Parental Alienation Cited in Goldman Decision by Dr. Richard A. Warshak

Posted with permission by Dr. Richard A. Warshak

Parental Alienation Cited in Goldman Decision by Dr. Richard A. Warshak

Parental alienation is emotional abuse. Judge Guadagno is clear about this. Ruling last week in the Sean Goldman case, the judge calls the behavior of Sean’s stepfather and family “contemptible” for filling the child’s head with false information aimed at undermining his love for his dad.

Referring to the “continuous efforts at parental alienation” begun by the boy’s mother and continued by his stepfather and maternal grandparents, and their “attempt to implant false memories and erase Sean’s true memories of his father,” the judge wrote, “It is difficult to conceive of a more dramatic example of emotional abuse of a young child.”

What is self-evident to this judge is incomprehensible to a cadre of naysayers who deny the reality of this form of abuse unless the perpetrator is a violent man. These deniers fear that the term parental alienation is merely a tool for abusive men to deflect blame for their children’s rejection of them. As advocates for victims of domestic violence, they must acknowledge that some men exact revenge against former spouses by poisoning the children’s affections for their mother. When children become alienated from a mother who is a former victim of domestic violence, they call this domestic violence by proxy.

The Goldman case, though, highlights what is wrong with dismissing all cases of parental alienation except those that fit the pattern of violent man against woman. In this case, the perpetrators of the abuse are male and female. Neither has been accused of domestic violence. They have been accused of alienating a boy from his father — parental alienation. And, no court has found that David Goldman is an abuser.
Unless we deny the reality identified by three court-appointed Brazilian psychologists, the Brazilian court, and the New Jersey court, we must conclude that Sean Goldman has been harmed by parental alienation, not by domestic violence by proxy.

Can an abusive parent invoke the concept of parental alienation to blame and discredit a protective parent? Yes. Courts must exercise great care before accepting allegations of alienation as true, or they will mistakenly place children with physically and psychologically abusive parents. But this concern must not keep courts from protecting children against the cruelty of being manipulated to disown a good and loving parent.

Parental Alienation Contact List

Dr. Jerry Brinegar
Phone: 706-202-9193
Email: Jerrybrinegar@earthlink.com
Website: http://www.drbrinegar.com

Jose Manuel Aguilar Cuenca
Forensic Psychologist Phone: 957 810 580
Email: elcorreode@jmaguilar.com
Website: http://www.jmaguilar.com

Dr. Katherine Andre
Ph.D. Email: andre@pacific.net
Website: http://www.parentalalienationsolutions.com

Dr. Amy Baker
Researcher Email: amyjlbaker@aol.com
Dr. Amy J.L. Baker
Researcher Email: amyjlbaker@aol.com
Website: http://www.amyjlbaker.com

Dr. R. Christopher Barden
Ph.D.,J.D., L.P. Phone: 801-230-8328
Phone: E-Fax-253-663-6418
Email: rcbarden@mac.com

Dr. Michael Bone
Ph.D. Phone: (407) 645-0662
Phone: 407-645-0692
Email: jmbone@jmbconsuslting.org
Website: http://www.jmbconsulting.org

David Britton
Mental Health Professional Phone: 310-372-4245
Email: DBMFT@aol.com
Website: http://www.beachpsych.com

Dr. Barry Brody
Phone: 305-247-6767
Phone: 305-271-8019Email: drbrody@drbarrybrody.com
Website: http://www.drbarrybrody.com

David Carico
Appellate Lawyer Phone: (888) 833-2820.
Website: http://www.californiaappellatecounsel.com

Dr, Stephen Ceci
Author, Researcher, Lecturer Website: http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/sjc9/

Theresa K. Cooke
FACES, INC Phone: 810-694-9558
Email: FACESTKC@aol.com
Website: http://www.FACESTKC.com

Lawrence W. Daly
One Daly Corporation Phone: (253) 852-6702
Email: lwdaly @comcast.net
Website: http://www.onedaly.com

Dr. Douglas Darnall
Phone: 330-759-2310
Phone: 330-759-2310
Email: douglas900@aol.com
Website: http://www.parentalalienation.com

Dr. Robert Evans
Mental Health Professional Phone: 727-669-5707
Email: drbob@acenterforhumanpotential.com
Website: http://www.acenterforhumanpotential.com

Debra Gordy
M.S. RET Phone: 970-226-8564
Phone: 253-369-7477
Email: debra@debragordyms.com

James J. Gross, Attorney at Law
Email: tgclawyers@smart.net
Website: http://www.mddivorcelawyers.com/

Charles D. Jamieson
Attorney At Law Phone: 561-478-0312
Email: cjamieson@jamiesonlaw.com
Website: http://www.cjamiesonlaw.com

Dr. Randy Kolin
Clinical Psychologist Phone: 925-287-9656
Email: Randy_kolin@yahoo.com

Dr. Ken Lewis
Ph.D. Email: DrKenLewis@snip.net

Dr. LF Lowenstein
Ph.D. Phone: 44 (0) 238 069 2621
Email: ludwig.lowenstein@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.parental-alienation.info

Dr. Jayne Major
Phone: 310-823-7846
Email: jaynemajor@breakthroughtparentingservices.org
Website: http://www.breakthroughparentingservices.org

Christina McGheeDivorce Coach & Parent Educator Phone: 979-865-4287
Email: christinamcghee@divorceandchildren.com
Website: http://www.divorceandchildren.com

Dr. Marty Mckay
Ph.D., C. Psych., ABPP Phone: (416) 580-9570
Email: drmjmckay@hotmail.com

Deborah Moskovitch
Divorce Consultant Email: deborah@thesmartdivorce.com
Website: http://www.thesmartdivorce.com

Jeff Opperman
Author Email: jeff@HugstoHeartbreak.com
Website: http://www.HugstoHeartbreak.com

Dr. Randy Rand
Ed.D., Forensic Psychologist Phone: (415) 485-5991
Email: rand@CASEassist.com
Website: http://www.caseassist.com


Dr. Kathleen Reay
Phone: 250-276-9467
Email: drkathleenreay@gmail.com
Website: http://www.parentalalienationhelp.org/
Dr. Daniel Rybicki
Psy.D., DABPS Phone: 253-858-8850
Email: dryb6354@earthlink.net
Website: http://www.danielrybicki.com

Dr. S. Richard Sauber
PhD, Diplomates in Clinical and Family Psychology, Phone: 561- 482- 9470
Phone: 561- 482-9471
Email: rsauber@bellsouth.net

Harvey Shapiro
Ed. D, Investigator Phone: 707-453-0388
Email: Shapiro@caseassist.com
Website: http://www.caseassist.com

Dr. Reena Sommer
Ph.D. Phone: 281-534-3923
Email: drreena@comcast.net
Website: http://www.reenasommerassociates.mb.ca

Dr. Catherine Swanson Cain
Ph.D., LMFT Phone: 931-296-9813
Email: catherinecain@bellsouth.net
Website: http://www.pediatricbehavior.com

