Contemporary Family - Fall 2024 by Contemporary Family Magazine

POLICY | ADVOCACY | RESILIENCE

VOL. 4 - NO. 4 - FALL 2024 ISSN 1939-0219

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Preserving Family Ties Media has the mission to provide research, news, education, consulting and training, and multimedia publishing opportunities for parents and family professionals to improve child outcomes when families are in transition. Preserving Family Ties (PFT) is named for founder, Dr. Mark D. Roseman’s research-based book, Preserving Family Ties, An Authoritative Guide to Understanding Divorce and Child Custody, for Parents and Family Professionals. His approach has been to incorporate the latest understanding of dynamics, feelings and behaviors when parents separate and how best to co-parent when separation and divorce ensues. Cultural context and court reform in historical context further distinguishes Roseman’s text. PFT is the parent company for its flagship, Contemporary Family Magazine (www.contemporaryfamilymagazine. com) offering a venue for global writers and researchers on interdisciplinary topics addressing current family needs in order to foster universal understandings and interventions. Additionally, PFT is the parent company for Mark David Roseman & Associates (MDR), a service enterprise specializing in support groups for parents suffering highly conflicted child custody matters, and experiencing the traumatic loss of children through their estrangement and alienating behaviors. MDR’s facilitators serve as consultants for individual coaching, and also assistance to companies’ human resources challenges with managing staff who are facing personal difficulties of divorce and child custody litigation. Visit MDR online at www.Markdavidroseman.com for more details! We want to hear from you! Email Mark.roseman@preservingfamilyties.com!

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The Challenges of Misinformation in Parental Alienation for Experts Page 10 Reunification Camp Misinformation Harms Children

Page 12

Challenges of Child Reunification Programs, The Legal and Psychological Merits and Myths

Page 18

BOOKS

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6th International Conference on Parental Alienation Conclusions

Page 30 2024 Submission Guidelines for CFM

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Resources to Improve Outcomes for Children when Parents Separate Page 35

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Contemporary Family Magazine is a unique publication for family professionals, advocates and legislators who have differing experiences, research findings and opinions that may be debated, and qualified. Our Editors strive to assure each reader that their voice is valuable and important. Therefore, please recognize that all content reflects but does not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editors. All content is published in good faith, though we cannot guarantee nor accept liability for any loss or damages caused by the publication, its companion website, or its advertisers including content of other websites, advertising or resources. All rights are reserved and nothing can be partially or in whole be reprinted or reproduced without a written consent. We welcome your republishing but ask your request for such. Contemporary Family Magazine reserves the right to make changes to any information on this site without a notice. By using our publications and websites, you agree to all terms and conditions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy, you may contact us. info@contemporaryfamily.org.

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From the Publisher

Where is Hope? Dear friends, This remains another year of cataclysm and trauma for so many internationally. Hatred and fear remain the underlying human traits which lead to continuing conflict, and tragedy. War in Ukraine continues, with increasing evolution of war material, weaponry and tactics. The genocidal acts of Hamas have brought the wrath of another democratic nation, Israel, which fights with vengeance to exact a toll, and survive. Where is the dialogue? Where is the hope? Where is the potential for co-existence, beyond punishment? Is that not yet possible?

Researcher and President, B.C. Association of Clinical Counselors (Canada) symbolize as victims for seeking to bring a reunion of love and hope, trust and balance to children who have been themselves brutally manipulated by a residential parent. These research based therapeutic interventionists have given their professional lives and face livelihoods tempered by the attacks by such residential parents and their legal representatives claiming erroneous support for egregious, abusive parents and using procedures of isolation that are perceive dangerous. All this, to preserve their successful child reunification rates of over 90 percent, to their personal tolls to preserve family ties when parents separate. As Publisher of Contemporary Family, my role is to help us find truth in all matters family. This role involves invitation of research, reporting, opinion and conversation by those from the most significant of social gatekeepers, the members of the legal community and those from mental health services. In this issue, I present essential commentary for readers to meet these social gatekeepers, to learn of their work, and their continued goals in preserving a child’s right to two parents though one may earnestly combat that objective through personal vendetta, and often, through sub-

conscious motivations lingering from their own tragic past as children. It is the role of all with significant social power for change as these to be open minded, to look beyond impugned short term misunderstandings. It is, if not, should be the role of those in judgement to have the sensibility along with the intellectual understanding that all change can be improved, that there are always opportunities for more insight, more explanation. For further hope, and love. The descent of Autumn upon us gives pause, inaugurated by the Jewish New Year holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, a time of reflection and prayer, hope and forgiveness. And for love. I am hopeful that you will find this issue a great help in your understanding of not just where we have been, and where we are today. But, to visualize a future and a path of change towards that of further acceptance and welcome. I invite your thoughts always. Sincerely, Dr. Mark D. Roseman Publisher and Founder IMAGE BY JCOMP - FREEPIK.COM

