Our Roots Remain: The Collective Trauma of the Los Angeles Wildfires
The Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires left visible scars on the landscape and invisible scars on the people who called it home. But what fire cannot reach are the roots — of memory, of community, of shared belonging built over decades, not seasons. As scarred as this landscape may be, those roots remain.
Virtual Parenting Time in Family Law: Benefits, Risks, & Legal Considerations in Divorce & Separation Cases
Virtual visitation has outpaced the legal and clinical frameworks meant to govern it. As a result, courts and families are left with unresolved questions: can video calls meet a child's developmental needs, should they count toward custody time, and what safeguards apply when there's a history of safety concerns? While virtual visitation is designed to supplement in-person parenting time—not replace it. Bren M. Chasse, LMFT provides a review of the legal framework, developmental considerations by age, and protocols for high-conflict and safety-involved cases.
Chiles v. Salazar & Conversion Therapy: What Survivors, Families, and Clinicians Need to Know
In March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 8–1 in Chiles v. Salazar, putting conversion therapy bans in 23 states into serious legal jeopardy. Bren M. Chasse, LMFT discusses what this decision actually means, what conversion therapy is and is not, and what survivors, families, and clinicians need to know now.
A New Framework for Justice: Trauma-Informed Courtrooms
A trauma-informed courtroom is not a softer courtroom — it is a more precise one. Trauma therapist and expert witness, Bren M. Chasse, LMFT explores how trauma reshapes memory and testimony, why retraumatized witnesses produce less reliable evidence, and what courts gain by accounting for both.
Beyond Bruises: Understanding Coersive Control as a Liberty Crime
The most damaging abuse often leaves no bruises. Bren M. Chasse, LMFT provides a new framework for intimate partner violence, specifically coercive control, serves as a liberty crime. This proposes "Why don't they just leave?" is the wrong question and discusses ways in which an abuser makes leaving the relationship incredibly difficult. Bren explores how therapy helps survivors reclaim their autonomy.
What Is Parental Alienation? Signs, Impact, and How Therapy Can Help
Drawing on current research and clinical practice, Bren M. Chasse, LMFT discussed what constitutes parental alienation, how it differs from parental estrangement, the signs to watch for in both parents and children, and how specialized therapy helps families rebuild trust and reconnect.
Navigating Family Court & Therapy: Support for High-Conflict Families
Bren M. Chasse, LMFT explores the intersection of family law and therapy—and the unique challenges parents, children, and mental health professionals experience when working with such families. Additionally, Bren discussed the importance of therapeutic neutrality, communication, and the emotional well-being of children.