Dr. W. vonBoch-Galhau
Phone: 49 931 359 2133(AB)
Email: praxis@drvboch.de
Website: http://www.drvboch.de/

Dr. Richard A Warshak
Ph.D. Phone: 972-248-7700
Email: warshak@att.net
Website: http://www.warshak.com

Dr. Monty Weinstein
Phone: 718-382-1293
Email: DrMonty1@aol.com
Website: http://www.familyunity.com/index.htm

Bruises, Barriers, and Blind Feminists: Denial of Parental Alienation Hurts us All by Monika

Prior to 1985 people went through divorces. The couples that could not divorce amicably manifested similar patterns, just as they do today. Also, prior to 1985 women obtained custody more often than men. Keep in mind that divorces in the 1980s, similar to today, had a portion that were high conflict. When Garder started observing these cases (not causing the high-conflict, just observing) he noted that, “in about 85% to 90% of the cases the mother was the alienating parent and the father the targeted parent.” Gardner’s work in the 1980s reflected the court system and societal changes, not his personal agenda. Yet, some cannot understand this. He noted, “And I, as the person who first wrote on the phenomenon, was viewed as being biased against women and as being “sexist.” No one denies that PAS may have misconstrued in some cases and that children’s alienation has been utilized as a cover-up and diversionary maneuver designed to deflect exposure of their abuse/neglect (Gardner,2002). Do the painful tragedies of the few but often true, outweigh the heartbreak and mental demise of the majority of children that are in the middle of custody battles? High Conflict divorces makes up about 10% (Center for Divorce Education). We should not ignore this 10%.

As a woman and feminist, I recently reviewed the Power and Control Wheel; I might have missed something during my time at a women’s shelter. Part of the Wheel includes “Using Children” where the children are used to relay messages, visitations are spent harassing, and children are used as threats (that they might be taken away). In PA a parent continues harassing and controlling the ex-partner by manipulating the children to turn against the parent. Parental Alienation shares a lot of commonalities. As a starter, both have vindictive ex-spouses. In both PA and Domestic violence, children are placed in the middle and ultimately both have children that are living without a parent. In PA a parent continues harassing and controlling the ex-partner by manipulating the children to turn against the parent. This controlling element, as I recall, also occurs in DV. Denying PA is to deny mental abuse of children. What about manipulation? You may not be bruised and the kids may not be bruised, so the “proof” might be hard to bring up in court. Thus, if one does not have a bruise, you must not have endured DV? What about internal scars of children?

Lastly, I thought Feminist theory included that all types of oppression were recognized? This means both women and men. Is not having your child turned against you a form of oppression? I would think every feminist should be angered by the possibility of having a child turned against them without just cause. Yet, some may believe that any “weak” woman would not let this happen. Do we not advocate for the disadvantaged women as well? Do not think your above having your ex-spouse out purchase you and manipulate your kids with material gifts. What about the disadvantaged men? I thought feminist theory utilized an egalitarian approach to logic? This includes both women and men that espouse feminist theory.

Working with Alienated Children & Their Targeted Parents: Suggestions for Sound Practices for Mental Health Professionals

By Amy J.L. Baker, PhD, and Katherine Andre, PhD
Robert O’Block, Publisher, Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association
Divorce affects one million new children every year. Of these children, approximately 20% of their parents remain in conflict, with little, if any, cooperation (Garrity & Baris, 1994; Kelly, 2005). When children get caught in the middle of parental conflict, they are at risk for many psychosocial problems, including alignment with one parent against the other (e.g., Amato, 1994; Johnston, 1994; Wallerstein, Lewis, & Blakeslee, 2001; Wallerstein & Blakeslee, 1996). Especially problematic is when the alignment becomes so entrenched that children join forces with one parent to completely reject and denigrate the other, once-loved parent (Darnall, 1998; Wallerstein & Kelly 1980; Warshak, 2001).

Parents who encourage such alignments employ parental alienation (PA) strategies designed to turn a child against the other, targeted parent. The alienating parent is often filled with hatred, blame, anger, and shame and lacks awareness of the separate and independent needs of the children to have a relationship with the other parent (Ellis, 2005; Gardner, 1998; Rand, 1997). Through various strategies such as bad-mouthing, limiting contact, belittling, and withdrawing love, the alienating parent creates the impression that the targeted parent is dangerous, unloving, or unworthy, thus compelling the child to reject that parent (Baker, 2007a; Baker & Darnall, 2006). At its most extreme, when a child completely rejects the targeted parent, the result is referred to as severe alienation or parental alienation syndrome (PAS) (Gardner, 1998).

Mental health providers are among the first professionals to whom the targeted parents of alienated children turn to for help for their children or to whom courts refer for answers to accusations of brainwashing (Ellis, 2000). These parents and courts count on therapists to help whether it is to prevent continuing litigation in clogged courtrooms, or to intervene with counseling, as well as to give the parents supportive tools to repair and sustain the parent-child relationship. Because therapists are one of the first resources courts and parents use, they must be knowledgeable in the field of parental alienation and high-conflict divorce. They must be able to tolerate conflicting data from parents and children while searching for emotional truth within the children being counseled (Vestal, 1999). Along the same lines, Wallerstein insightfully comments in her forward to Marquardt’s (2005) book Between Two Worlds that what is needed is “an honest recognition of the experience of children” (p. xvii). In order to more honestly recognize and understand the experience of these children, mental health professionals must begin with the available knowledge that they currently have, incomplete as it is. To delay treatment due to incomplete information would be akin to a medical doctor refusing to treat a bleeding patient because he or she did not know what had caused the wound, and thus, by his or her refusal to treat the wound, the patient bleeds to death.

As Sternberg (2006) noted, “Scientific evidence regarding prevention and intervention is clearly helpful, but it is not yet sufficiently precise [in this parental alienation arena] so as to provide an answer to every question a psychotherapist might need to ask…” (p. 270). Because there is no longitudinal research that matches interventions with outcomes, the current authors propose a way of approaching treatment using sound scientific principles and evidence-based interventions with these children, in spite of the uncertainty. Mental health professionals remain in the trenches where they have to differentiate false accusations from legitimate ones and deal with the confused realities of these children and their parents. Common wisdom, increasing professional exposure and demand, and mounting professional opinion is that parental alienation exists and must be addressed in order to optimize children’s development (Ackerman, personal communication, August 19, 2007).

The purpose of this article is to suggest sound practices about parental alienation (PA) and parental alienation syndrome (PAS) and to identify some key prevention and intervention issues so that mental health professionals who counsel children and families experiencing loyalty conflicts or parental alienation tactics will be better prepared to help this highly vulnerable population. Consideration of these practices should enhance mental health providers’ ability to approach these issues from a more informed and reflective position.

Recognizing Parental Alienation
Recognition of parental alienation is a critical first step. Whether the task before the counselor is to halt the deterioration of the parent-child relationship and prevent the further effects of parental alienation or to restore a ruined relationship, therapists must correctly analyze and interpret the family dynamics in order to differentiate a child’s rejection due to parental alienation from a child’s rejection due to other causes such as estrangement or abuse (Stoltz & Key, 2002; Warshak, 2002). Discerning alienation from legitimate estrangement must be first.