The human conditions described above remain. Both in the field, and in the courts. What then may be the opportunities for positive change? Among the most well known and respected therapeutic experts, Linda Gottlieb, Director of Turning Point, protégé of family systems pioneer, Dr. Salvador Minuchin, and Dr. Lynn Steinberg, Director of One Family At a Time, and Dr. Kathleen Reay, ‘Dr. Mark’ is an author, international speaker and child custody expert with specialization in high conflict personality and parental alienation. He began his field work as Assistant Director for Child Access in Washington, DC with the Children’s Rights Council serving with its founder, David L. Levy, Esq. Dr. Roseman is Founder/CEO of The Toby Center for Family Transitions, a leading child visitation and child reunification agency based in Florida. He is founding Publisher of Contemporary Family Magazine, flagship of Preserving Family Ties Media, LLC, an educational consultant and publisher on family and social issues which he founded in 2020. 4

CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

Helplines All Around the World

AUSTRALIA

A national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Lifeline 13 11 14 If life is in danger call 000 National family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732.

UK The freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247 https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

USA The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. Call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 Resources & support for anyone in the U.S. affected by intimate partner violence 24/7/365. 1-800-799-7233. Chat at http://thehotline.org | Text “START” to 88788

Other international helplines can be found via https://www.befrienders.org/our-members. PLEASE SEND YOUR COUNTRY’S EMERGENCY SERVICE NUMBERS FOR POSTING IN CONTEMPORARY FAMILY TO: INFO@CONTEMPORARYFAMILY.ORG. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

INTERNATI NAL NEWS BRIEFS OCTOBER 17TH NY, USA: DAVIA Visit to the UN Edward E. Bartlett, PhD, President of DAVIA: Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance and Attorney Larry DeMarco met with the United Nations Ambassadors Cheikh Niang of Senegal and Gheorghe Leucă of Moldova to discuss the issue of male disadvantage. They also met with the Human Rights Officer of Sweden to discuss the issues of false domestic violence allegations towards men in family and criminal courts internationally. DeMarco and Bartlett also hand-delivered this flyer to about 150 UN missions surrounding the UN headquarters to announce International Men’s Day to celebrated on November 19. Contact: edwardbartlett@comcast.net Internet: http://endtodv.org/davia/

NOVEMBER 14TH AND 15TH ARGENTINA: First International Interdisciplinary Congress on Parental Alienation and Domestic Violence Law! The First International Interdisciplinary Congress on Parental Alienation and Domestic Violence will be held at the University of Buenos Aires Law School, organized by the Center for Studies on Parental Alienation (CEAP).

The event will be chaired by Mauricio Luis Mizrahi, Doctor of Law and Social Sciences (University of Buenos Aires), former judge of the National Court of Civil Appeals, full professor of family law at the Law School of the UBA, and author of numerous books and publications. The congress will address, from legal and psychological perspectives, the issue of parental alienation and the resistance of certain sectors to recognize the scientific evidence supporting the existence of this phenomenon. The event will be held both in person and virtually. Simultaneous translations will be available for online participants in English, 6

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Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Registration is free of charge at www.alienacionparental.com.ar.

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Experts from around the world will present, including U.S. psychiatrist William Bernet, Mexican psychologist Alejandro Mendoza Amaro (with GARI-PA), Franco-Argentine psychiatrist Reynaldo Perrone, and Argentine professionals Mauricio Mizrahi, Sandra Veloso and Cristóbal Llorente (who are all family court judges), Mercedes Ladereche, Sergio Dubove, Andrés Beccar Varela, Graciela Medina, and Ursula Basset (who are all family law attorneys), as well as psychiatrists Carlos Díaz Usandivaras and Pedro Herscovici. Contact:: william.bernet@vumc.org

“Simultaneous translations will be available for online participants in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French" CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

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USA: Pilot Study Of Parental Alienation Items In The Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale This research paper is now published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, and examines the results of a pilot study validating the use of a new item in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Scale.

It is an examination of the factors built on the knowledge of the The CDC-Kaiser Permanente adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study, one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and household challenges and later-life health and well-being. The original ACE study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997, with over 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization members from Southern California receiving physical exams completed confidential surveys regarding their childhood experiences and current health status and behaviors. One’s ACE “score” is the total sum of the different categories of ACEs reported by CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

that participant. Study findings show a graded dose-response relationship between ACEs and negative health and well-being outcomes. In other words, as the number of ACEs increases so does the risk for negative outcomes. The research team of authors have created several items that could potentially screen effectively for parental alienation (“PA”) in a sample of young adults, and identified one that, when included in the scale, predicts more variance in negative outcomes (e.g., depression) than the original ACEs measure, and has good convergent and discriminant validity. While the ACE measure has never been used for diagnostic purposes, and this one item inclusion does not make ACEs a diagnostic tool for PA, it is still significant. ACEs is a screening tool, and screening tools inherently identify many false positives (such as mammograms). Individuals identified as having experienced PA using the new mea-

