From the desk of Ashley Murphy

---

In honor of Parental Alienation Awareness Day, we would like to hold space for the parents in the cycle of this epidemic. One of the hardest things in the world is to grieve a child that is still alive, and we want to acknowledge your fight, your strength, your tenacity. We see you and you are not alone. 

Did you know, based on current research, over 22 million adults have been targets of parental alienation in the United States? An estimated 10 million adults have experienced what they perceive to be severe alienation from their children. If you haven’t been personally affected, you most likely have someone in your circle who either is experiencing Parental Alienation or will experience it, in their lifetime. Parental Alienation is not only hard for the targeted parent but has multiple proven derogatory consequences on the children such as, depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, lack of trust in relationships, and self-defeating behavior.

Causing parental alienation in a child is on par with physical and sexual abuse. It is considered child psychological abuse and is subsumed in DSM-5 (V995.51). Parental alienation is real, definable, and toxic. In severe cases, it is so malignant that it can undermine a child’s psychological development. It is not hyperbole to say it can be catastrophic.

So, what is the solution?

Education of professionals in positions to confront alienation head on, with the alienator. So, teachers, school counselors, principals, attorneys, judges, mental health professionals, church workers and doctors. We must teach everyone in the sphere of influence of alienated children how to not only recognize it but also, confront it and hold the alienator accountable. 

Attorneys practicing family law should be held to a higher standard and once they recognize their client as an alienator, they need to confront the toxicity and hold their clients accountable. Attorneys for alienating parents must forcefully communicate to their clients that their alienating behavior is toxic and must stop immediately. Zealous representation of a client is not applicable in these alienation cases. In fact, confrontation of the alienating parent must be a top priority for the attorney, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may be. Short of that, attorneys will be condoning and enabling the alienation of the child.

Guardians Ad Litem or attorneys for children, should be educated on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of alienation and be charged with recognizing it as the child psychological abuse that it is. They not only should be concerned with making the alienation stop but, they should also be charged with ensuring the reversal of alienation. 

Attorneys for the rejected or targeted parents must assure that reunification therapy is pursued with diligence and positive expectation so that the child’s alienation is corrected as quickly as possible.

Think about it….

When we are made aware of physical or sexual abuse of children, we remove the child from the abuser, no questions asked. It is not controversial, it’s standard. 

The recommended solution for parental alienation is removal of children from the alienating parent, temporarily. Studies show that if you remove the children from the alienating parent for 90 days, the relationship with the targeted parent is usually restored. Then you continue to hold the alienator accountable by implementing a 90 day no contact rule for every time the alienating parent engages in alienating behavior. 

Where do we come in?

At Parental Alienation Children’s Advocacy, we work with you to educate and arm you and your attorney with proven methods to expose parental alienation and educate your circle of officials with how to spot alienation but also how to correct it and reunify children with the targeted parents. We consult with amicable divorces to ensure that parents don’t accidentally alienate their children, we provide testimony in court regarding alienation and the solution, we help you gather evidence and documentation for your attorney to present in court. We know that real change comes from the trenches. So, if you find yourself in the middle of a high conflict divorce or custody case, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 662-205-6295 and schedule a consultation. The earlier that you begin combating alienation, the easier it is to break the cycle. 

Parental alienation is a psychiatric emergency, and interventions should be put in place as quickly as possible because it is as toxic and pernicious as physical and sexual abuse.