The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence convened on May 21, 2025, to discuss significant legislation aimed at regulating family court practices, particularly concerning reunification therapy. The proposed bill, known as HB 3783, seeks to impose limitations on the types of counseling that family courts can mandate for parents and children, specifically addressing the controversial practice of reunification therapy.

During the meeting, Senator Parker highlighted concerns regarding unregulated reunification therapy, which is often criticized for its coercive methods. Testimonies from witnesses, including attorney Jeff Diamond and advocate Abigail O'Brien, underscored the potential dangers of these practices. They described how such therapies can involve forced separation from custodial parents, coercion, and isolation of children, often without any empirical support or oversight.

Diamond, who has extensive experience in family law, recounted his personal struggles with the family court system, emphasizing how abusive parents can exploit these therapies to manipulate custody arrangements. He argued that the bill does not ban family therapy but rather seeks to protect children by preventing forced separations from their primary custodial parents.

O'Brien shared her own harrowing experience with reunification therapy, detailing how it subjected her and her brother to coercive conditions and isolation from their mother. She expressed the urgent need for legislative action to protect children from such unethical practices, urging the committee to support the Safe Haven Act.

The committee's discussions reflect a growing recognition of the need for regulatory measures in family court practices, particularly those that impact vulnerable children. As the bill moves forward, it aims to establish legal safeguards that prioritize the well-being of children while allowing for necessary therapeutic interventions. The committee's consideration of HB 3783 marks a critical step toward reforming family court practices in Texas.