sure would then need further evaluation and testing… thus, an opportunity. Their revised ACE measure is useful in other ways as well, such as scientists studying child maltreatment can capture more variance in child outcomes in their statistical models by using this measure over earlier versions. We can also obtain better prevalence data when it is included in larger maltreatment research. This article is available on open access due to the generous support of PASG for paying the open access fee so that this important paper can be accessible to the public. The authors ask that readers help distribute this article far and wide, particularly to scientists who study child maltreatment so that they may include the new measure in their research. The article may be found here: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.001 act:: william. bernet@vumc.org INT’L NEWS BRIEFS

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PORTUGAL: First Announcement and Call for Papers

Previous Information Due to unforeseen circumstances, the ICSP 2025 Conference will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 3-5 December 2025. Current changes in Brazilian family law institutions, which are no longer able to provide support for our conference, led to our decision to change the venue. Given our institutional links in Portugal, as well as a connection between Brazilian and Portuguese family legislation, we decided that the conference be held at the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon. The Seventh International Conference on Shared Parenting (ICSP) will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, on the 3, 4 and 5 December 2025 at the Lisbon Law University. The conference will be held in person with the option to join virtually for those unable to attend. Specialists in the field of shared parenting and other family related issues – representing the academic sciences, the legal and family professions, and civil society – are invited to present their research results, professional practice accounts, and examples of best practice and impact at this international, interdisciplinary and interprofessional conference. The theme of this conference is:

shared parenting, where children alternate their home life across households, represents not just a viable model of family life for children and young people but in the majority of cases the most desirable outcome for them where parents do not live together. However, the ways in which shared parenting is enacted and the extent to which it is understood and supported in practice varies enormously from country to country and across jurisdictions. This is due not least to the different ways in which shared parenting can be viewed, depending on whether it is being considered as a judicial decision, a family practice, an administrative framework, a discourse, an aspiration, an ideology or a political tool. To this we might also add a psychological or emotional imperative.

Shared Parenting in Practice: Challenges and Opportunities Since the formation of ICSP in 2014, there has been a growing consensus globally that

The conference organisers seek contributions that will help unpack and address the challenges and opportunities that arise for shared parenting in practice from and

through these different lenses. We are delighted to be able to host the ICSP Conference for 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal, and are particularly keen to hear from potential contributors from Brazil and South America more generally where shared parenting has come to the fore in recent years raising both challenges and opportunities in equal measure. As a powerhouse of Latin America, the legal, social and cultural drivers that surround all aspects of shared parenting in practice within Brazil can provide a helpful barometer of change and transformation not just within the Americas but across the global south more generally. For this reason, many of the presentations will be simultaneously translated in English and Portuguese, making this a truly powerful and compelling opportunity. The ICSP scientific committee cordially invite submissions for oral presentations that correspond to completed scientific research IMAGE BY FREEPIK.COM

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CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

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and practical accounts on a wide variety of topics linked, but not limited to, the conference theme. These include:

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u Shared Parenting under Brazilian and South America Laws - (e.g. the rule of law and effectiveness of civil justice systems; recent legal challenges on the Brazilian Civil Code; Parental Alienation in the context of Brazilian and South America Laws)

Please indicate whether you wish to attend the Conference in-person or online. Please also include the names of any co-authors and whether they intend to attend in-person or online. Your proposal will be reviewed by members of the ICSP Scientific Committee, and notifications of acceptance will be made by Friday 25 April, 2025.

u Family Violence and Child protection - (e.g. Family violence and UNCRC under the Istanbul Convention and Brazilian Law; Family violence and shared parenting under the Council of Europe law and the Barnahus model; Parental Alienation and family disruption; Research integrity and the UN report on Parental Alienation)

For more information about the conference, please follow the link: Lisbon 2025 If you have any questions, please contact conference@twohomes.org.

u Child Friendly Justice – (e.g. UNCRC under EU Charter of Human Rights and ECHR; Council of Europe programme 20222027; Children's hearings and participation; Shared parenting recommendations)

Please note: We encourage contributions from Early Career Researchers (ECR) in any discipline working in the field of shared parenting.

u Representation of children and specialised training - (e.g. child advocates; legal, social work, early years and child educators, third sector; family mediation, family therapy) u Shared parenting, mental health and self-esteem - (e.g. cooperative co-parenting, parallel parenting, parental conflict; trauma and attachment; neuroscience and neuropsychology; notions of home and belongingness) u The child’s best interests - (The evolution and/or devolution of shared parenting law, policy and practice; regulating family responsibilities; ‘in camera’ family proceedings or allowing representatives of the press access to family courts) u Shared parenting and wider familial and kinship groups - (e.g. shared residence and social and cultural capital; the role of grandparents, siblings and step-parents; shared parenting in the context of children with special educational needs and disabilities) u Family and child public policy - (e.g. social policy - housing, parental leave, child CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

lation services for multiple languages are being organised. Therefore, if you are uncomfortable presenting in the English language, ICSP is working to accommodate presentations made in Portuguese.

