ALIENATION: THE TRUTH REGARDING THE TRAUMA AND ABUSE

ALIENATION: THE TRUTH REGARDING THE TRAUMA AND ABUSE
VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023

Here are some questions that I am receiving regarding our conference.

Q. Who is this conference for?

A. This conference is for both the alienated family members as well as the professionals who work in and do studies in the field of alienation.

Q. What if I can not view the conference when it is a live event?

A. As we always have in the past, it will be recorded. If you can not make any of the conference during our scheduled event or you miss some of the presentations, you may view them at your convenience. You will need to register now before the deadline to receive the discounted price.

Q. Will this be available on the Families Divided TV you tube channel at a later date?

A. No our conferences will only be available as a special event. All of the 2.5 - day event will be through zoom.

Q. What if I am not in the US?

A. This conference is an international conference. Several have already registered from other countries.

Family Access-Fighting for Children's Rights, along with Steel Partners Foundation and PA is CA-Parental Alienation is Child Abuse, are hosting this important conference on the topic of "Alienation: The Truth Regarding the Trauma and the Abuse". This topic is of utmost importance in the world of alienation. We are fortunate to have some of the top presenters in the field of alienation joining us.
This will be an incredible 2.5-day event for alienated family members as well as professionals who work with people affected by trauma associated with relational disruption due to divorce/separation. Attendees will hear from world experts on alienation, trauma, attachment and therapeutic interventions.

On Friday night to begin our conference, Dr. Edward Kruk will offer a critical review of some of the main arguments that have been advanced against the concept of parental alienation as a form of family violence and child abuse, and will highlight the consequences of ignoring or dismissing the reality of parental alienation for children and families. In the second half of the hour long discussion, the audience will be invited to share their perspectives. Critiques of parental alienation in particular will be invited, and our speakers will be given an opportunity to present the current scientific evidence in regard to the parental alienation debate.

After Dr. Kruk, our conference presenters will be in a round robin with conference participants where you may have one on one discussions with them.

During our conference on Saturday and Sunday, we will have each day 2 Q&A sessions for you to ask the presenters questions during the presentations.

On Saturday night, we will have a time of networking with those who are professionals and/or have organizations. We will have this time in place of sponsors at no additional cost to you.

We also will have an hour of fun and games which was an extremely big hit at last year's conference. Many surprises for you on Saturday night as well as some great prizes.

We will have a one on one breakout room for those who wish to chat with others going through this "hell on earth called alienation" which will last from 9 PM EST-7 AM EST both Friday and Saturday nights.

We do hope that you can join us!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, October 13, 2023

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Dr. Edward Kruk will offer a critical review of some of the main arguments that have been advanced against the concept of parental alienation as a form of family violence and child abuse, and will highlight the consequences of ignoring or dismissing the reality of parental alienation for children and families. The title of his presentation is "Parental Alienation as a Form of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse" In the second half of the hour long discussion, the audience will be invited to share their perspectives. Critiques of parental alienation in particular will be invited, and our speakers will be given an opportunity to present the current scientific evidence in regard to the parental alienation debate.

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
There will be a round robin with our expert presenters for those who wish to have one on one with them.

9:00 PM - 7:00 AM EDT
One on One discussion in an open break out room for those attending our conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know others in dealing with alienation.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT
Conference Presenters

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Networking for professionals and organizations
Instead of paying additionally as a sponsor, this year, all of those registered for the conference will have an opportunity to share their info on our website to promote their business and/or organization. at no extra charge.. We also will be offering this hour to network as well. Please contact me with any questions.

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
Game Night- This will be an extremely fun time with lots of fun and great prizes!!

9:00 PM - 7:00 AM EDT
One on One discussion in an open break out room for those attending our conference. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know others in dealing with alienation.