Unfortunately, therapists do not have widely accepted parental alienation tests and other diagnostic tools available, nor is there a consensus regarding tools to use to assist in the diagnosis. For example, a recent survey of custody evaluators revealed a lack of consensus regarding diagnostic and assessment tools (Baker, 2007b).

For a diagnosis of PAS, we recommend following the lead of Dunne and Herrick (1994) and making an assessment through determination of the presence of the eight behavioral manifestations of PAS (described below), while ruling out alternative explanations for the child’s behavior such as bona fide abuse of the rejected parent (Gardner, 1999). In a clinical setting this can best be achieved through observing the child, talking with the child, and observing the child with his/her parents, in order to determine whether the child is exhibiting the eight behavioral manifestations associated with PAS (Gardner, 1998). To aid in that process, they are described in some detail.

The first is a campaign of denigration. The child becomes obsessed with hatred of the targeted parent. Parents who were once loved and valued seemingly overnight become hated and feared. This often happens so quickly that the targeted parent cannot believe that a loving child has turned into a hateful, spiteful person who refuses to so much as share a meal.

The second manifestation is weak, frivolous, and absurd rationalizations for the depreciation of the targeted parent. The objections made in the campaign of denigration are often not of the magnitude that would lead a child to hate a parent, such as slurping soup or serving spicy food.

Third is a lack of ambivalence about the alienating parent. It is a truism of development that children are ambivalent about both of their parents. Even the best parents are imperfect or sets limits that cause resentment and frustration. A hallmark of PAS, however, is that the child expresses no ambivalence about the alienating parent, demonstrating an automatic, reflexive, idealized support. One parent becomes all good while the other becomes all bad.

Fourth, the child strongly asserts that the decision to reject the other parent is his or her own. This is what Gardner (1998) called the “Independent Thinker” phenomenon in which the child adamantly claims that the negative feelings are wholly his or her own. These children deny that their feelings about the targeted parent are in any way influenced by the alienating parent. An observer might conclude that the child has been brainwashed or unduly influenced, but, to the child, the experience is authentic and self-generated.

A fifth manifestation is absence of guilt about the treatment of the targeted parent. Gratitude for gifts, favors, or child support provided by the targeted parent is nonexistent. PAS children will try to get whatever they can from the targeted parent, believing that it is owed to them and that because that parent is such a despicable person, he or she doesn’t deserve to be treated with respect or gratitude.

A sixth manifestation of PAS is reflexive support for the alienating parent in the parental conflict. That is, there is no willingness or attempt to be impartial when faced with inter-parental conflicts. The PAS child has no interest in hearing the targeted parent’s point of view. As Gardner noted, PAS children often make the case for the alienating parent better than the parent does. Nothing the targeted parent could do or say would make any difference to the PAS child.

Seventh is the presence of borrowed scenarios. PAS children often make accusations toward the targeted parent that use phrases and ideas adopted wholesale from the alienating parent. One clue that a scenario is borrowed from an alienating parent is the child’s use of language and ideas that he or she does not seem to understand, such as making accusations that cannot be supported with detail or using words that cannot be defined.

And, finally, the hatred of the targeted parent spreads to his or her extended family. Not only is the targeted parent denigrated, despised, and avoided but so too are his or her entire family. Formerly beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are suddenly avoided and rejected.

Examination of the child’s behavior according to these eight components of PAS should help a therapist differentiate among possible causes for a child’s rejection, as it is unlikely that a child rejecting a parent due to abuse or poor parenting would exhibit these eight behaviors. For example, research and theory on abused and traumatized children consistently highlight that these child victims are quick to absolve the abusive parent of all blame and express quite strongly the wish to be reunified with that parent (e.g., Herman, 1992).

Further, research with targeted parents supports the presence of these eight symptoms in alienated children (Baker & Darnall, 2007). The 19 signs of PAS as identified by Clawar and Rivlin (1991) and expanded upon by Baker (2007b) can also be used as guideposts in assessment.

In addition to the lack of assessment tools for identifying PAS or parental alienation, therapists might have difficulty dealing with or identifying it due to concerns about the controversy surrounding it as a diagnosis, which is fueled by the fact that is has not yet been accepted into the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Some may be swayed by the critique that there is inconsistent data to support the theory or that it is not a theory at all (Dallam, 1999). Others may take exception with the notion that alienation is attributable to the brainwashing of the child, and contend that most, if not all, cases are accounted for by inadequate parenting (Bruch, 2001; Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, 2005). Yet another concern is that false allegations of PAS are made by abusive fathers in order to wrest custody away from the mothers (Dallam, 2008). We contend that none of these concerns provide compelling evidence that PAS does not exist in some cases—even if the diagnosis is not yet in the DSM, even if false allegations can be made, and even if it is difficult to differentiate alienation from estrangement.

Additionally, conscious and unconscious barriers may create resistance or avoidance of the therapist in approaching the possibility of PAS or parental alienation. These need to be brought into awareness in order to ensure that they do not interfere with appropriate assessments. For example, some alienating parents may be quite persuasive, intimidating, or charming, while some targeted parents may be unlikable, passive, anxious, or unable to articulate their perspective, combining to create a pull on the therapist to ally with one member of the triad and therefore miss the true dynamics at work (Weigel & Donovan, 2006).

Perhaps it is more useful for a therapist to simply ask, “Do I believe that the child is being manipulated by one parent to reject the other parent, who is not abusive or so inadequate as to deserve the child’s rejection?” Answering yes to this question is synonymous with concluding that the child is experiencing parental alienation. Some researchers and custody evaluators have developed elaborate systems and tools for assessing PAS in the context of formal evaluations (e.g., Kelly & Johnston, 2005) and might be reviewed for appropriateness of therapeutic fit.

Working with Targeted Parents and Alienated Children
Unfortunately, as Ellis (2000) noted, individual and family interventions with PAS cases have “met with dismal failure” (p. 228). At this point, the negative impact of parental alienation on children and families cannot be overstated due in part to the inability of the mental health community to provide adequate relief to these children. Targeted families and alienated children suffer from stress, loss, grief, anger, and fear among other intense and uncomfortable emotions (Baker, 2007a; Ellis, 2005; Gardner, 2001; Vassiliou & Cartwright, 2001). Below are some of the initial and primary concerns for therapists working with this population. These are based on clinical wisdom gained through our combined experience with the phenomenon of parental alienation and PAS in clinical practice and research and integrated with evidence-based therapeutic practices.

Working with Targeted Parents
Working with alienated children requires contact with targeted parents and can range from support or empowerment to necessary correction and improvement in parenting skill areas. Whatever the task, therapists and counselors must remember that the targeted parent’s pain and suffering is immense (Ellis, 2005; Gardner, 2001). A chief culprit of this pain from the parent’s point of view—apart from the loss of the child—is that of being blamed for the rejection of the child. Although some professionals and laypeople attribute the cause of the child’s rejection solely to the alienating parent—believing that without that parent’s use of parental alienation tactics, the child would not be rejecting that parent—another school of thought, one perhaps more widely accepted, attributes some responsibility to the targeted parent (e.g., Johnston, Walters, & Olesen, 2005). To this way of thinking, there are several factors, including parenting weaknesses or passivity within targeted parents that make the parent-child relationship vulnerable to alignment with the alienating parent.