support, child benefit packages, child and family welfare; the economics of shared parenting; economic policies in the context of changes in labour markets and economies) u Shared Parenting and demographic trends - (e.g. shared parenting in the context of a decline in fertility; or where countries have witnessed rapid population growth) If you are interested in submitting a paper for consideration to present at the conference, please prepare and submit a 350-450 word abstract of your oral presentation (format .doc/docx, .odt, .txt) by Monday 31 March, 2025 using the following link: Call for Papers ICSP Portugal 2025 – submission form The abstract should be written in English or Portuguese. The primary language at the conference will be English, but trans-

And finally, in recognition of the importance of a wide range of media as a means to communicate ideas, and showcase practice, for the first time at a ICSP Conference the scientific committee are inviting innovative and creative non-oral presentation submissions in the CREATIVE ARTS and MEDIA that have as their theme shared parenting. These might include but are not restricted to: Film /Documentaries, Photography, Art installation, Poster presentations, Short theatre pieces Potentially running as a parallel stream throughout the conference. About the Organisers: The International Council on Shared Parenting (ICSP), founded 2014 and based in Bonn, Germany, is an international association with individual members from the sectors of science, family professions and civil society. The purpose of the association is first, the dissemination and advancement of scientific knowledge on the needs and rights (‘best interests’) of children whose parents are living apart, and second, to formulate evidence-based recommendations about the legal, judicial and practical implementation of shared parenting. INT’L NEWS BRIEFS

The Challenges of Misinformation in Parental Alienation for Experts

by Dr. Lynn Steinberg PhD and Kathleen Reay, PhD he phenomenon of misinforma- refused to disavow parental alienation as tion extends beyond individual a legitimate construct, countering claims cases, as evidenced by the trou- made by individuals such as Reem Absabling conduct of certain so-called lem, whose testimony lacked empirical "investigative journalists." These individ- grounding. Misrepresentations proliferuals often prioritize sensationalism over ate in legislative and judicial contexts, faaccuracy, resulting in the dissemination of cilitated by a pervasive presence on social misleading narratives that have led many media platforms. experts and parents to withdraw from dialogue with the media. Additionally, some A particularly egregious example of ma“documentary filmmakers” have manipu- nipulation occurred in California, where lated footage to obscure factual accounts. advocates for parental alienation employed For instance, while residing in Los Ange- procedural tactics to pass legislation that les, I encountered a journalist from “Insid- had been amended. By introducing the bill er” who implied that the decorative iron in its original form, but in a different famigates typical of many homes were indica- ly law code section after the close of a legistive of imprisonment, thereby distorting lative session, they secured the governor’s the context of my interview. Furthermore, approval, despite his awareness of the mashe selectively edited a humorous anec- nipulations, as evidenced by a subsequent dote involving a child, misrepresenting "protector of children" award he received. my perspective as dismissive of children's insights. Such experiences are not isolated; Consequently, my colleagues and I now they reflect a broader trend where crucial restrict our interviews to those who posinformation is systematically omitted. sess a nuanced understanding of parental alienation and are committed to raising Critics of parental alienation often dis- awareness of its detrimental effects. Alienmiss it as "pseudoscience," a claim unsup- ated parents can testify to the realities of ported by the extensive body of scientif- this issue, and increasingly, children who ic literature on the subject. Contrary to were alienated from a parent are beginning these assertions, the United Nations has to share their experiences as well.

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The influence of social media and the actions of purported investigative journalists pose significant challenges. Many public figures have fallen victim to false allegations, with Kevin Spacey serving as a prominent example. Despite a court ruling affirming his innocence regarding accusations of sexual assault, the stigma attached to these claims has persisted, illustrating the damaging impact of media narratives. A talented actor, he was exonerated of the charges, but the stigma has affected his career and income. Within the parental alienation community, similar patterns emerge. Individuals like Swithin advise alienating parents on tactics to introduce unfounded allegations when they perceive a shift in the court’s recognition of alienation. Such strategies often manifest in baseless accusations against alienated parents, as evidenced by a recent case in Idaho involving an eightyear-old child.

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CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

Following a positive visit with his father, the child unexpectedly accused him of sexual assault, a claim that was later deemed unsubstantiated. Nonetheless, the situation escalated, when the mother coached her older two sons to accuse their stepfather of sexual abuse, leading to criminal charges against the father, resulting in a life sentence.

