing fraudulent court declaration pretending she is our family therapist and that I shouldn’t see my minor kids though we had no history (as there is none) of abuse. Ms. Yoffe is a child abuser and has caused me and my kids so much harm. Truly an unethical person . I can’t imagine any professional who would allow themselves to speak as an court expert without knowing anything. just wants money. I had to pay her 1300 after one phone call where she allowed herself after one phone call to state I need a 10k psychological evaluation, have to have monitor to see my kids (I paid 50 k to see my kids seven hour a week). a total recettering. Before these monitors came and lied in court. Family visitation services. Be careful. Unknown to me they had been employed and worked with both attorneys as I found out after a year and half being forced to hire them., Its truly sad as they are like a gang and you can’t get away from them as they want only money and not the best interest of a chid. they are like a $100 an hour baby sitters who make you feel like a criminal. forced by the attorneys though we never had any issues of abuse. this is the worse abuse I have ever experienced. its truly sad. all these mean people who dont care about the kids but only money controlling your. life. though I am a doctor of Psychology I would never allow myself to make A DRIVE THOUGH DIAGNOSIS. ITS CRAZY. EVEN FOR THE JUDGE TO INGNORE SUCH FACTS AND DOES NOT LET ME SEE MY KIDS. ITS UNBELIEVABLE for 5 years. MS> YOUFFE need a psych exam. she is among the most (she is) among the worst and unethical mental health providers I have meet in my 30 years in mental health care field. SO SO HAPPY ABOUT ALL THE LAWS AND REGULATION AGAINST such therapist and therapy style (drive through or guns for hire therapist ). she is a puppet. she stated the same story my ex-states. All lies. The way my ex and his attorneys do in their abusive supplemental declarations ($284K later they are forcing me to pay as they framed me too miss court, hearings, even for the first TRO) are heartless and child abuser. Its so so sad. Both my attorneys and opposing attorney (stacey feinberg who picked put yoffe and spoke with her and my ex and attorney 4 month before forcing her on me (decit as I didn’t realize she was hand picked by my ex-attorney Stacey Feinberg (also a child abuser ) along side my own attorneys (pedram masouri and Kate grossbard who lied and rewrote my declaration forcing ms. Y0ffe on me and my kids life somehow. totally abuse in the family court and with the handpicked commissioner who allowed themselves to take my parental rights away without having to hear me or ANY OF MY WITNESSES (ie. teacher, other moms and or our best friends). NONE. the commissioner felt the plaintiffs witness (gun for hire) were enough and he didn’t have to hear my side. He took away all my right as a parent. Allowed my ex to evict me from our home based on hearsy. Nothing . NO MATERIAL EVIDENCE WHAT SO EVER. So so scary. Be aware of all in STANLEY COURT HOUSE . ITS LOTS OF INJUSTICE. I FEEL LIKE I AM GETTNG DIVORCED IN AFGAHANSTAN.
She allowed herself to call my Psychologist (a doctor of psychology like myself ) a sounding board after one call with her.
She allowed herself to diagnosis me after one phone call.
