Parent and Child Alienation

Alienation involves children as well as ex-spouses.

An ugly divorce left many unresolved issues, except those required for the courts. Your ex is hostile, has generally been uncooperative, and doesn’t seem to care what you need to do for the kids.

The fighting continues even though you’re not married anymore! What’s worse is that your teenage daughter has not spoken to you for years, believing YOU are the cause of the divorce and are the villain who created this nightmare.

Not having a relationship with your daughter is heartbreaking because you miss her. You’ve TRIED everything – talking to her, pleading with your ex, trying to get her to come to therapy, not to mention the texting that goes unanswered.

You don’t even know why she feels upset, only that she has a “no contact” rule with you, and that’s it.

Overcoming alienation requires therapy.

Therapy for Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is hard work that approaches reunification using trust-building as the foundation for a new relationship.

We start with safe and subtle reaching out, no demands, just presence. Then, we progress to leaning into your parenting style, what could have happened, and a strong focus on the root cause of alignment with the other parent.

Understanding the “other parent” in a vacuum is difficult, but somehow, they have groomed your child to see their way right and you as the villain. Neutralizing that vitriol requires a highly authoritarian manner of non-threatening and productive communication.

Our goal is reunification…

…not fixing the other parent, for that is unrealistic.

Much to our surprise, kids are smarter and more aware of what’s happening than we think. They don’t yet have the tools to express their feelings or the skills to navigate the hostility, spitefulness, and stonewalling when parents pull their children toward them and away from the other parent. Usually, they resort to shutting down emotionally and avoiding any opportunity to anger the parent, pulling them toward them. You may see behavioral problems arise, or they may just shut you out altogether. It’s heartbreaking.

Reunification is possible, and I have a high success rate with parents and children of all ages.

Heal your broken heart and take the chance – I know it hurts.