Sunday, October 15, 2023

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT
Conference Presenters

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM EDT
Sharing testimonies

Schedule of Presentations

Saturday, October 14, 2023

9:00 AM-9:10 AM Welcome Elaine Cobb, Founder and President FAFFCR

9:10 AM-10:10 AM Edward Kruk,Ph. D, MSW, Keynote Speaker
"The Trauma of Parental Alienation as a Form of Family Violence and Child Abuse"

10:10 AM-10:25 AM Break

10:25 AM-11:25 AM Sue Cornbluth, PSY
"Identifying and Learning How to Release the Trauma/Abuse Caused by Parental Alienation"

11:25 AM-11:55 AM Q&A Dr. Edward Kruk and Dr. Sue Cornbluth
Megan Hunter, Moderator

11:55 AM-12:55 PM Lunch

12:55 PM-1:55 PM Megan Hunter, MBA
"A Serving of Trauma for Everyone: Timeline and Roles of Alienation Trauma and Abuse"

1:55 PM-2:55 PM Joshua Coleman, Ph. D
"Cult of One: The Role of a Troubled Wife in a Son's Decision to End Contact With His Parents"

2:55 PM-3:10 PM Break

3:10 PM-4:10 PM Lisa Rothfus, LCSW, MSW, Bed, BA
"Creating a Pathway Forward:Cultivating Growth Out of Trauma"

4:10 PM-4:50 PM Q&A Megan Hunter and Lisa Rothfus
Megan Hunter, Moderator

4:50 PM Closing and Instruction for the day Elaine Cobb, Founder and President FAFFCR

Sunday, October 15, 2023

9:00 AM-10:00 AM William Bernet, M. D.
"Truth or Consequences: Strategies for Addressing the Epidemic of Parental Alienation Misinformation"

10:00 AM-!0:15 AM Break

10:15 AM-11:15 AM Bill Eddy, LCSW, ESQ
"Separating Alienation From Estrangement: Two Opposite Forms of Abuse"

11:15 AM-12:15 PM Kathleen Reay, Ph. D
"The Upside of the Downside of Trauma"

12:15 PM-12:45 PM Q&A Dr. William Bernet, Bill Eddy, Dr. Kathleen Reay
Megan Hunter, Moderator

12:45 PM-1:45 PM Lunch

1:45 PM-2:45 PM Chris Smith, ESQ
"Parental Alienation: There's Plenty of Blame to Go Around"

2:45 PM-3:45 PM Mary, Alvarez, Ph. D
"Parental Alienation is a Form of Child Psychological Abuse"

3:45 PM-4:00 PM Break

4:00 PM-5:00 PM Melanie Gill, BSC and MSC/Pg. Dip
"What About the Children: Attachment Patterns and Risk in Individual Children and Siblings Traumatized through Alienation"

5:00 PM-5:30 PM Q&A Chris Smith, Dr. Mary Alvarez, and Melanie Gill
Megan Hunter, Moderator

5:30 PM Closing Elaine Cobb, Founder and President FAFFCR

Please note all times for the conference are EDT

elaine Cobb

Event Coordinator

Elaine Cobb is Founder and President of Family Access-Fighting for Children's Rights. Elaine is also the host and executive producer of Families Divided TV.

Elaine founded the 501 C-3 organization Family Access-Fighting for Children's Rights in April 2012. She started the tv program Families Divided TV in December 2021.

Elaine and her husband Chester are alienated from their only child Bryan for 11 1/2 years now. Prior to this bout of alienation, they were alienated from Bryan for 2 1/2 years until just before his marriage to Kate. They also have a granddaughter (their only grandchild) Dare who is now 11 years old and they have never met her. They truly understand the trauma and abuse of what alienation causes in this "hell on earth".

All of the events and information that is shown through Family Access-Fighting for Children's Rights and Families Divided TV is for the purpose of helping bring knowledge and support to those family members who are alienated from their family members. It is also much help to those professionals who work in the field of alienation.

megan hunter

Moderator

Megan Hunter is co-founder and chief executive officer of the High Conflict Institute in San Diego, California. She is a leading expert in high conflict personalities, focusing primarily on family law, mediation, workplace disputes, customer service, government/public service, ombuds, universities, and religious organizations. Her background in business and economics, combined with years of experience in the legal arena, give her unique and valuable insights across diverse conflict settings.