Defamed me like my ex-did. This women along side my ex-attorneys at cypress LLP (stacy feinberg and Sharmila singh the full time volunteer at the stanley court house as a settlement officer) who gets will all stamped (i.e after court hearings and minute orders prepared by them)
and and that she does not care about our kids wellbeing at all makes it more challenging . heartless people. imagine that.. Ms. YOffe the one time therapist (drive through therapist ) also give me a diagnosis and disclosed my minor kids name and allowed herself to contact my second attorneys along the opposing attorneys who hand picked her before introducing me to her to without my consent. I feel vert invaded by these people who act like they are expert in all. They lawyers are pretending to be psychologist forcing me to see a provider I don’t want to see. Cant believe all that one has to endure. After being abused by this therapist, lawyers who have helped alinate me from my minor kids for. money. I have been so abused. Its amazing what they do. Ms. Yoffe hasn’t let me see my daughter for 18 months. from the time she was 13. After one phone call and 40K later in legal fees for all the lawyers talking with her and breaching our confidentilaty. Diagnosing me without any knowledge. Breaching all HIPPA and MFT duties. Asking her how she came up with her diagnosis and the opposing attorneys (who hand picked her 4 moths before forcing her on me along side with there monitors who charge me another 50k to see my kids for 7 hours a week). its totally sad. . 100k for this women a suppose therapist who I have never seen who allowed herself to kidnap my kids without ever knowing us. she has been writing declaration in court along side my ex and his attorney pretending like she is our family therapist to alienate me and my kids. totally sad. at leasrt two declaration a month after I TALKED TO HER ONCE IN OCTOBER OF 2022. IMAGINE THAT. I have to pay for the attorneys living outside of Los Angeles as some sort of false contempt hearing they held without notice to me (as they did when they obtained the false TRO on false child abuse allegations and evicted me from my home without allowing me to be heard in court). NO NOTICE WHAT SO EVER AS THEY CLAIM. My ex- though I supported my ex and his career since 2007 and the court feels I need to pay him child support after he took all my rights away based on fraud and lies. he hid all our joint assets and the commissioner does not care to hear me. he didn’t allow me to submit evidece or hear any one of my witnesses. now I have to pay his legal fees along side my ex-attorneys who have abused my kids and I along side Ms..Yoffee. she is a monster. can’t believe what me and my kids have to put up with though this abusive court system. Now my ex- who took 100% percent of our assets and hid them feel like they can abuse me more. They have taken my kids based on false child abuse allegations. along side not following procedures. Doreen boxer who was my sister judge the same week I was at stanley court house allowed herself to take my parental rights away with any sort of history (as there is none, not even A DRIVING VIOLATION AT 55) TO TAKE MY KIDS. MY LIFE, MY DOG AND MY HOME. I WAS EVICTED WITHOUT HAVING A CHANCE TO BE HEARD. IMAGINE THAT . GOD HELP ME AND MY KIDS. MY Ex and his ATTORNEY who ARE full Time volunteer at Stanley court house as a settlement officer are dangerous . They can do what ever they like. you life is in their hands sad to say as they are guns for hire. ALL THEY THINK ABOUT IS MONEY. NOT THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. Ms. Janette Yoffe, who was handpicked by Stacy Feinberg (UTAH RESIDENT) AND SHARMILA SINGH (Full time volunteers at Stanley court house ) took my kids away without any history of anything. they disclosed me and my kids names in court AND in abusive baseless MOTIONs (to ABUSIVE) TO HURT ME AND MY KIDS. I was given an bench warrant and RFO forced to pay my ex-attorney fees though I don’t have an income for the past 20 years as we were having kids and I was raising them while my ex-build his career. its sad how the court works in US. I am super sad and in disbelief
This is a terrifying situation. No loving parent or responsible adult would subject a child to this. I’ll happily sign on to recall Judge Connolly. I believe there are also a couple of therapists who need to have their licenses revoked as well. I watched the video of the kids being violently kidnapped. There were two Santa Cruz police officers who stoop by and watched as Maya’s head was slammed by a car door. I’d like to see them held accountable as well.
This is not how our children should be treated. This is criminal.
I had the same thing Happen to me as I spoke to a reunification provider Ms. Janette Yoffe of Los angels. An MFT. I spoke with her once over the phone. She came to court and made all sort of allegations and recommanded to the court i shouldn’t see my minor Child. She was stipulated and forced on me by Stacy finberg of cypress llp, Pedram mansouri, Katie grossbard and their law firm. Please help out. This is not ok.
Steinberg, marshall and Connolly should be in prison for this whole scenario. It’s criminal what’s been done to those kids and they should be able to return to their dad and their dog, their grandma and their friends and just be home and happy.
