A Therapeutic Interventionist (TI) is a Court-Appointed role which may describe a range of therapeutic services by a behavioral health professional.

Therapeutic intervention is often helpful in bringing about healthy change or stabilizing a family that has been negatively affected by, for example, litigation, relocation of a parent, child estrangement, substance use in one or both parents, or child maltreatment. Therapy by court-appointment differs from other types of therapy in terms of its confidentiality. The appointee is an extension of the Court and provides updates and reports to the judge and attorneys.

A Court-Ordered Behavioral Intervention ( “COBI”) is a court-appointed role typically used to help families follow their parenting plan.

COBI is often helpful for cases in which the court has already ruled that both caregivers are fit but the family has been unable to implement their court-ordered parenting time. The COBI process is designed to be more behavioral insofar as it promotes accountability for the entire family system and frequent communication with the Court. The COBI process is designed to be briefer in duration and is especially helpful in cases of estrangement, alienation, or severe polarization of family members.

Selecting a therapist can be a challenging task, and sometimes positive outcomes have as much to do with the degree of fit between a client and therapist as it does their knowledge and experience. Clients should feel empowered to find the best match for themselves.

Dr. DiCarlo's background and training as a counseling psychologist informs his placement of therapeutic process and outcomes at the forefront of clinical practice. Dr. DiCarlo is trained in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassionate Bereavement Care (CBC), but above all, he emphasize the quality of the therapeutic relationship.

Intensive Family Transformations (IFT) is a shortened, 1-2 week program, designed to reunify or repair strained parent-child relationships. IFT is an independent program created in collaboration with Dr. David Weinstock and Dr. Raymond Branton. The program is set up to prevent or reduce the issues that often hinder the traditional Intervention process.

A court-ordered, in-depth study conducted to assist the court in making parenting time and legal decision-making findings and orders.

A typical evaluation may consist of clinical interviews with the caregivers, child(ren), and relevant collaterals; psychological testing; home visits; reviewing records; and observations. A Comprehensive Family Evaluation can be useful in high conflict, disputed custody cases, especially if complex or multiple concerns arise about child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, substance abuse, or the psychological adjustment of a caregiver is in question.

A court-ordered, limited scope evaluation to assist the court in answering one or two focused questions pertaining to one or more family members in a family court matter.

Focused Assessments are narrower in breadth compared to a Comprehensive Family Evaluation, and may be limited to clinical interviews, interaction observations, and reviewing records. In some cases, psychological testing may be performed. A Focused Assessment does not include specific recommendations regarding legal decision-making or parenting time schedules, as a full analysis of relevant factors is not performed.

A court-ordered or private evaluation of one parent/individual that provides diagnostic impressions and recommendations related to the person’s mental health

A psychological evaluation may be obtained to answer specific questions about an individual's mental health or psychological functioning. A typical evaluation consists of an in-person clinical interview, psychological testing using empirically supported measures, and a review of pertinent records or collateral information. When indicated, the report will suggest a DSM-5 diagnosis, as well as relevant and practical treatment recommendations.

A parenting conference is a non-confidential process to assist the court in collecting information to determine appropriate orders regarding legal decision-making and parenting time in the best interest of the child. The Parenting Conference considers the relevant factors within A.R.S. §25-403.

Dr. DiCarlo has been qualified as an expert in family and juvenile court in over 100 cases. He regularly testifies in family court about custody-related issues, parent-child contact problems, parental alienation, and parental fitness issues.