Divorce and custody disputes can be challenging for any family. For children specifically, these situations are often especially stressful, confusing, and emotionally overwhelming. In high-conflict cases, children may feel caught between parents, struggle with loyalty conflicts, or experience anxiety, depression, and behavioral changes.

At the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness, we specialize in supporting children and families navigating these complex transitions. Located in the heart of Plantation, we serve families throughout Broward County, Florida, including nearby areas such as Davie, Weston, Sunrise, and Fort Lauderdale. We provide individual therapy, child therapy, and adolescent therapy, and offer referrals for psychological evaluations when appropriate. We also have particular expertise in working with children with autism and other neurodevelopmental differences, who may be more sensitive to stress, conflict, and disruptions in routine.

Why Specialized Support Matters

While traditional therapy can help individuals process emotions, high-conflict custody situations require clinicians with specialized training and experience. Children in these environments may be exposed to ongoing parental conflict, pressure, or resistance dynamics that can influence their perception of one or both parents.

Therapists trained in these areas are equipped to:

• Identify behaviors and dynamics that may be harming the child’s relationship with a parent
• Help reduce internalized stress from loyalty conflicts
• Support healthy, secure parent-child connections in a safe and structured environment

Our clinicians have experience working in forensic and court-involved contexts, ensuring that care is both clinically effective and sensitive to the legal context.

How We Help

Our individual services provide children with a safe, supportive space to express their feelings, process family changes, and develop effective coping skills.

For children with autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions, we tailor interventions to their unique needs, using strategies that account for sensory sensitivities, communication differences, and emotional regulation challenges.

We also support families navigating divorce-related stressors through structured, developmentally appropriate individual therapy. We work closely with families to support their children at home, helping parents navigate co-parenting dynamics while keeping the child’s well-being at the center.

When appropriate, we recommend reunification-focused therapy, which supports children in rebuilding relationships and spending time with a parent that they may be reluctant or resistant to seeing. This process focuses on restoring trust, improving communication, and strengthening connection over time. 

A Collaborative Approach

We believe that successful outcomes require collaboration. Our approach includes working closely with parents, guardians, and, when appropriate, legal professionals (such as guardian ad litems). We provide regular updates to both parents when possible, and we help families set clear goals for therapy that are time-limited and based on observable progress. This ensures that therapy remains focused, accountable, and in the best interest of the child.

At the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness, we understand that children are the most important part of any custody case. By combining specialized knowledge, compassionate care, and individualized strategies, we help children feel safe, supported, and empowered during difficult family transitions.

Lisa Saponaro, Ph.D.

Dr. Lisa Saponaro, a Broward County native, is a Licensed Psychologist and the Clinical Director at the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness in Plantation, Florida. She specializes in autism spectrum disorder, reunification therapy, trauma informed care and complex psychological assessment.

With over 20 years of clinical and teaching experience, she serves as an expert witness to in Family Court, is a coparenting coordinator in the 17th Judicial District and adjunct faculty member at Nova Southeastern University’s Master’s in Mental Health Counseling program where she mentors future professionals in the field. Here at the center, she continues that training, preparing future forensic clinicians to support children and families experiencing high-conflict divorce.

Dr. Saponaro is committed to collaborative, child-focused care that supports families, professionals, and the courts. Her work emphasizes evidence-based treatment, ethical practice, and compassionate leadership.

Contact Us

At the Center for Psychological Growth and Wellness, our therapists in Plantation, Florida are dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based care for children and families navigating high-conflict custody situations.

Call Us: (954) 577-0095
Visit Us: 820 Peters Road, Suite E-100, Plantation, FL 33324

View Us: www.plantationpsychologists.com
Email: Help@plantationpsychologists.com

Take the first step toward healing today. We nourish and you flourish.