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The implications of such false allegations are profound. Children manipulated into making these accusations often experience significant psychological distress, grappling with feelings of guilt, shame, and severe depression. Furthermore, the accused parents endure severe emotional and social repercussions, facing public condemnation and personal crises, including loss of employment and financial stability. Tragically, some have even resorted to suicide. It is crucial to note that professionals specializing in child welfare can differentiate between genuine abuse and false allegations. In my experience with a case in which children accused their mother of sexual abuse, a thorough investigation by Children’s Protective Services and the court concluded that no such abuse had occurred. The children, influenced by Swithin, later admitted to having followed scripts when recounting their experiences, underscoring the manipulation involved. Despite facing significant adversity, including threats and public vilification, I remain resolute in my commitment to educating the public about parental alienation. Recently, I was honored with the title of Mental Practitioner of the Year, a recognition that provides a platform to further advocate for awareness and understanding of this critical issue. It is imperative to recognize that the devastation wrought by parental alienation extends beyond financial loss, encompassing profound emotional suffering. To combat this injustice, I urge individuals to engage with advocacy efforts, stay informed about ongoing developments, and challenge misinformation. By amplifying the discourse surrounding parental alienation, we can strive for a societal recognition akin to that afforded to issues such as domestic violence and civil rights. The fight for awareness and change requires collective action; your voice is vital in this endeavor. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

Dr. Lynn Steinberg, PhD has been a therapist for 49 years. She has worked with individuals, families and children, specializing in sexual abuse and false allegations, domestic violence and coercive control. Dr. Steinberg is the author of the book “You’re Not Crazy: Overcoming Parent/Child Alienation“ Contact: lynnsteinbergphd@gmail.com Dr. Kathleen Reay, PhD has been a researcher and therapeutic practitioner in Canada for more than 40 years. She achieved Diplomate status with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (AAETS) in 2010. She is currently an esteemed member of the B.C. Association of Clinical Counselors (BC, Canada). Contact: drkreay@gmail.com 11

Reunification Camp Misinformation Harms Children

by Linda Gottlieb LMFT, LCSW-R ello, I’m Linda Gottlieb, a practicing family therapist for more than 52 years. My life’s work has been to ensure that children are safe from abusive parents.

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In the 24 years that I worked with 3,000 adjudicated abused and neglected foster children, not one of them ever said “I never want to see my parent again.” When a child rejects a non-abusive parent, especially when there had been a prior loving and protective relationship between the child and the rejected parent, the case should be assessed for a high probability that the child has been coercively influenced by the other parent. During the last 3 decades I have specialized in identifying and treating a profound form of psychological child abuse known as parental alienation. Due to the insufficiency of effective treatment interventions for this abuse, I developed the Turning Points for Families program, a 4-day specialized intervention that was found to be safe and 96.4% effective in reconnecting children under a parent’s coercive control with an unjustifiably rejected parent. Here you will learn about the child abuse that is going on and the truth about “reunification camps.” What Is a Reunification Camp? Reunification Camps are court ordered programs designed to remedy the child psychological abuse that alienating parents have perpetrated upon their children using coercive tactics. These camps have been determined to be a safe and effective treatment. How to Get to a Reunification Camp? A parent files a case in Court against the other parent for turning their child against them. As incredible as it sounds, this is very real and quite common. It often happens during a contentious divorce, yet not 12

always. This form of abuse has many different names, the current label being “parental alienation.” Therapists and witnesses are brought in and a trial takes place. Often, I am hired to testify as a parental alienation expert. These cases take years and years until a judgment is finally made. When a judge makes a ruling of parental alienation, it is a finding of child abuse. The Court has found that the children are being influenced by the abusing parent against the other parent, and are under the control of the abusive parent. In order to remedy the situation, the court has ruled that the children require a protective separation from the abusive alienating parent.

In the best interests of the child, it is extremely important that I clear up the misinformation and disinformation that is going around about reunification camps. “Reunification Camp” Is a Made up Name Turning Points for Families is not a camp, and never was intended to be. “Reunification camp” is a concocted label to discredit and slander programs like mine that are relied upon by the Court system to help alienated parents reunite with their children, who have been abused and brainwashed by their other parent to reject them.

As the appropriate and necessary remedy, the Court has ordered the alienated parent and children to participate in the Turning Points for Families reunification program for severely alienated children.

The “Alleged Experts” Lack Expertise in Alienation Much of the misinformation out there references “alleged experts.” These “alleged experts” are not trained or educated in parental alienation. They lack the necessary experience and credentials required to give qualified opinions about the subject.

There already has been a finding for child abuse by a Court of Law when families come to Turning Points.