Megan has served as a family law and child support specialist at the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts, and a child support enforcement manager in Nebraska. She has served as president and other leadership roles in non-profit organizations including the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts Arizona Chapter, the Arizona Family Support Council, Nebraska Child Support Enforcement Association, and others. She was appointed by the Arizona governor to a five-year term on the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners.

She has given keynote addresses, workshops, and seminars in seven countries and has authored or co-authored five books on high conflict issues.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

EDWARD KRUK, PH, D., MSW

"The Trauma of Parental Alienation as a Form of Family Violence and Child Abuse"

The alienation of parents from the lives of their children after parental separation is a unique form of complex trauma for both targeted parents and their children. It also represents a severe form of family violence and child abuse that is resistant to therapeutic intervention unless addressed at an early stage. Drawing upon theories of trauma and loss, this presentation will examine key findings as well as clinical and policy implications from parental alienation research from the perspective of those most severely affected: targeted parents and their children. The “primal wound” of parental alienation-related trauma has profoundly negative short- and long-term consequences that need to be addressed via primary prevention, early intervention, and specialized therapeutic programs, as well as fundamental changes at a systemic level, including the removal of child custody determination from the adversarial arena and legislation establishing shared parental responsibility as the foundation of family law.

Edward Kruk, MSW, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Social Work at the University of British Columbia, where he has been on faculty for 30 years, specializing in child and family policy. His research has focused on fatherhood involvement, therapeutic family mediation, shared parenting and the best interests of children, and parental alienation as a form of family violence and child abuse. He also has over 40 years of clinical and community work experience as a professional social worker. He received his BA and MSW degrees from the University of Toronto, and his doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. His professional experience also includes private practice in family mediation, a faculty appointment with the University of Calgary, family practice with Catholic Family Services in Calgary, medical social work practice with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, school social work practice with the Metro Separate School Board in Toronto, and child protection with the Metro and Catholic Children’s Aid Societies in Toronto. He is author of “Divorce and Disengagement” (Fernwood, 1993), “Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services” (Nelson-Hall, 1997), “Children’s Needs and Parental Responsibilities” (Fernwood, 2011), “The Equal Parent Presumption” (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2013), and “The Routledge International Handbook of Shared Parenting and the Best Interest of the Child” (Routledge, 2021). He has published widely in academic and professional journals, and is the recipient of numerous research and teaching awards. He has made almost 200 conference presentations across the globe over the span of his academic career, and is the inaugural President of the International Council on Shared Parenting and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his service on behalf of children and families.

PRESENTERS

WILLIAM BERNET, M. D.

BILL EDDY, LCSW, ESQ

"Truth or Consequences: Strategies for Addressing the Epidemic of Parental Alienation Misinformation"

The classic party game, truth or dare, is a metaphor for how parental alienation scholars can address misinformation that has been repeatedly published since the 1980's. TRUTH refers to contradicting the misinformation and publishing factual information about parental alienation. DARE refers to taking assertive action to suppress misinformation, such as demanding that journal editors and book publishers publish corrections, retract articles, or withdraw books from publication. The presenter will relate both historical and recent examples of these strategies.

William Bernet, M.D., a graduate of Holy Cross College, summa cum laude, and Harvard Medical School, is a professor emeritus at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is board certified in general psychiatry, child psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. As an expert in forensic psychiatry, Dr. Bernet has testified about 300 times in 24 states. Dr. Bernet has written professional articles and book chapters on a variety of subjects, including: group and individual therapy with children and adolescents; humor in psychotherapy; forensic child psychiatry; child maltreatment; true and false allegations of abuse; satanic ritual abuse; reincarnation; child custody and visitation; parental alienation; testimony regarding behavioral genomics; and risk management. In 2007, Dr. Bernet and Judge Don R. Ash published Children of Divorce: A Practical Guide for Parents, Therapists, Attorneys, and Judges. Dr. Bernet edited Parental Alienation, DSM-5, and ICD-11, which was published in 2010. Dr. Bernet and his colleagues edited Parental Alienation: The Handbook for Mental Health and Legal Professionals, which was published in 2013. He was the founder and first president of the Parental Alienation Study Group.

