Family Bridges: Using Insights From Social Science to Reconnect Parents and Alienated Children*

Abstract

This article describes an innovative educational and experiential program, Family Bridges: A Workshop for Troubled and Alienated Parent-Child Relationships TM , that draws on social science research to help severely and unreasonably alienated children and adolescents adjust to court orders that place them with a parent they claim to hate or fear. The article examines the benefits and drawbacks of available options for helping alienated children and controversies and ethical issues regarding coercion of children by parents and courts. The program's goals, principles, structure, procedures, syllabus, limitations, and preliminary outcomes are presented. At the workshop's conclusion, 22 of 23 children, all of whom had failed experiences with counseling prior to enrollment, restored a positive relationship with the rejected parent. At follow-up, 18 of the 22 children maintained their gains; those who relapsed had premature contact with the alienating parent.f cre_1288 48..80

Parental Alienation Among College Students

“…This supports the common observation in the literature that a child's rejection of a parent has multiple roots (Fidler & Bala, 2010;Kelly & Johnston, 2001;Warshak, 2010a).…”

Family Reflections: A Promising Therapeutic Program Designed to Treat Severely Alienated Children and Their Family System

“…In separation and divorce cases where a child is severely alienated from a once loved parent, traditional therapeutic approaches grossly fail (Darnall, 2010;Fidler et al, 2013;Miller, 2013;Reay, 2011;Warshak, 2010a). Families where parental alienation exist are not a matter of business as usual; entirely different therapeutic skills are needed.…”

“…In severe cases of alienation, it is necessary to protect children and youths from the further influence of the abusive favored parent or any other individual who clearly helps proliferate the alienation dynamics (i.e., older Family Reflections Program 199 siblings, grandparents or step-parents). Empirical evidence and clinical literature have consistently revealed that the greater the level of severity in parental alienation cases, the greater the likelihood that the child and rejected parent will not reconcile with or without traditional therapeutic approaches (Darnall, 2010;Gardner et al, 2006;Reay, 2007Reay, , 2011Warshak, 2010a). This article will present rationale for the gross failure of traditional therapeutic approaches that attempt to treat severely alienated children and their family members.…”

Parental Alienation (Syndrome) – Eine ernst zu nehmende Form von psychischer Kindesmisshandlung

“…Siehe zum Beispiel "Therapeutic interventions for children with parental alienation syndrome" [70]; "The Psychological Effects and Treatment of the Parental Alienation Syndrome" und "Parental Alienation: How to understand and address parental alienation resulting from acrimonious divorce or separation" [109,110]; "Family bridges: Using insights from social science to reconnect parents and alienated children" [148]; "Commentary on ,Family bridges . .…”