In terms of working with targeted parents, it is vital to acknowledge their pain and loss without blaming them for the difficult situation in which they find themselves. Of course, at the same time, it will be useful to determine if there are ways to improve parenting skills and parent-child communication. Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) may be promising in this regard. PCIT uses in vivo coaching to correct and shape parent communications (Herschell & McNeil, 2005). Working with the parent in a nonjudgmental strengths-based manner can address any vulnerable areas and help to repair the relationship. Not only will it bring power back to the targeted parent, but it can also enhance trust between the child and parent and help to remove doubts and fears within the child about the parent’s ability to parent.

Some of the tasks of treatment for targeted parents include learning to manage the grief, loss, rage, and shame of being a targeted parent; learning to manage the constant frustration and struggle involved in typically chronic legal battles and confrontations; and finding some peace and happiness within such a painful situation. Baker (2007a) offers several useful starting places for therapists to consider in working with alienating parents who may or may not benefit from a referral to a separate therapist. Greenberg (2002) offers strategies for working with emotional complexity and for guiding toward adaptive functioning. In addition, cognitive behavioral therapy might be useful for challenging and overcoming assumptions of helplessness and hopelessness (Graham, 2004).

Working with Alienated Children
As stated earlier, alienated and at-risk children represent a large population of children in need. While parental alientation affects only a fraction of divorced families, the absolute numbers are mounting. Realistically, counselors cannot defer treatment until effectiveness research has identified a list of psychotherapeutic interventions. In keeping with sound therapeutic practice, foremost in importance is the building of trust and therapeutic alliance. Alienated children are being programmed at various intensities to distrust primary attachments (Clawar & Rivlin, 1991). Thus, they may have difficulty trusting yet another “caring” adult. An essential task for the therapist will be to acknowledge the child’s reality without validating the negative view of the targeted parent. Making reflections on the child’s feelings using or modifying tools and techniques proposed in Greenberg (2002) is one way to build trust and create a therapeutic alliance. Another is through the use of play. Modifications of play interventions proposed in Reddy et al.’s (2005), Empirically Based Play Interventions for Children, most notably, the chapter on fostering resilience following divorce, might also provide ideas and guidelines.

Acknowledging that the therapist and child patient/client do not have a completely shared understanding of the situation while maintaining an empathic stance for the bind the child is in can also help establish therapeutic alliance. Though not to be rushed, once trust is established, important work can be accomplished. Ideally, the work would help the child develop a more balanced view of both parents and help the child develop critical thinking skills that can be employed in the face of the emotional manipulation of the alienating parent (Baker, 2007a; Gardner, 1998; Warshak, 2001). Integration of exit counseling strategies used with former cult members (e.g., Clark, Giambalvo, Giambalvo, Garvey, & Langone, 1993) with standard cognitive behavioral therapy for adjusting distorted thinking styles (Ronen, 2007) would probably be useful to explore.

For children who are severely alienated from the targeted parent, more active interventions may be called for, including reunification therapy. For example, Weitzman (2004) describes a one-way-mirror-based protocol for reuniting children with an estranged/alienated parent. Drawing on desensitization theory, Weitzman developed a procedure for bringing the child into successive proximity to the feared parent, only after clinical and forensic work is done to ensure cooperation of both parents (often through court orders).

Regardless of level of alienation, key issues in therapy with alienated children, in addition to difficulty with trust, will likely be to de-enmesh with the alienating parent. Johnston and Campbell (1988) observed in their study of aligned children that the mechanisms of “denial, distortion, and splitting” were present. Their finding suggests that it may be useful to look for these supporting defense mechanisms and then, if present, to rely on effective treatment strategies for refuting or treating them. There are other key issues to keep in mind:

1. Self esteem—these children have come to believe that one of their parents does not love them, is unworthy of their love, and is someone with whom it is unwise to identify.
2. Corrupted moral compass—they have been encouraged to be disrespectful, ungrateful, entitled, and parentified.
3. Lack of independence—they have been encouraged to be overly dependent on the alienating parent’s acceptance.
4. Relapse prevention—they are under constant pressure to behave a certain way in order to avoid the rejection of the alienating parent.
5. Loss of identity—if it is unsafe to identify with the rejected parent then certain parts of the self identity may become lost as well. The alienating father who denigrates the mother for her academic abilities will create difficulty for a child embracing her own academic interests and talents.

Baker (2007a) expands on these clinical directions for working with alienated children, and Garber (2004) offers advice and guidance to help therapists avoid parental sabotage of an alienated child’s therapy. Baker and Darnall (2007) and case studies of patients of the second author also offer clinical insight into working with alienated children by highlighting what may be referred to as cracks or chinks in the armor. In the Baker and Darnall study, 68 parents who believed that their children were severely alienated from them described their children along several dimensions including the eight components of PAS. Even the most alienated children—described as exhibiting all eight behaviors most of the time—were revealed to sometimes indicate areas where the alienation was not fully solidified or entrenched. Therapists who are attuned to these “chinks” may be able to leverage them into opportunities for helping the child’s relationship with the targeted parent evolve beyond one of utter rejection and hostility.

Similarly, there may be family members who have not yet or may never “buy into” the alienation scenario. For example, in a multi-sibling family, not all children may become alienated from the targeted parent. It is also possible that an extended family member of the targeted parent is not fully rejected, or an extended family member of the alienating parent does not endorse the denigration of the targeted parent. Each of these individuals offers to the knowledgeable and attuned therapist windows of opportunity for helping the child adjust his or her perceptions and experiences of both the alienating and the targeted parent.

Throughout, therapists should be reflecting on their own feelings, experiences, and assumptions about parental alienation in order to avoid bias and projections onto patient therapeutic work. For example, therapists with their own histories of loyalty conflicts and alignments may hold hidden assumptions that could interfere with their ability to discern the realities of any specific case (Feinberg & Greene, 1995). Pickar (2007) points out that it is especially important for custody evaluators to engage in self-inspection during “best interest of the child” evaluations. The therapist is likely to experience the same confusing pull between the parents as the child does—as each parent tries to make his or her case to the therapist—which needs to be examined and tolerated. Otherwise, the therapist may rush to resolve the dilemma by aligning against the targeted parent, thus, allowing for a shared—albeit false—reality with the child. Weigel and Donovan (2006) suggest a similar attunement to one’s own issues for family and marriage counselors working with alienation cases.

To navigate these complex family dynamics, therapists should stay abreast of current knowledge and techniques in the field, stay attuned to their clinical intuitions, and seek support and advice as needed.