The other critics referenced are alienating parents who have been found guilty by the Court of psychological child abuse. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

They clearly are biased with a self interest in bringing down reunification programs like mine. What is being said by the alienators is deceptive and erroneous. It is analogous to blaming a rape victim, after the rapist has been found guilty in a Court of Law. Children Are Not Being Made to Go With an Abusive Parent The alienators and their supporters are perpetuating an egregious lie that Turning Points for Families and other reunification programs are advocating for the placement of children with an abusive parent. This is utterly false and downright harmful. Any child who is being abused by a parent should not be entrusted to that parent’s contact and care. Reunification programs are Court ordered after the alienating parent has been found guilty of child abuse. The Court has determined that the children require a protective separation from the abusive parent. These are alienated children who have been brainwashed by their abusive alienating parent to hate their other parent who did none of the things they are saying. What’s counterintuitive is that the children are actually being abused by the parent with whom they want to remain, which is the reason the Court had to step in. AI IMAGE BY FREEPIK.COM

The “alleged experts” are exploiting these severely abused children and creating a false narrative about what is going on. The abusive parent incites their children, and then alerts the news media to film the transition of the children to the other parent. In doing this, the alienating parent is further abusing their children to serve their needs. They show the children kicking and screaming, not wanting to see their alienated parent, claiming their alienated parent is abusive. What is left out is that the alienating parent has already been found guilty of committing child abuse, which is the reason the kids are behaving this way. The Court has taken measures to protect the child by removing them from the abusive parent. Reunification Programs Are Regulated by the Courts Independent, peer-reviewed research studies show Turning Points for Families, Family Bridges, and Family Reflections to be safe and more than 95% effective in reconnecting children with their alienated parent. All reunification interventions are Court ordered and Court reviewed from beginning to end. Subsequent to each program’s 4 day-intensive component, the Court holds mandatory hearings to assess progress towards the reunification. The Court, NOT THE THERAPIST, determines if the protective separation is extended between the alienating parent and child.

In addition to Court oversight, the treatment providers in the three programs hold mental health licenses that are issued by their state licensing boards; the therapists must thereby comply with their licensing board’s ethical and clinical mandates. Turning Points for Families is a Therapeutic Vacation When alienated children and parents come to my program, it is the first time in years the children are free from the control of the abusive parent. The alienated parent and children both wanted to be with each other, yet the alienator and long court process has kept them apart. The fighting has ended, for now, and the healing has begun. For an alienated parent and child, reuniting at Turning Points for Families is a “therapeutic vacation.” Some Therapists & Attorneys Don’t Always Act in the Child’s Best Interests Parental alienation is a sub-specialty within the discipline of family therapy, and family therapy is a specialized discipline within the field of mental health. To become a specialist in alienation and thereby arrive at correct findings in an alienation case requires specialized training, education, and experience. Parental alienation, additionally, is an exceedingly complex, counterintuitive clinical condition. Not all mental health clinicians nor all matrimonial lawyers have acquired this specialization, which takes many years of handson practice and continuing education. The alienating parent generally presents well and can be very manipulative. When non-specialists get involved in an alienation case they unknowingly perpetuate the child psychological abuse, which is extremely harmful for alienated children. Far too often I see cases where the therapist disregards the evidence and aligns with the alienator. These therapists make a bad situation worse. Some don’t know any better,

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pCONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 some do it because they are intimidated by the alienator, and others do it for the money. Usually the therapist will blame the child’s rejection on the alienated parent’s parenting style or claim it’s “estrangement,” and ignore the clear parental alienation. No Contact With the Abusive Alienating Parent is Important for an Alienated Child It should come as no surprise that an alienating parent’s violation of the Court-ordered protective separation almost surely sabotages and reverses the progress toward reunification and accounts for the FEW unsuccessful reunifications we’ve had. When the Court imposes the protective separation, it frees the child from the loyalty conflict that had been inflicted upon the child by the alienating parent. The alienator’s loyalty conflict coerces the child to relinquish the instinctual love and need for the alienated parent as the price to pay to maintain the alienating parent’s love, support, and approval. The child must either deny having positive feelings for and good times with the alienated parent; or, instead, the child must concoct a negative delusional thought system about the alienated parent. The child must further instigate negative and even violent interactions with the alienated parent in order to report back about a dreadful time. Living under the imposition of the alienator’s loyalty conflict is an untenable, psychologically abusive situation for the child, a situation so stressful that it frequently results in the child’s manifestations of severe psychiatric symptoms.

alienated children flip like a light switch to welcome their alienated parent meaningfully back in their lives?” The one and only answer to this question is, “It is the alienating parent’s genuine support for the child to do so.” Since alienation is a form of child abuse, the sooner alienation is upended, the sooner the child is freed from abuse. And since only the alienating parent has the power to make the alienated child flip like a light switch, the alienating parent’s reunification support letter, if genuine, is an indispensable therapeutic tool. It is the swiftest, most effective means to free the child from the untenable, abusive loyalty conflict. Freeing alienated children from child abuse is the primary reason for the protective separation of the child from the alienating parent and it is the primary focus of reunification programs. Alienating Parents Are Required to Write an Apology Letter Alienating parents cowardly blame the alienation on their children. They do so by claiming that they had not influenced their children against the other parent but were instead responding to their children’s autonomous complaints about and resistance to their other parent. Frequently, alienating parents coerce their children to make false child abuse allegations against their alienated parent. As a result of believing that they had autonomously denigrated, maltreated, lied about, and rejected their alienated parent, alienated children suffer unbearable, punishing guilt.