"Separating Alienation from Estrangement: Two Opposite Forms of Abuse"

When a child resists or refuses contact with a parent, their families and professionals often fight over the cause for months or years, during which the resistance gets worse. Is it estrangement in which the child resists an abusive parent (physically, emotionally, etc.)? Or is it alienation in which the child is influenced by the alienating behaviors of a favored parent? Now that there is more knowledge about alienation, some reasonable non-alienating parents are getting wrongly accused of alienation when the reality is that the other parent is, in fact, intimidating their child. This presentation will address ways of identifying the difference as early as possible, communicating this to professionals, and the differences in how to treat these two opposite forms of abuse.

Bill Eddy is co-founder and chief innovation officer of High Conflict Institute. He pioneered the High Conflict Personality Theory (HCP) and is the world’s leading expert on methods for managing disputes involving people with high conflict personalities.

Bill has worked as the senior family mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center, a certified family law specialist representing clients in family court, and a licensed clinical social worker therapist. In 2021, he received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Academy of Professional Mediators.

He serves on the faculty of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law in California and is a conjoint associate professor with the University of Newcastle Law School in Australia. He has delivered talks and trainings in more than 30 U.S. states and thirteen countries and is the author or co-author of 20 books. His popular blog on the Psychology Today website has more than 5 million views. He trains lawyers, judges, and mediators, and regularly consults on issues of alienation, family violence, and false allegations in family court cases.

SUE CORNBLUTH, PSY

MEGAN HUNTER, MBA

"Identifying and Learning How to Release the Trauma/Abuse Caused by Parental Alienation"

There is no doubt about it, alienation causes emotional trauma. At times you may feel as though your soul has been broken. You are not alone. Most individuals that have experienced alienation feel the same way. It affects every aspect of your nervous system. At times, it may feel as though your skin is crawling. Knowing how to manage these symptoms and release the pain is a difficult task but not impossible. You can learn to move through the abuse and come out a survivor.

In this presentation, we will focus on identifying and describing the symptoms of trauma and emotional abuse caused by alienation, We will then explore coping techniques to help you release the trauma held within. These coping methods will include (1) identifying the trauma within your body and techniques of release (2) learning how acceptance can heal your trauma (3) forgiving to move forward and (3) self-empowerment techniques to reduce emotional triggers.

Dr. Sue Cornbluth is a certified parenting expert, coach and thought leader with international recognition, specializing in high conflict divorce and parental/grandparent alienation situations.

In 2013 Dr. Sue established Dr. Sue & You LLC, a consulting & coaching firm working with parents to help them successfully move through their high conflict divorce situations and reunite with their children. She has reunited hundreds of families with her tools and techniques. Her passion and goal is to heal family conflict with compassion. She accomplishes this through her work educating and guiding parents and professionals.

Dr. Sue has served as a child abuse and victims’ rights expert. The exposure she gained as a lead expert during the Jerry Sandusky trial directly contributed to the growing demand for her expert opinion. She has gained global recognition and is contracted for speaking engagements around the world. The Women’s Distinctive Business Magazine recognized Dr. Sue as One of the Country’s Most Distinctive Women. She is a regular contributor as a mental health expert for network television stations including NBC, Fox and CBS. She has contributed to several national publications.

Dr. Sue resides in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. She holds a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and has worked as a Psychology Professor at Temple University.

