September 9 • 8PM ET

Several pathways exist where grandparents may find themselves experiencing the agony of being estranged or alienated from their grandchildren. Grandparents and extended family members are often cut off from access to grandchildren in such situations. In this episode, Dr. Golly discusses specific circumstances and challenges of grandparents affected by parental alienation in the middle generation.

Carol Golly , Ph. D, LCSW, RPT-S has a special interest in parental and grandparent alienation. She is a founding board member of Alienated Grandparents Anonymous, Inc. (AGA) and completed her doctoral work on grandparent alienation in 2019. She has 30 years experience as a psychotherapist for children, adolescents, and families.

September 16 • 8PM ET

While we know targeted parents can't independently stop parental alienation, this workshop focuses on building empathy for targeted parents while increasing their resiliency. Targeted parents are often faced with unnerving and unsolvable dilemmas. While they seek to resolve them, confounding stress builds. Most average to above average range parents can suffer exasperation, panic, and desperation. In my work with targeted parents, I’ve often witnessed rejected parents being tragically seduced into making mistakes while they are in the throes of the 5 common Dilemmas. These mistakes can occur with children, co-parents, and mental health and legal professionals. By explaining the 5 Common Dilemmas targeted parents often find themselves in, workshop participants will better understand how targeted parents can get seduced into making the common mistakes. Participants in this workshop will better understand targeted parents and be better positioned to strategically intervene and enable targeted parents to be more keen, nimble, and resilient when interacting and coping with alienated children, and the mental health and legal professionals they encounter.

Randy Flood, MA, LLP has specialized in providing psychological services for individuals and families involved in family and criminal courts since 1992. He provides evaluation, parenting coordination, and parent-child reunification counseling at the Fountain Hill Center in Grand Rapids particularly when resist and refuse dynamics (RRD’s) are present on the spectrum of parent-child contact problem including cases of parental alienation and/or estrangement/abuse. Flood offers testifying and non-testifying expert consultation for attorneys and coaching for rejected/targeted parents as well as helping parents cope and navigate the world of custody and parenting time litigation. As director of the Men’s Resource Center of West Michigan, he recently launched a parental alienation support group for targeted fathers. He is the co-author of two books, a prolific speaker and trainer, and a media consultant in his areas of expertise.

September 23 • 8PM ET

Mediation can be an effective tool in aiding families minimize the negative effects of court involved cases. Many jurisdictions require parties to participate in mediation prior to a court hearing in order to allow the parties the opportunity to resolve the issue rather than a third party, a Judge, making those decisions. Parental Alienation is a form of child abuse and domestic violence. However, there has been a long - standing argument regarding the appropriateness of mediation in cases of Domestic Violence. Is mediation Appropriate in cases of parental alienation? Can mediation be effective in these cases and at what stages in the case? Are pro-se cases appropriate in mediations where parental alienation is a factor? This presentation will explore the role of mediation in cases and further define effective uses of mediation in cases involving Parental Alienation including the following: Choosing an appropriate mediator Preparation for mediation Appropriateness mediation at various stages in cases involving parental alienation Preliminary data regarding the effective use of mediation in cases of mild and moderate alienation Utilization of mediation at the beginning and end of initial cases as well as modifications. Identifying and avoiding pitfalls and traps in mediation Common mistakes in mediation Roles of third parties and third-party input in mediation Effective use of mediation in cases of false allegations and in the shadow of abuse allegations.

Chris Turner, JD , MSW is a TMCA Distinguished Credentialed Mediator. She has mediated over 1800 cases in the state of Texas, specializing in Family and Child Protective Services cases. Chris trains mediators throughout the State of Texas as well as in Pennsylvania, Chris and Dr. Mary Alvarez are the founders of Resetting the Family, PLLC which provides education , case management and clinical interventions to families exhibiting the effects of mild and mediate alienation as well as education of professionals and parents toward the prevention of alienation. Ms. Turner and Dr. Alvarez also chair the Early Intervention and Prevention section of PAI.

September 30 • 8PM ET

This presentation will examine the full range of arguments against the concept of parental alienation as a form of family violence and child abuse, and provide parents and family professionals with evidence-based responses to refute these claims. The presentation will reveal popular myths relating to family violence and parental alienation, and present key findings from family violence and parental alienation research in support of the positions that family violence is not a gender-based phenomenon, and that parental alienation is both a form of family violence and a form of complex trauma affecting both target parents and children. The presentation will outline a series of recommendations related to needed changes in both professional practice and systemic and institutional reforms in the field of parental alienation. It will conclude with a discussion on points of convergence between proponents and opponents of the assertion that parental alienation is a form of domestic violence and child abuse, which can serve as a foundation for ongoing dialogue toward needed reforms.

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.