These symptoms include, but are not limited to, cutting, suicidal ideation, and even suicide attempts.

This is where the apology letter comes in: alienating parents must absolve their children’s guilt by apologizing to their children for first having influenced them against their other parent and then manipulating them to believe that they [the children] had acted autonomously.

Alienating Parents Are Required to Write a Support Letter Ask any clinician who has had extensive, successful experiences treating severe cases of alienation: “What does it take to make

It is crucial to alienated children’s psychological recovery and long-term stability to be absolved of their guilt. This can only be achieved if alienating parents apologize to their children for having instilled CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

"Social media platforms are spreading the lies and misinformation of unqualified, selfproclaimed “experts” who are enabling the alienating parents’ agenda."

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their behaviors [the alienating parent’s] upon their children. Parental Alienation Specialists Are Incensed Social media platforms are spreading the lies and misinformation of unqualified, self-proclaimed “experts” who are enabling the alienating parents’ agenda. Alienating parents are child abusers who project their egregious, unlawful, and inhumane behaviors onto alienated parents and the professionals who attempt to help their children. Alienators lie to their children, lie to the courts, lie to the therapists, and they lie to their followers. Alienators have one mission in life: to drive the alienated parent from their children’s lives. Their methods include creating distractions, hiding & distorting the truth, and perpetuating the abuse of their children. Conclusion Unqualified professionals & journalists who have independently acquired biased misperceptions about parental alienation make false claims and spread erroneous information about so-called “reunification camps.” The focus should be on the safety and protection of children and ending the child psychological abuse. Reunification programs such as Turning Points for Families have been relied upon by Courts across the United States and Canada as a safe and effective intervention for the finding of child abuse. Linda Gottlieb is a parental alienation specialist. With more than 50 years of professional experience as a family therapist, she has helped and protected thousands of children. She was personally trained by child psychiatrist, Salvador Minuchin, the pre-eminent founder of the family therapy movement. She began her career as a caseworker in New York’s foster care system in 1970, where she remained for 24 years, helping thousands of children. Over the past three decades, she has focused on helping conflicted parents settle their custody and parental disputes in therapy instead of in court. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

pasg The Parental Alienation Study Group is an international organization of mental health professionals, legal professionals, targeted parents and grandparents, and child and family advocates who are interested in the study of parental alienation. Do you want more information?

Visit our website at www.pasg.info. Contact our president at william.bernet@vumc.org. 16

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Challenges of Child Reunification Programs, The Legal and Psychological Merits and Myths Zoom conversation with Ashish Joshi (MI, USA), Brian Hart (MA, USA), Brian Ludmer (TO, Canada) and Philip Hendrix (CO, USA). Hosted by Dr. Mark D. Roseman Mark Roseman: Hello, everybody. Thank you so much for being here. And I am just delighted for your joining us today. This is a broadcast on CF Digital. And today's program is titled “The Challenges to Child Reunification Programs.” First, I want to introduce our guests and briefly explain the purpose of this. The Challenges to Child Reunification Programs is really the means with which the courts are kind of taking a step back, listening to different sources of information, and misinformation with respect to how we intervene when it's found that children may be brainwashed. And extremely so where children may seem to show an unrealistic and unfounded and sudden detachment from one, if not both, of their parents. But it's typically when a child is in a custodial parent's home, and family court being heard for remedies and remediations.

children, including false allegations of child abuse and recovery of adopted children. Now, that's a mouthful. But importantly, it's a very complex matter when families dissolve. So we look at this whole matter, and all of the CF Digital and Contemporary Family Magazine programs, and all the work that you do, we all do, It's really to restore family, restore the value of family, and the vital relationships that science and research have shown to be vital for a child's success in life. Let me continue with our illustrious and very important panel.

Brian Hart is a therapist and a parent coach from Massachusetts. He is a custody consultant, and has served on the board of the Parental Alienation Study Group organization. His work addresses disorganized attachment and developmental trauma, childhood adversity, and disrupted parenting, parental separation, personality disorders, and child treatment. And that experience is really critical to this conversation. I want to continue with the introduction Attorney Brian Ludmer from Toronto, Canada.