I am a victim of the unproven, unscientific , unregulated industry of “reunification therapy” that is the complete opposite of what it’s practioner’s such as Dr. Rebecca Bailey of Transitioning Families claim it to be. These practitioners do not meet the Frye test or Daubert standards for expert witness testimony, they have their own group to pad their fake resumes and learn from each other how to torture and harm the parents and children whom they victimize. Read Doreen Ludwig’s book “AFCC Net” sold on Amazon to learn about the birth of this cottage industry that inserts therapeudic jurisprudence in family court cases in total violation of our guaranteed civil rights. I have spoken to many victims who recount the horrific threat therapy, physical abuse, and psychological maltreatment. My daughter’s own 3 days isolation like a prisoner of war after being violently kidnapped is a testament to the harm perpertrated by maltreating mental health workers under color of law. This reunification therapy only seeks to trauma bond children to abusive men while completely isolating them from their bonded mothers. I am so debilitated by Dr. Rebecca Bailey gatekeeping my child for 2 years. She told me she would never let me see my daughter again. How is this in any way reunification? Bailey is extremely cruel. Many mothers cannot endure this. The suicide of Catherine Kassenoff recently brought world wide attention. The crime of ripping a child away from a parent and holding them hostage cannot be underscored. It’s called child kidnapping under color of law and hostage holding of the children under color of law using these reunification quacktitioners who should be in prison. We the people of Santa Cruz must not tolerate this. All three kidnapped children forced into these child torture reunification therapies must be rescued and returned to relationship with their preferred parents. Our peace officers need to be trained in Constitutional law so that they never make the same mistakes again.The family court must be abolished as it violates every guaranteed and protected civil right. Lawsuits under 42 USC 1983 are that remedy. It’s long past time to put that beast down. Get on it folks. And the Rebecca Baileys and Lynn Steinbergs need to go to prison. That’s common sense. The field of Psychology needs a major overhaul. The California Board of Psychology who continues to license Lynne Steinberg and Rebecca Bailey, need to be held accountable. They have thousands of pages of complaints and have willfully and wantonly ignored them, thereby sullying the reputation of the entire industry as untrustworthy and unreliable. This is not an isolated event. It’s happening everywhere.
I am a victim of the unproven, unscientific , unregulated industry of “reunification therapy” that is the complete opposite of what it’s practioner’s such as Dr. Rebecca Bailey of Transitioning Families claim it to be. These practitioners do not meet the Frye test or Daubert standards for expert witness testimony, they have their own group to pad their fake resumes and learn from each other how to torture and harm the parents and children whom they victimize. Read Doreen Ludwig’s book “AFCC Net” sold on Amazon to learn about the birth of this cottage industry that inserts therapeudic jurisprudence in family court cases in total violation of our guaranteed civil rights. I have spoken to many victims who recount the horrific threat therapy, physical abuse, and psychological maltreatment. My daughter’s own 3 days isolation like a prisoner of war after being violently kidnapped is a testament to the harm perpertrated by maltreating mental health workers under color of law. This reunification therapy only seeks to trauma bond children to abusive men while completely isolating them from their bonded mothers. I am so debilitated by Dr. Rebecca Bailey gatekeeping my child for 2 years. She told me she would never let me see my daughter again. How is this in any way reunification? Bailey is extremely cruel. Many mothers cannot endure this. The suicide of Catherine Kassenoff recently brought world wide attention. The crime of ripping a child away from a parent and holding them hostage cannot be underscored. It’s called child kidnapping under color of law and hostage holding of the children under color of law using these reunification quacktitioners who should be in prison. We the people of Santa Cruz must not tolerate this. All three kidnapped children forced into these child torture reunification therapies must be rescued and returned to relationship with their preferred parents. Our peace officers need to be trained in Constitutional law so that they never make the same mistakes again.The family court must be abolished as it violates every guaranteed and protected civil right. Lawsuits under 42 USC 1983 are that remedy. It’s long past time to put that beast down. Get on it folks. And the Rebecca Baileys and Lynn Steinbergs need to go to prison. That’s common sense. The field of Psychology needs a major overhaul. The California Board of Psychology who continues to license Lynne Steinberg and Rebecca Bailey, need to be held accountable. They have thousands of pages of complaints and have willfully and wantonly ignored them, thereby sullying the reputation of the entire industry as untrustworthy and unreliable. This is not an isolated event. It’s happening everywhere.