"A Serving of Trauma for Everyone: Timeline and Roles of Alienation Trauma and Abuse"

If you were a fly on the wall throughout the lives of everyone involved in alienation, whether the favored parent, the alienated parent, grandparent or family member, or the child, we’d all be in store for some surprises regarding trauma and abuse. In this session, Megan Hunter, MBA, co-founder and CEO of the High Conflict Institute and founder/Publisher of Unhooked Books, will take participants through the trauma and abuse journey in an attempt to gain insight and understanding about the driving forces of alienation. She’ll then provide some strategies for communication that should help ease conflict, and some tips for gaining insights into your own trauma, if any, and ways to help yourself resolve it and grow!

Megan Hunter is co-founder and chief executive officer of the High Conflict Institute in San Diego, California. She is a leading expert in high conflict personalities, focusing primarily on family law, mediation, workplace disputes, customer service, government/public service, ombuds, universities, and religious organizations. Her background in business and economics, combined with years of experience in the legal arena, give her unique and valuable insights across diverse conflict settings.

Megan has served as a family law and child support specialist at the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts, and a child support enforcement manager in Nebraska. She has served as president and other leadership roles in non-profit organizations including the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts Arizona Chapter, the Arizona Family Support Council, Nebraska Child Support Enforcement Association, and others. She was appointed by the Arizona governor to a five-year term on the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners.
She has given keynote addresses, workshops, and seminars in seven countries and has authored or co-authored five books on high conflict issues.

CHRIS SMITH, ESQ.

"Parental Alienation: There's Plenty of Blame to Go Around"

JOSHUA COLEMAN, PH.D

"Cult of One:The Role of a Troubled Wife in a Son's Decision to End Contact with His Parents"

Parental alienation is a known tactic used by family law litigants to gain leverage in custody cases, however, a parent can only alienate as far as the family law system will let them. Judges, attorneys, psychologists, therapists, and child protective services must bear some responsibility when parents are allowed to unjustifiably divide and distance children from a target parent. What can we do as an industry to better guard against the disease of parental alienation?

Chris Smith is a tireless advocate for parental equality and the rights of Fathers. He has a passion for advocating for parents who are being alienated and kept from their children and it shows by his willingness to take on difficult cases. As the founder of The Smith Firm, Chris provides legal services to clients in Oklahoma and across the Midwest in the areas of domestic litigation and family law issues, including high-conflict and hard to litigate custody cases. Chris's clients include individuals, business owners, and professionals who find themselves in a high stakes divorce or custody disputes.

Mr. Smith received a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma Christian University in 2001. He then went on to attend The University of Oklahoma College of Law and earned a Juris Doctor in 2004.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Smith has dedicated himself to advocating for his clients and their rights. He understands that personal and business issues can often be connected and he believes that the relationship between an attorney and his clients should be a partnership. For that reason, he strives to work with his clients to reach positive resolutions that meet their needs.

Chris is the author of the Oklahoma Divorce Guidebook which is available at his firm's website, as well as Faithfully: Issues of Faith & Family Law in the 21st Century.

Staying active in the legal community is a priority for Mr. Smith. He is a member of numerous associations, including the Family Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Texas State Bar, the American Bar Association Family Law Section, and the Oklahoma County Bar Association. He has spoke at South-by-Southwest, pitched at the Clio Cloud Conference, and presented on various issues relating to law and technology. Mr. Smith has also provided commentary for television and print media on issues of legal policy that affect workers in the legal field.

In order to best serve his clients, Mr. Smith is admitted to practice law in Oklahoma, Texas and before the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and Eastern District of Texas.

In my practice, I have found that it is generally more common for sons to be negatively influenced against their parents than are daughters. I discuss how men’s weaker social networks and their vulnerability to threats against their masculinity make them less able to withstand a wife’s coercive influence. In addition, how women’s stronger social networks in tandem with the “matrilneal advantage” of allying with their own mothers or families increases their influence against the son and his family.

Dr. Coleman is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area and a Senior Fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families, a non-partisan organization of leading sociologists, historians, psychologists and demographers dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest research and best practice findings about American families.
He has written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, NBC THINK, The Behavioral Scientist, CNN, MarketWatch, the San Francisco Chronicle, Greater Good Magazine, AEON, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and more. He has given talks to the faculties at Harvard, the Well Cornell Department of Psychiatry and other academic institutions. A frequent guest on the Today Show and NPR, he has been featured on Sesame Street, 20/20, Good Morning America, PBS, America Online Coaches, and numerous news programs for FOX, ABC, CNN, and NBC television.