Next Steps For the General Public
Of primary importance for society in addressing this problem is to increase the awareness of the general public, including parents who may become targeted for parental alienation. Too often these parents do not know what is happening until it is too late. At that point they are left with a broken relationship and a severely alienated child. Awareness among the general public could serve to protect future generations of children and families and can provide much-needed support and guidance for those affected by it today. At a minimum, awareness could stop the blaming of targeted parents, which adds an additional level of pain and suffering.
One recent development is the creation of Web sites/organizations devoted to this issue, including one particularly prominent group established by a grassroots collection of targeted parents (parental alienation awareness organization). This and similar efforts can provide the general public with basic information and several avenues for further education and support. For example, through the Parental Alienation Awareness Organization’s efforts, governors in nine states have declared April 25 Parental Alienation Awareness Day.

For Mental Health Professionals
The large numbers of children suffering from or at risk for alienation suggest a need for expanded training of mental health professionals. As courts order custody evaluations, dictate mandatory mediation, and order parent education classes, there is an even greater need for trained professionals who can recognize alienation and work with families dealing with it. They need to be taught how to think about alienation in sound clinical ways and to integrate what is known about alienation with evidence-based treatments that are appropriate for this population.

Additionally, other mental health professionals who routinely interact with children and families need to be included in such trainings as well. School psychologists and school social workers, for example, are likely to come into contact with families facing parental alienation. If they are not aware of this phenomenon, they will be missing an important piece of the child’s context affecting school performance and behavioral adjustment. They also could function as consultants to teachers and guidance counselors in schools. School staffs traditionally try to maintain neutrality in the face of inter-parental conflict. Unfortunately, this can work to the advantage of an alienating parent. Thus, mental health professionals working within schools could support children’s relationships with targeted parents and function as a sounding board for teachers seeking clarity about alienation cases, so that they do not unwittingly get pulled onto the side of an alienating parent.
As training opportunities are expanded, research techniques such as single participant designs for tracking patient progress (Goodheart, 2006, p. 44) might be included in training education.

For Legal Professionals
Too often, law enforcement, divorce attorneys, mediators, guardian Ad Litems, and judges are unfamiliar or undereducated about the phenomenon of parental alienation. Some may be biased against the label PAS (Gardner, 2002). Thus, a child claiming to want nothing to do with one parent may be perceived to be acting out of a healthy self-interest rather than out of an unhealthy alliance with an alienating parent. Understanding severe parental alienation can provide much-needed legal support aimed at protecting the child’s relationship with the targeted parent rather than inadvertently fostering rejection.

Conclusion
Just as no one situation produces the alienated child, no one psychotherapeutic intervention or prevention strategy works for all. Mental health professionals need to be able to recognize parental alienation and to strategize treatments based on sound scientific practice. Counselors also need to be ready to confer with experts, to work with professionals from other disciplines, to apply strategically and appropriately evidence-based practices, and then to do what can be done to free the alienated and at-risk child from the short- and long-term damaging effects of the loyalty conflicts of PAS and parental alienation.

Parental Alienation and HuffPo’s Divorce Section: Reality & Reason on Matrimonial Mismatch by Monika

The Huffington Post recently featured an article,”Stop Divorce Poison.” The article, if properly understood, disentangles a web of blame.  Accusations that alienated parents, are somehow responsible, is punitive. The idea that both parents are equally at fault is  predicated on assumptions. Dr. Warshak sheds light that alienated parents, similar to survivors of domestic violence, may have married a person that was abusive. Joan Dawson also points out, in her article, No Room for Reason that matrimonial mismatches are a reality. She notes, “Abusers do not come with a sign on their forehead.” She indicates that it is often months or years later, when one finds out the truth.  At the beginning of courtship, it is hard to detect that the person you’re in love with, may later resort to despicable tactics.  Contrary to popular thought, not everyone marries a like-minded person.

Unfortunately, some groups have no room for reason.  Their only explanation to child alienation is that the parent must have been abusive.  They rank and order levels of abuse. No one disputes the horrific outcome of physical assault. Yet, it is forgotten, that some abusers tactics consist only of uncensored verbal snares to minor children.  Beware:  If you are an alienated mother, you will be left in the dust. If you report that your child no longer loves you; you will be questioned and judged.  They believe if your child refuses visitation; it is your fault. They do not believe that words alone, by a manipulative ex-spouse, could sway the mind of a gullible child. Grown women can follow the likes of Warren Jeffs, but some are dumbfounded when  sociopath ex-spouses lure children with lies. If you have an ex-spouse that never hit you, but instead, refuses to cease denigrating you; you too many become alienated.

Why should parental alienation concern women? Because women are concerned about the emotional well-being of their children. Most would agree; it is not in our children’s best interest to ignore emotional abuse.  Ignoring  parental alienation is  problematic because it casts doubt that long-term emotional abuse is something children just “get over.” (Several studies, not media hype, indicate the damage of relentless denigration, click here, here, and here.  Denying PAS also harms women, published in a respected, peer-reviewed  journal, click here.  )

As Dr. Warshak describes, the article intends to make a few simple points. Some of the points are:  it is wrong to use children as pawns to express hostility or punish a former partner; it is cruel to teach children to hate people who love them, and  it is abusive to force children to choose which they parent they will feel free to love. The crux of the article is that matrimonial mismatches are a reality. The analogy starts off, Mother Theresa does not marry Saddam Hussein.” Judges and court-appointed psychologists recite this bromide when one parent complains about the other. It is meant to convey a sophisticated, balanced, it-takes-two-to-tango view of divorce-related conflict. The system labels these parents a “high-conflict couple,” and assumes that both contribute equally to their disputes (Warshak, 2010).

 In some situations both parents contribute equally, but not in all cases.  It is often overlooked that  a Mother Theresa can marry a Saddam Hussein (especially, as Dawson notes, he is not wearing a sign revealing his true nature). We must admit; the sign may easily be overlooked when we are young and believe we are in love. I share Dawson’s concerns that PA should be distinguished from DV.  It is a tragedy when a protective parent has to live with the fact that his or her child has been placed with an abusive parent. But what about emotional abuse? Parents suffer too when their child is placed with an emotionally abusing parent.

I additionally share Dawson’s concerns that many mothers have made good faith allegations; yet they are doubted.  The difference is that alienated mothers make good faith allegations that after their divorce,  their once loved child  is rejecting. They report their ex-spouse never physically abused them or their child. Instead, they report that their ex-spouse will not follow court orders, and  will not cease denigrating them to their minor child. They report that their child treats them with contempt, in fact, with the same disrespect and demeaning tone that their ex utilized when married.  I cannot help but wonder what they will do when a good mother insists that they did not do anything to deserve such unwarranted hatred. Their messages will be most likely be censored, canceled, and chastised– claiming no man would be clever enough to coax a child into a clouded state of mind control.



