Ridiculous Statements by Mental Health Experts, by William Bernet, MD.

This article considers 5 situations (based on formal reports, testimony at trial, or professional writing) in which a mental health expert made ridiculous statements or arrived at ridiculous conclusions. In some of these cases the expert appeared to adopt nonstandard methods of assessment and arrived at illogical conclusions and recommendations for the purpose of favoring the side that retained them. Of course, the role of an expert as a hired gun may compromise the reputation of legitimate, ethical experts. Read the full article. 

Countering Arguments Against Parental Alienation as A Form of Family Violence and Child Abuse, By  Edward Kruk & Jennifer J. Harman.

Despite scientific recognition of parental alienation as a form of child maltreatment and family violence, numerous critiques been advanced challenging the concept. A recent UN report concluded that parental alienation is a “pseudo-concept” lacking empirical validity, posing significant dangers to women and children at risk of family violence and abuse. In this article, we present and refute the most common arguments that have been advanced against the proposition that parental alienation and alienating behaviors are a form of family violence and child abuse. We examine each in relation to empirical evidence published in over one hundred peer-reviewed research studies. Read the full article. 

The Secret Life of the Alienated Child, by Karen Woodall, Psychotherapist, Writer, Researcher, Trainer. 

An alienated child is a child with a set of defensive structures which enable them to carry on with life as normal, even whilst coping with the overwhelming trauma of being forced to regulate an unpredictable caregiver.  Read the full article.

Barrister Gatekeeping, by Wendy E. Coughlin , Ph.D. 

Gatekeeping in family law matters refers to intentionally limiting children’s access to timesharing with a parent. Attorneys may become de facto gatekeepers by delaying actions or filing motions which maintain the status quo when one parent has primary custody of the child(ren). Read the full article.

The Alienated Child: Responding to Cases of Post Separation Parental Rejection, by Nick Woodall.

A child’s vehement rejection of a parent after divorce or separation can present the courts with a number of challenges. These can be exacerbated when children or parents make allegations of harm or abuse against the parent who is being rejected. Read the full article.

Identification With The Aggressor: Understanding Coercive Control in the Lives of Children of Divorce and Separation, by Karen Woodall, psychotherapist, writer, researcher and trainer. 

In this article, Karen Woodall discusses why children align with controlling parents and reject a parent they have witnessed being abused.  Read the full article.

Preparing for a Custody Evaluation in Cases Involving Parental Alienation – Part 2 – by J, Michael Bone, Ph.D.

This article is the second part of a two-part series.  In the most general sense, the parent who is about to sit for a Custody Evaluation where parental alienation is present is presented with three dilemmas. Read the full article.

PA: Progress Made and Progress Ahead, by J. Michael Bone Ph.D. –

As a parental alienation expert, J. Michael Bone, Ph.D. discusses the progress of PA as a guest editor in the Winter 2023/2024 edition of Contemporary Family.  Read the full article.

Preparing for a Custody Evaluation in Cases Involving Parental Alienation – Part 1 – by J, Michael Bone, Ph.D.

This article is the second part of a two-part series.  In the most general sense, the parent who is about to sit for a Custody Evaluation where parental alienation is present is presented with three dilemmas. Read the full article.

Traditional Counseling/Family Therapy Fails Severely AlienateD Children, by Robert A. Evans, Ph.D.

It is a myth that severely alienated children are best treated with traditional therapy techniques while living primarily with their favored parent. Unfortunately, professionals in both the legal and mental health fields continue to refer severely alienated children and rejected parents to these therapeutic approaches only to discover months later that not only has the situation not been resolved but has actually gotten worse. Download the full article here.

The Five-Factor Model for the Diagnosis of Parental Alienation, by William Bernet, MD , and Laurence L. Greenhill, MD (2022)

Although the phenomenon that we know as parental alienation (PA) had been described in the mental health and legal literature for many years, it was given its name—parental alienation syndrome—by Richard Gardner in 1985. As time went on, most writers abandoned the use of the word syndrome and simply referred to this mental condition as parental alienation. The defini- tion of PA is a mental state in which a child—usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce—allies strongly with one parent (the favored parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent) without a good reason. Of course, it is a major loss for a child to experience the removal of a parent from their life in that manner. The purposes of this commentary are to explain definitions and distinctions related to PA; describe the Five- Factor Model (FFM) for the identification of PA; and offer clinical, legal, and training implications stemming from an understanding of PA.
Download the full article here.

Parental Alienation Syndrome: How to Detect It and What to Do About It, by J. Michael Bone, Ph.D. and Michael R. Walsh

Although parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a familiar term, there is still a great deal of confusion and unclarity about its nature, dimensions, and, therefore, its detection. Its presence, however, is unmistakable. In a longitudinal study of 700 “high conflict” divorce cases followed over 12 years, it was concluded that elements of PAS are present in the vast majority of the samples. Diagnosis of PAS is reserved for mental health professionals who come to the court in the form of expert witnesses.
Download the full article here.

Parental Alienation Syndrome: Examining the Validity Amid Controversy, by J. Michael Bone, Ph.D.

Use of the diagnosis of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) in family law cases has generated substantial debate. When one parent alleges the other is alienating a child or committing a similar wrongdoing, it is incumbent upon the attorneys within the adversarial process to explore and challenge the factual basis of both positions. Download the full article here.

Parental Alienation Syndrome: An Age-Old Custody Problem, by Michael R. Walsh and J. Michael Bone, Ph.D.

The term parental alienation syndrome (PAS), first described by Richard Gardner, is also sometimes referred to as “brainwashing.”(1) Its concept and dynamics include a complex network of involvement and motives on the part of all members acting in this family drama. Furthermore, each of them usually takes his or her role in the alienation process well before the dissolution or separation process begins. Download the full article here.