He is the author of numerous articles and chapters and has written four books: The Rules of Estrangement (Random House); The Marriage Makeover: Finding Happiness in Imperfect Harmony (St. Martin's Press); The Lazy Husband: How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework (St. Martin's Press); When Parents Hurt; Compassionate Strategies When You and Your Grown Child Don't Get Along (Harper Collins).

He is the co-editor, along with historian Stephanie Coontz, of seven online volumes of Unconventional Wisdom: News You Can Use, a compendium of noteworthy research on the contemporary family, gender, sexuality, poverty, and work-family issues.

His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, Polish, and Croatian.

He is the co-editor, along with historian Stephanie Coontz of seven online volumes of Unconventional Wisdom: News You Can Use, a compendium of noteworthy research on the contemporary family, gender, sexuality, poverty, and work-family issues.

Dr Coleman also writes music for film and television. His music has been featured on Lethal Weapon, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Longmire, Shameless, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Fresh Off the Boat, Supergirl, Mistresses, Hustlers, RuPaul's Drag Race and many more.

LISA ROTHFUS, LCSW, MSW, BeD, BA.

"Creating a Path Forward: Cultivating Growth Out of Trauma"

In my work with alienated parents, they often present as anxious, agitated, angry, and afraid. What is often not understood by others is how they have experienced extreme trauma in attempting to manage an unfathomable family crisis that has caused them such grief and loss. Helping these parents understand and make sense of trauma can be an extremely complexed process. Trauma can be a cruel destructive force, or a vehicle for soaring to the heights of transformation. The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy, and the power to transform. In this workshop we will discuss the various types of trauma that affect alienated parents and their families, the effects of trauma on the body and mind, the most effective forms of treatment, 5 major misconceptions, and how the duel nature of trauma can lead to Post Traumatic Growth.

Lisa Rothfus is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked with families and children in private practice for over 35 years

She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Simmons School of Social Work in Boston, Massachusetts
Interned at two Harvard teaching hospitals
Post master's training in Structural Family Therapy at Cambridge Family Institute in Boston,
Massachusetts
Specializes in counseling families transitioning through all stages of divorce and high conflict family situations
Assesses and treats families affected by Parental Alienation, and offers mild, moderate, and severe Reunification Therapy
Appointed by the courts in numerous Texas counties to assess and provide counseling for families experiencing alienation or estrangement issues
Worked as a Guardian Ad Litem, Mediator, and Parent Facilitator/Coordinator in the Texas Courts
Appointed as a Reunification Therapist for families out of states if a child resides in Texas
Offers a 4-day Intensive Reunification Program out of Austin, Texas for severely alienated parents who have been awarded custody by the court of their alienated child. This program requires a “no Contact order”, and is a combination of structural family therapy, psychoeducational information, experiential therapy, and includes an extensive aftercare protocol for the alienating parent.

MARY ALVAREZ, PH. D

"Parental Alienation is a Form of Child Psychological
Abuse"

When a parent engages in alienation, this destructive parental behavior meets the criteria as a form of child psychological abuse. This form of child psychological abuse can have immediate psychological, developmental, and brain-based consequences, including unintended anxiety disorders, toxic stress, and disrupted attachment. The potential long-term consequences of this form of child psychological abuse when a previously alienated child reaches adulthood will be presented, including the risks of addictions, depression, and other psychological and relationship consequences.

Mary Alvarez, PhD earned her doctorate in developmental psychology with an emphasis in cognitive development and neurodevelopment from the University of Houston. Dr. Alvarez, a licensed psychologist for twenty-five years in Texas, has both a forensic and a clinical practice and she specializes in evaluating and treating high conflict families. As a result of her forensic work in family law as a custody evaluator, Dr. Alvarez has evaluated and witnessed the devastating psychological effects on children whose parents are involved in chronic high conflict, including parental alienation. Dr. Alvarez recognized the need to focus on prevention and early intervention of parental alienation, so she codeveloped Resetting the Family to evaluate and intervene with high conflict parents and families that include mild and moderate parental alienation as part of the conflict.