“To a good mother who grieves the loss of her children’s love and respect, alienation is not “theoretical” and there is nothing in sounding the alarm about this form of emotional abuse that conflicts with advocating on behalf of victims of domestic violence.” Dr. Warshak, 2010

Parental Alienation Syndrome by Monika

Despite vast educational efforts made in favor of positive co-parenting, many divorces fail to end on favorable terms. The stanch reality is that post-divorce conflicts continue for years after a divorce is finalized, with children embattled in the middle. Establishing and successfully exercising affective and informed methods to aid this next generation is undoubtedly, the single most important issue facing the counseling profession. As counselors, we must move beyond the simple acknowledgment of these conflicts.

Currently, the court system favors ill-fated co-parenting in many cases. Arguably, there are many divorced couples capable of effectively co-parenting. Unfortunately, many divorces involve relentless long-term parental conflict leading to psychological distress. Without therapeutic interventions, the children may succumb to life-long damaging effects. Adults are also not immune and may display various idiosyncratic manifestations of unresolved anger and hurt from prolonged conflicts.
The most disheartening outcome, of an unamicable divorce, is the possibility that the parent-child relationship may become temporarily or permanently severed. This adverse phenomenon is known as Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). The term was coined by Gardner (1985), who defined PAS as…a disorder that arises primarily in the context of child custody disputes. Its primary manifestation is the child’s campaign of denigration against a good, loving parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of a programming (brainwashing) parent’s indoctrinations and the child’s own contributions to the vilification of the target parent. When true parental abuse and or neglect is present the child’s animosity may be justified, and so the Parental Alienation Syndrome diagnosis is not applicable” (p. 192 ¶ 3).

PAS can be mild, in which visitation with a child is difficult, or it may become severe, in which the child refuses to acknowledge one parent, eventually severing the relationship. Regrettably, counselors are divided over the existence of PAS. Part of the ongoing resistance, as noted by Baker (2006), may be because “skeptics hold the belief that a parent must have done something to warrant their child’s rejection and / or the other parent’s animosity” (p. 192 ¶ 3).With PAS, alienation is not based on the alienated parent’s actions. According to Warshak (2001), some parents doubt their ability to hold onto their children’s love. He notes that they are insecure and “to cope with their insecurity they try to drive a wedge between the children and the other parent” (p. 94). It is vital to remember the negative context that often comes with divorce. The alienating parent preys upon the fact that younger children can be credulous and older children can be lured with material gifts. It should also be considered, that the parent that is perpetuating the alienation has something to gain: an ongoing relationship with an ex-spouse for instance.

The acknowledgement and support of PAS research should be on the counseling forefront for numerous reasons. The failure to recognize the validity of PAS impedes the ability to effectively identify and work with affected children. Consequently, some counselors fail to recognize the legitimacy of a parent’s claim that an ex-spouse has “turned their child against them”. As a result, client’s anxieties are misunderstood and / or improperly diagnosed. In addition, many states court-order high conflict divorces into counseling; while counselors may not agree about the existence of PAS, most would acknowledge the existence of “poor mouthing”. Certainly, counselors recognize that poor mouthing the other parent to innocent children does not lead to optimal mental health, nor does it contribute to the development or safeguarding of positive parental relationships. Successful counselors must be equipped to deal with the intense emotions stemming from these issues.

Lastly, losing a child to PAS is psychologically devastating. Gardner (2002) considers…losing a child because of PAS to be more painful and psychologically devastating than the death of a child. A child’s death is final and there is absolutely no hope for reconciliation. Most bereaved parents ultimately resign themselves to this painful reality (p. 201 ¶ 2). With PAS, the post-divorce adjustment period may never end if these parents are repeatedly subjected to a roller coaster of emotional distress and injustice. As stated by Baker (2006), “The ongoing debate among professionals regarding the existence of PAS can contribute to the victimization of targeted parents who are not receiving the support from the legal and mental health communities that they desperately need” (p. 202 ¶ 1). If as counselors we fail to recognize the existence of PAS, then what profession should the innocent turn to, in order to express this justified grief?

References
Baker, A. (2006). The power of stories / stories about power: Why therapists and clients should read stories about the parental alienation syndrome. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 34 (191-203).
Gardner, R. (2002). Denial of the parental alienation syndrome also harms women. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 30 (191-202).
Warshak, R. (2001). Divorce Poison. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Parental Alienation: Refined, Reformulated & Rationalized: You Might Be An Average, Okay Normal Parent by Monika

It is an unfortunate time we are in when mental abuse of children remains disregarded. Parental Alienation has been described in the literature for at least 60 years (Bernet, 2008). I hope that for the sake of children all over the world, another 60 years will not pass.  The media has distorted Parental Alienation; extremist groups have made attempts to divide the issue into gender wars. I agree with Fidler & Bala (2010), “…the feminist advocates who, in the name of helping women, deny that alienation exists, do a disservice to not only the many mothers who are unjustifiably alienated from their children, and often by abusive men, but more importantly do a disservice to the children.”Probably the nastiest misrepresentations are those that relate Parental Alienation solely to the person who coined the term, Dr. Gardner. 


It is regrettable that many cannot read past Gardner’s finding during the tender year’s presumption and his studies of high-conflict custody cases. It is also fateful that there is not a consensus among professionals; nevertheless, I concur with Bernet (2008) that the proposal should not be rejected due to a lack of consensus. He notes that, “the history of psychology and psychiatry is full of disagreements over causation.” Luckily, there is an agreement that parent-child alienation is a common and serious problem for some [italics added] separating parents (Jaffe, Ashbourne, & Mamo, 2010). This group designated as “some”, is the group I would clearly identify as high conflict. According the Center for Divorce Education, this group of divorcing parents consists of 10%. These authors also point out, that the current debate is centered on extreme cases. Commons sense tells us these extreme cases merit attention. It seems reasonable that Parental Alienation is considered “high-conflict.” I am not aware personally, or in literature reviews, of divorced couples that co-parent affectionately while simultaneously slandering each other in the presence of their children.

Out of a response to criticism, Parental Alienation has been refined, reformulated, and at times, rationalized. I am appreciative that professionals in the field are working on this dreadful issue. Nevertheless, in light of all the connotations, an extensive review of the literature reveals that Parental Alienation has been conceptualized similarly by different researchers. Although, as a caveat, most do not openly acknowledge their findings are analogous to Gardner’s. Parental Alienation, as described by Wallerstein & Kelly (1976), is when a child living with one parent who irrationally rejects the other parent and refuses to visit or have contact with that other parent .Explanations come back to Gardner’s original definition of Parental Alienation Syndrome. Gardner in 1985 discussed this high-conflict group and noted, “It is the child’s campaign of denigration against a parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of a programming parent’s indoctrination and the child’s own contribution to the vilification of the target parent.”  And here is where the problem begins. All of these conceptualizations’ entail what many consider as black and white thinking. 


