This episode breaks down where therapy ends, and strategy begins, for fathers in family court…

I’m walking through my own experience: how weekly sessions helped me kill covert contracts and regulate my reactivity, but left me totally unprepared when the real fight showed up…affidavits, parenting coordinators, and rigged expectations dressed up as “emotional safety”.

We’ll cover why therapeutic tools can’t replace courtroom prep, why clean documentation matters more than emotional clarity, and how most therapists aren’t trained to help men lead…just to help them cope. You’ll hear what I built instead: scripts, logs, binders, structure. Because when the system’s weaponized against you, self-awareness isn’t protection…it’s a soft target.

This isn’t a dig on therapy, It’s a line in the sand. Feel what you need to feel…but don’t show up to court without a gameplan.

Full essay live on my Substack: masonblake.substack.com (tools, templates + mental models the court actually rewards)

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