MELANIE GILL, BSC AND MSC/PG.DIP

"What About the Children: Attachment Patterns and Risk in Individual Children and Siblings Traumatized through Alienation"

When we see children affected by parental alienation, we see several classic behaviors in the child who appears to be rejecting one parent:

A campaign of denigration. ...
Weak, frivolous and absurd rationalizations. ...
A lack of ambivalence. ...
The “independent thinker” phenomenon. ...
An absence of guilt. ...
Support for the alienating parent. ...
Borrowed phrases and scenarios. ...
Rejection of extended family.

Using attachment science, we can go beyond these behaviors and see how each individual child has reached this terrible point. I’ll show how children adapt to the toxic dynamics at a fundamental level of thought processing and emotional adaption. Particular developmental factors in these families cause specific patterns of behavioural and emotional functioning in individual children and siblings depending on whether it’s a mother or father being harmful. Understanding what goes on at such a deep level then shows their unique risk trajectories and nuanced ways they can be helped.

Melanie Gill is an attachment expert, specialist psychologist and forensic consultant. She has over 15 years’ experience working as an expert witness assessing very complex cases involving parental alienation. She has a broad range of training taking in attachment and forensic assessment which yields very detailed and nuanced analyses of all family members. She has been a very vocal campaigner on PA for years. Over the last two years she has been targeted by women’s groups, radical feminists, and a group of psychologists who have aligned with PA deniers and domestic violence campaigners. She has been accused of being a charlatan, fraud, and a danger to the public so must be doing something right. In the last month, the accusations came to a head in the High Court in England in a landmark case in which PA was described as pseudo-science. She and PA were exonerated. Not in the eyes of the media though so misinformation still abounds.

Kathleen Reay, Ph.D

"The Upside of the Downside of Trauma"

Let the truth be known: if you do a Google Search with the words, "parental alienation trauma abuse", you will likely notice there are “about 926,000 results.” Given the abundance of matches, it’s clear there is a significant amount of information online related to this combination of search terms. However, most of the information provided focuses on the many negative effects trauma and abuse have on alienated parents, alienated children, and alienated adult-children. In this presentation, I’m going to briefly share some of my own findings relating to parental alienation, abuse, and trauma that are based on research I’ve authored and co-authored. From there, I’m going to share some findings based on the “lived experiences” of thousands of alienated parents, alienated children, and alienated adult- children I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past 45 years. Most of this presentation is going to highlight the “upside” of trauma. Specifically, I am going to share 6 factors that have been found to be associated with post-traumatic growth and resilience. Mental health professionals, alienated parents, and interested others will end up receiving many takeaways by the end of the presentation.

Dr. Kathleen M. Reay is an internationally recognized expert in high-conflict divorce, parental alienation, parent-child estrangement, and child emotional abuse and related trauma. Dr. Reay has significant experience providing print, radio, podcast, and television interviews worldwide. Her clinical career has been dedicated to helping alienated children and their families move forward. She has worked with 5,000 plus alienated children and their families in varying roles: clinical practitioner in private practice, child custody evaluator, expert witness, coach, consultant and the Founder and Clinical Director of the Family Reflections Reunification Program for Severely Alienated Children and Their Families. Dr. Reay is the author or co-author of several peer-reviewed published Parental Alienation research studies. Her 2011 book "Toxic Divorce: A Workbook for Alienated Parents" won International Book Awards in 2012 – 1st Place Winner in the Parenting/Family: Divorce category and Award-Winning Finalist in the Self- Help: Relationships category. Dr. Reay’s newest book “Blindsided by Parental Alienation: Proven Strategies to Reconnect with Your Child” will be published soon.