Is irrational alienation possible? Is it probable for one parent to trigger a campaign against an ex-spouse and align his or her child? According to Fidler and Bala (2010)”this is not an either/or proposition; there are abused children and there are alienated children.” The authors additionally note that to portray rejected parents as victims is to resist “scrutiny of the conduct of these parents.” Clearly, I agree there are alienated children and abused children. And, I suggest, that both issues  should be taken very seriously. These issues however are separate considerations. True abuse and neglect should be ruled out before giving a diagnosis of parental alienation disorder. Gardner and other researches include criteria for differentiating between Parental Alienation and Bona Fide abuse-neglect. It seems likely that experts can differentiate between abuse and Parental Alienation. “Gardner’s definition is clear enough for psychologists to reliably diagnose PAS from case examples” (Rueda, 2004). It also is possible that one parent can develop animosity because of the input from one parent. Without a doubt, …”[sic] it is common for each parent to express negative sentiments about the other parent…” (Fidler & Bala, 2010). However, I think it is possible that one parent can vent to a friend, counselor, or another adult while the alienating parent “expresses negative sentiments about the other parent to the child.” Who do you vent to?


Clearly, educational efforts are needed as some parents do not know that voicing frustrations to their child may not be in their best interests. On the other hand, there are actually parents who appreciate that disparaging remarks about an ex-spouse is not a good idea. But, we ponder, let us get the bottom of our ex-spouses pain, “The real issue which needs to be addressed is the conflict between the parents that prevents the children from enjoying a meaningful relationship with each of their parents post separation” (Jaffe, Ashbourne, & Mamo, 2010). I do not know about the reader, but to get to the bottom of my ex-spouses anger, I would have had to stay married.   Some parents cannot move on past the pain of a divorce, “It is the embattled parent, often the one who opposes the divorce in the first place, who initiates and fuels the alignment (Wallerstein & Kelly, 1980). What about you, do you as a rejected parent have serious parenting deficits? No worries, you may be average with regular parenting faults, similar to the married population that regularly making parenting mistakes.


Is it not possible that the parent who opposes the divorce could start a campaign of denigration? I know when I initiated my divorce, I was told, “if you leave I will make your life a living hell.”  It is also an immense error to assume that all rejected parents cannot be victims. To think that all rejected parents must have played a role, renders that rejected parents get what they deserve. (Warshak, 2003).  Intent or no intent, some parents spew venomous words and poison the mind of his or her child. I agree that some parents could benefit from parenting educational programs that teaches about children’s developmental stages, birth order, gender identification and the adverse outcome of badmouthing. As a caveat; one has to care. Kelly (2010) points out, favored parents often are noncompliant with court orders. What about your ex-spouse, does he or she comply with court orders? Should valuable workshops that offer services to severely alienated children offer programs for the favored parent? According to Warshak & Otis (2010), favored parents often deny they have a problem [sic] and are unmotivated to change. Years ago after my divorce, I suggested joint counseling, but the suggestion was ridiculed.  What about your ex-spouse? Do they want [italics added] to change?


Do not be surprised if you ex-spouse does not change nor desire to change. A shrewd college professor recently reminded me, of the old adage; leopards do not change their spots. Findings indicate this may be true. As noted by Jaffe et al. (2010), “a minority of parents who suffer from personality and mental disorders may ignore the court and spend their waking hours finding ways to exhaust the other parent emotionally and financially.”  If you are a target parent hope remains. Some research indicates that being an adequate loving parent might be good enough. It may be that rejected parents simply have a difficult ex-spouse. And do not worry; you may also be psychologically healthy (although, getting a little mad at this point is understandable). Contrary to what might easily be assumed by professionals, findings by Hedrick & Dunne, (1994) suggest that PAS does not necessarily signify dysfunction in the rejected parent.  Gordon, Stoffey & Bottinelli (2008) also had comparable findings. They noted that target parents were similar in dynamics to an “average parent”. Target parents,   if you find yourself distressed by your children refusing visitation, sudden hatred, or reporting ideas and notions beyond their years; you may be normal.


There is power in hope; and in knowing you are not alone.  “We consider Parental Alienation Syndrome as a childhood disorder caused by an alienating parent…” (Gordon et. al). Lastly, the magnification of this problem is realized, “if a child begins to develop racial hatred, many reasonable people would consider this a problem worthy of attention. When children suffer from irrational anxieties that interfere with functioning we do not ignore the suffering with the hope that eventually the fears will be overcome” (Warshak, 2003). Once I was reminded that hatred by a child towards one parent is similar to prejudice, and that parental alienation is a social problem.   Divorce is a social problem; creating and instilling fear in the hearts and minds of innocent children and turning them against a once-loved parent is pathological. Which lens do you wear? As I recall, not all social problems resolve without intervention. And please, do not think silence is always golden. Nor is it helpful to count on your case of Parental Alienation resolving by the time your child turns 18; this may not be the case. The fact is, some social problems are internalized [italics added] and subsequently develop into disorders. Without recognition and intervention, Parental Alienation will adversely affect generations to come.

Methods of Emotional Manipulation: Understanding Parental Alienation using Behaviorism by Monika

Parental alienation is an insidious plan.  The plan  is not necessarily well-thought out. An un-happy ex-spouse does not jot down verbal snares for future use. On the contrary, the plan is primal. The plan is one that feeds and fills a wounded adult. Sorry to say but the plan works.

Psychology terms may benefit when it come to understanding Parental Alienation (PA). The first term is positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement works. Parents use positive reinforcement to increase the frequency of   desired behaviors. The reinforcement may be gifts, stickers, recognition, or accolades. In cases of PA, the manipulative parent may buy the child a toy each time the kid reports happenings during the other parent’s visitation time. The kid will learn to report the events of the other parent’s life.  A manipulative parent will use this as part of his or her plan. So, when asked, does (dad or mom) say bad things? The child’s answer is no.

The second term is known as negative reinforcement.  This method works by compliance and exhaustion. Let’s say a kid calls the non-custodial parent every night before bed.  However, the parent feels threatened and rants about 30 minutes before the call is made. The out of control parent cannot tolerate frustration. Consequently, they resort to a nightly ritual of yelling, screaming and the use of derogatory terms .The parent may additionally threaten the kid. Obviously the kid would like to avoid the aversive conditions. One can conclude that the kid will stop calling. In this case, the kid desires the parent to cease child-like tantrums.


The third is partial reinforcement. If positive reinforcement is consistent, the behavior and subsequent rewards will remain. On the contrary, partial reinforcement is unpredictable. This may be maddening for parents that demand loyalty. It is akin to a drug user needing a fix. Let’s say a parent bought a new video game every time the child reported (mom or dads) new dating status. But wait, the child is getting older. The kid has a new set of friends and moved into adolescence. At times the kid will report events and other times they will not. The parent cannot predict if they get to know the happenings of his or her ex-spouses life. Out of desperation and the requirement for an emotional fix, the parent behaves in a compulsive manner. The parent wants to get back on track with a steady stream of reports from parental spying. The parent craves consistency.

Next is punishment the difference is in the timing. In negative reinforcement dad (or mom) starts yelling before the kid leaves for the weekend or vacation. Punishment can manifest in many forms. The worst may sound something like this, “if you go visit on Wednesday night, then we are moving five states away.” Punishment is a consequence of a behavior that the favored parent refuses to tolerate. In PA the word behavior should be replaced with love. That is, the favored parent cannot have the kid loving the other parent. Consequently, the kid will become fearful and may refuse to go. They reason, at their young age, that it is better to refuse visitation than to move five states away. Fear itself becomes reinforcing.


