Lux Psychology

03/28/2025

Financial abuse is one of the most pervasive forms of domestic violence, and it often plays out through the legal process in family law files. It can look like delayed disclosure, disproportionate parenting resources, or the manipulation of support obligations. However, these are not just financial disputes, they’re forms of control. I welcome you to read my latest blog here.

https://www.luxpsychology.ca/post/financial-abuse-is-domestic-violence-and-it-s-widespread-in-family-law-files

01/17/2025

I’m pleased to share the publication of our paper, "Prioritizing Safety in Family Law: A Stage-Gating Approach to Domestic Violence and Parent-Child Contact Problems," in the Journal of Family Trauma, Child Custody & Child Development. It was a privilege to collaborate with Natalie Beltrano and Archer-Kuhn Beth on this work. Our paper recognizes that to truly prioritize child safety in parent-child contact problems, domestic violence must be given priority consideration by being assessed and addressed before examining other contributors.

Feel free to read the article using the link in the comments.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

11/08/2024

Excited to share a major milestone! I am now fully certified in Litigation and Evaluation involving Abuse Allegations in Family Court Cases (LEFCC) through the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT), making me the second person in Canada to achieve this designation alongside my colleague, Glenda Lux.

This advanced certification equips me with specialized expertise to assess abuse allegations in high-conflict family law cases. Through over 30 hours of training, I gained skills in areas critical to these cases, such as evaluating credibility in abuse allegations, understanding coercive control and its impact on parenting, using the BWJP SaFer Assessment Model, addressing ethics and bias in assessment, and evidence-based evaluation in cases involving both abuse and alienation concerns.

A heartfelt thank you to IVAT and the experts leading this program. I’m honoured to bring this enhanced skill set to support families in Alberta, helping ensure safe and fair outcomes in family court.

10/07/2024

In family reunification therapy, the safety and well-being of children must come first. Therapists have a responsibility to carefully assess whether they can responsibly fulfill the mandate of a court order while ensuring no harm is done.
In my latest blog, I explore how we can uphold this responsibility in the context of reunification therapy.

https://www.luxpsychology.ca/post/reunification-therapy-do-therapists-have-a-responsibility-beyond-the-order

08/30/2024

Temporary measures like supervised parenting and anger management courses often fall short of providing the lasting protection children and survivors need when domestic violence is involved. My latest blog addresses why long-term supervision is vital—and often the only way to ensure ongoing safety.

https://www.luxpsychology.ca/post/the-case-for-long-term-supervision-in-domestic-violence-cases

07/26/2024

I'm excited to share that I have recently completed 30 hours of IVAT (Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma) Certification training for Family Court Professionals. IVAT provides advanced training in analyzing, evaluating, and responding to cases involving allegations of child abuse and domestic violence in family law contexts.

I'm looking forward to becoming fully certified in the next few months. To my knowledge, I will be the first IVAT-trained and certified professional in Alberta, and I’m eager to bring this specialized expertise to our community. I’ll be sharing some of my learnings in upcoming blogs and posts.

IVAT is an internationally recognized resource and training center, originally founded in 1984 as the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute (FVSAI), headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Feeling grateful for the opportunity to deepen my expertise and better serve families.

06/04/2024

I just finished a multi-session training program from Western University: Working with Fathers Who Cause Harm to their Families. This program was excellent.

One of the many challenges in working with this population is engaging and creating safety without colluding with abusive narratives. It can be tricky. It is not always easy to lead with empathy when working with someone who has created fear and suffering and fails (or refuses) to recognize it. A court order for treatment might keep them in the room, but it takes the ability to create genuine engagement if you want to get them on the couch.

In this work, there is a place for patience and a place to roll with resistance, but at all times, there must be the ability to recognize levels of risk, deescalate aggressiveness, and respond when risk persists or increases.

While the goal for treatment is a decrease in abusive behavior, at the center of this work is the safety and well-being of children and their primary caregivers, even if dad doesn’t change. For me, that makes all the difference.

04/05/2024

April marks Child Abuse Prevention Month. I’ve turned my thoughts to the important yet often unrecognized link between IPV and child abuse and its relevance within family law. I invite you to read my blog here.

https://www.luxpsychology.ca/post/child-abuse-and-intimate-partner-violence-understanding-the-connection-in-family-law-matters

04/03/2024

I'm excited to share my new publication, co-authored with Jon Amundson. Our paper presents a novel approach to integrating mental health professionals into the family law system, by leveraging their expertise in a structured, judicial context.

A big thank you to Jon for the collaboration, and to the thoughtful feedback from Barbara J. Widdowson, K.C. (retired), Krysta Ostwald, KC H. Ostwald K.C. (Jones Divorce and Family Law), and Jessica MacDonald A. Macdonald (WK Family Lawyers) in Calgary, AB. This work was recently published in March 2024 in the Juvenile and Family Court Journal.

02/22/2024

My new blog "Family Law and Domestic Violence: Scary Parenting and Informed Parenting Plans," explores how 'scary parenting' behaviors, underpinned by domestic violence, necessitate a reevaluation of how we approach parenting plans. It's not just about creating a schedule; it's about understanding the psychological and emotional needs of children who have lived or currently live in fear.

Domestic violence (DV) extends its reach far beyond physical harm, affecting families in deeply profound ways. Understanding the importance of fear is crucial for family lawyers because it matters deeply when developing parenting plans. Fear, instilled by the 'scary' behaviors that define DV, create...