For further reading see pro publica’s recent article on reunifucation.
This is criminal what these “adults” are forcing on these kids…MORE ABUSE!!!!! I will gladly sign anything that recalls this judge!! Unbelievable!!
When family courts mandate reunification therapy, there are no willing participants. Get the quacks out of family court.
#justiceforbrooke #endreunificationcamps #recalljudgeconnelly
Social media can be seen worldwide. I live in Belgium with the capital Brussels where the NATO headquarters and the European Parliament are located. I’ve seen the video of the kidnapping of the Laing children, the Dalle children and Brooke Murdoch. The videos attest to outright atrocities against minors. Their cries for help are heartbreaking. They are treated as serious criminals even though they have not committed any criminal act. These children want protection from an abusive parent. The legal kidnappings and the forced therapies are traumatizing and are therefore proof that the parent in question is abusing his children. The evidence of abuse is the videos themselves. In my country this would be impossible. Public opinion would not accept that. If children do not want to go to a parent, they thoroughly investigate why. And especially; a parent who tries to force his children to love him is guaranteed to reap the opposite, especially when he appeals to child torturers like Lynn Steinberg and similar criminals. They belong in prison. From Belgium. ??
I agree the transport agents , Jessica Laing mother of Maya and Sebastian Laing , reunification therapist Regina Marshall , Judge Rebecca Connolly and Lynn Steinberg need be hold accountable for their actions
Ms. Janette Yoffe (LMFT) after one phone session recommanded family court commissioner not to let me see my teen daughter. Don’t use her quote. She is a child abuser.
Ms. Janette Yoffe talked to me once over the phone and decided to act as an expert in court and testified against me and took my kids away from me.
I had to go through reunification therapy after my dad threatened to kill me. He had always been abusive toward my mom growing up and I witnessed countless threats and violent acts. From a young age I expressed that I did not want to see him anymore, but the judge in our custody case refused to speak to my brother and I at all because we were kids, and ruled in favor of organized visits with my dad. Thank God primary custody was with my mom, but I had panic attacks after a lot of our weekly visits with my dad. I dreaded going every week and my brother and I walked on eggshells to keep him happy and avoid being yelled at or attacked. It felt so gross and unsettling pretending to be interested in what he was saying and happy to be there. I was forced to live an entire double life and a lie just to make my dad happy and satisfy the court. Apparently his happiness and “rights” to us were more important than our safety. My dad’s threat to kill me happened after I tried to talk to him about all of these feelings. It wasn’t even an argument, but the mere mention of his past actions was enough to escalate him. After that, I went to the women’s resource center with my mom and made a report. Had to get a temporary restraining order because we didn’t know if he’d come after me or my family. But because I wasn’t 18, I couldn’t cut off contact for good. That’s when the reunification therapy started. Therapist frequently undermined my feelings, gaslit me, tried to get me to reconcile with my dad. I had to be honest but careful what I said because my dad was sitting right there. It was hell. Luckily after a few years I finally became a legal adult and I haven’t seen my dad since that very day. The court can only treat you like your parent’s property for so long. The rhetoric that children don’t know enough to make their own decisions and that parents are just coaching them or alienating them is ridiculous. It does happen in some cases, but for me that was definitely not the case and I paid heavily for all the abuse the court made me endure. I think the real reason therapy like that is allowed is so that the legal system can pawn their responsibilities off onto other people and so they don’t have to spend money or time coming up with something more ethical. It didn’t matter to them that my case was different or that I was being continually abused. I was just another child going through the same messed up system. I hope one day people start treating kids as actual human beings with the same rights as everyone else. Until then, I’ll keep sharing my story.