Last but not least: traumatic learning. In this case the kid will adopt a response style of fear and avoidance. There are many methods the parent may employ. Regardless of the means, it is enough to scare the kid for life. It may alienate the child or lead to a severed relationship. As just one example, the kid that arrives home happy from a weekend at dads may not be met with a pleasant smile. Instead, the child may come home to a parent screaming what a sorry no good nothing of a parent the child’s father has been. Worse yet, the parent rant, raves, and sobs. They will not stop; the parent goes on ranting about adult matters, such as affairs, and personal faults. The outcome is an alienated child. Parental Alienation is frequently associated with a plan. While the plan may not always have a lot of forethought, it provides covert gains. The gains are a quick fix to deep-rooted issues, pigeonholing kids into a life without one parent.

Parental Alienation Resources

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Task Force on Parenting Coordination. (2006). Guidelines for parenting coordination. Family Court Review,44, 164–181.

Austin, Jr., R. B. (2006). PAS as a child against self. In R. A. Gardner, S. R. Sauber, & D. Lorandos (Eds.), The international handbook of parental alienation syndrome, conceptual, clinical and legal considerations (pp. 56–64). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Baker, A. J. L. (2005). The long-term effects of parental alienation on adult children: A qualitative research study. American Journal of Family Therapy, 33(4), 289–302.

Baker, A. J. L. (2005). Parent alienation strategies: A qualitative study of adults who experienced parental alienation as a child. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 23(4), 41–63.

Baker, A. J. L. (2006). The power of stories/stories about power: Why therapists and clients should read stories about the parental alienation syndrome. American Journal of Family Therapy, 34(3), 191–203.

Baker, A. J. L. (2006). Patterns of parental alienation syndrome: A qualitative study of adults who were alienated from a parent as a child. American Journal of Family Therapy, 34(1), 63–78.

Baker, A. J. L. (2007). Knowledge and attitudes about the parental alienation syndrome: A survey of custody evaluators. American Journal of Family Therapy, 35(1), 1–19.

Baker, A. J. L. (2007). Adult children of parental alienation syndrome: Breaking the ties that bind. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Baker, A. J. L. (2010). Adult recall of parental alienation in a community sample: Prevalence and associations with psychological maltreatment. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 51(1), 16–35.

Baker, A. J. L., & Andre, K. (2008). Working with alienated children and their targeted parents. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, 11(2), 10–17.

Baker, A. J. L., & Darnall, D. (2006). Behaviors and strategies employed in parental alienation: A survey of parental experiences. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 45(1–2), 97–124.

Baker, A. J. L., & Darnall, D. (2007). A construct study of the eight symptoms of severe parental alienation syndrome: A survey of parental experiences. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 47(1–2), 55–75.

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Bernet, W. (1993). False statements and the differential diagnosis of abuse allegations. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(5), 903–910.

Bernet, W. (1995). Children of divorce: A practical guide for parents, attorneys, & therapists. New York: Vantage.

Bernet, W. (1997). Case study, allegations of abuse created in a single interview.Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(7), 966– 970.

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Bernet, W. (2008). Parental alienation disorder and DSM–V. American Journal of Family Therapy, 36(5), 349–366.

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Bone, J. M., & Walsh, M. R. (1999). Parental alienation syndrome: How to detect it and what to do about it. Florida Bar Journal, 73(3), 44–47.

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Bowen, M. (1966). The use of family theory in clinical practice. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 7, 345–374.

Brody, B. (2006a). The misdiagnosis of PAS. In R. A. Gardner, S. R. Sauber, & D. Lorandos (Eds.), The international handbook of parental alienation syndrome, conceptual, clinical and legal considerations (pp. 209–227). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.


Campbell, T. W. (1992a). Psychotherapy with children of divorce: The pitfalls of triangulated relationships. Psychotherapy, Theory, Research, Practice, & Training, 29, 646–652.

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Cartwright, G. F. (1993). Expanding the parameters of parental alienation syndrome. American Journal of Family Therapy, 21(3), 205–215.


Cartwright, G. F. (2006). Beyond parental alienation syndrome: Reconciling the alienated child and the lost parent. In R. A. Gardner, S. R. Sauber, & D. Lorandos (Eds.), The international handbook of parental alienation syndrome, conceptual, clinical and legal considerations (pp. 286–291). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.


Clawar, S. S., & Rivlin, B. V. (1991). Children held hostage: Dealing with programmedand brainwashed children. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.


Cooke, L. (1995). Parental alienation syndrome: A hidden facet of custody disputes. First Place, Lieff Award, Canadian Bar Association, Ottawa, Ontario.


Darnall, D. (1999). Parental alienation, not in the best interest of the children. North Dakota Law Review, 75, 323.

Darnall, Douglas. (2008). Divorce Casualties: Understanding Parental Alienation (2nd ed). Lanham, MD: National Book Network.  


Drozd, L. M. (2009). Rejection in cases of abuse or alienation in divorcing families. In R. M. Galatzer-Levy, L. Kraus, & J. Galatzer-Levy (Eds.), The scientific basis for child custody decisions. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

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Dunne, J., & Hedrick, M. (1994). The parental alienation syndrome: An analysis of sixteen selected cases. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 21(3–4), 21–38.

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Ellis, E. M. (2000). Divorce wars: Interventions with families in conflict. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Ellis, E. M. (2005). Help for the alienated parent. American Journal of Family Therapy,33(5), 415–426.

Ellis, E. M. (2007). A stepwise approach to evaluating children for parental alienation syndrome. Journal of Child Custody, 4(1–2), 55–78.

Ellis, E. M., & Boyan, S. (in press). Intervention strategies for parent coordinators in parental alienation cases. American Journal of Family Therapy.Fidler, B. J., Bala, N., Birnbaum, R., & Kavassal
is, K. (2008a). Understanding child alienation and its impact on families. In B. J. Fidler et al., Challenging issues in child custody assessments, A guide for legal and mental health professionals (pp. 203–229). Toronto, Canada: Thomson Carswell.


Fidler, B. J., Bala, N., Birnbaum, R., & Kavassalis, K. (2008b). Challenging issues in child custody assessments: A guide for legal and mental health professionals. Toronto, Canada: Thomson Carswell.  
Garber, B. D. (1996). Alternatives to parental alienation syndrome: Acknowledging the broader scope of children’s emotional difficulties during parental separation and divorce. New Hampshire Bar Journal, 37(1), 51–54.


Garber, B. D. (2004a). Therapist alienation: Foreseeing and forestalling third-party dynamics undermining psychotherapy with children of conflicted caregivers. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice, 35(4), 357–363.


Garber, B. D. (2004b). Parental alienation in light of attachment theory, consideration of the broader implications for child development, clinical practice, & forensic process. Journal of Child Custody, 1(4), 49–76.

Gardner, R. A. (1982). Family evaluation in child custody litigation. Cresskill, NJ: Creative Therapeutics.

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