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So today, ladies and gentlemen, our guests are Ashish Joshi. Ashish Joshi is an attorney based in Michigan, but providing services internationally, and is renowned for his litigation experience. He is Editor in Chief for the American Bar Association's litigation magazine. He has served on the board of directors for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers based in Washington, D.C., and has provided counsel to families, judges and policymakers across the United States and internationally in the U .K., Canada, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands and China. His focus lies at the intersection of forensic sciences, human rights, and complex disputes in situations involving severe parental alienation and psychological mistreatment of 18

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the entire interview at CFDIGITAL

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Brian has come from personal experience of divorce and alienation, and succeeded in restoring the important relationships, and loving relationships with his children. And has worked for many years now in helping families internationally as well in this field. And speaks internationally to attorneys and judges, as well as consulting on very challenging cases.

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Brian is a keynote speaker at many events across North America, and has also been a source of important material for CLE Webinar, which my agency will be doing more of because of that subject. I want to introduce Philip Hendrix. Philip Hendrix is also a therapist and the principal of Covenant Counselors in Colorado. He serves primarily as an advocate for children and parents who desire to be with them. Now, if you think of that concept, the desire to be with one's children, it's critical, right? Those that want to remain involved in their children's lives when parents come apart. But also to find the ways of healing, of giving strength and emotional health to those impacted when there's unwilling partners or a traumatic events accompanying the separation and divorce experienced by more than 40% of families today compared to the marriage rate. I want now to first create a context of child reunification programs. That is a choice that the courts make; some courts, not all courts. And that has been a viable choice that so many have had experience with over the last 15 to 20 years internationally. I think if we understand that child reunification programs, intensive immersion programs that separate the children from one parent to be deprogrammed, if you would, and find the connection, the attachment that is natural and healthy with the other parent who had been excluded, demeaned, and distanced in every conceivable way... Then we understand that that really impacts maybe 30% of the 30% of parents who divorce and separate experiencing high conflict. Although, it's not the first choice. There's a gradation of options that judges choose. And I think our audience may identify with many of these choices. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - WINTER FALL ‘24 2022

When you look at the issues of judges in making determinations, they frequently depend upon outside material, outside testimony from experts, licensed clinicians, who, by the way, may or may not have had any exposure or any understanding to child needs when there seems to be a presence of disenfranchisement by the child. And that continuum initially is examined by the judge with some cookie-cutter recommendations in many courts around the world, particularly Western countries. And that is, you look at maybe therapy. If there's obstruction or unwillingness to participate in child custody agreements, visitation agreements, then there might be need for supervised visitation. Supervised visitation is where there's a third party that helps facilitate time sharing. Time that a child has with another parent that can be observed and documented so that the courts can then, through the reporting, have a sense of what the quality of that visitation was like, and how that has transcended over a period of time. That has helped for the court to make further decisions about custody. With respect to visitation, there's also therapeutic supervised visitation, where the need for a more intensive facilitator, that is a licensed therapist, becomes more valuable. However, when there's obstruction and difficulties and lack of progress, you will also find judges needing to consider... If they haven't dismissed the case, then they will look at other options. I'd like to invite Brian Hart, who I’ve had the pleasure not only of knowing for nearly

seven years since we met, giving testimony at the state house in the state of Connecticut legislature, but also speaking with Brian an hour before our program, who reminded me that there is a continuum of treatment that we really need to look at. Brian, I want to thank you so much for that call, as brief as it was, but I want you now to please share that with others. Because I think that it further contextualizes what we are going to further discuss and need to understand because of the misinformation, because of the challenges, too, and because of the the research which demonstrates the positive effect of more extreme choices judges may make. Brian, please. Thank you. By the way, rules of order: there’s no order. I want everyone, as they may like, please share in this conversation. And I appreciate your patience with me in opening up today's program with these statements from myself. Thank you. Brian Hart: Thank you so much, Mark. And it's so diligent and smart of you to have both two mental health professionals and two esteemed legal professionals in today's panel. And you're right when you talk about the research. There's over a thousand research articles that are supportive of the theory of parental alienation, and they outnumber the number of psychological articles that might be detracting from parental

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pCONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 donation. That's about a 10 to 1 ratio. So the science clearly supports the theory of parental donation. When it comes specifically to the four-day reunification programs that you just mentioned, there's at least 12 articles that are specific to that. And oftentimes, the people that detract from those four-day programs do not look at the research. Or maybe they're not even aware of it because they're not very scientific or research-oriented. You mentioned also the continuum, Mark, and thank you for mentioning that. Because if it's very mild alienation, in other words, the child still has some level of contact with the targeted or rejected parent, they could go for weekly therapy, OK? One hour a week, maybe two hours a week. The court could allocate that even at a mild level of alienation, where the therapist has complete discretion with the court's support of how that treatment plan will go, which members of the family will attend with the child, OK? But when it reaches a moderate or a severe level of alienation, that type of weekly therapy is contraindicated, which is a medical term, which means, “Do not do,” OK? And there are so few therapists or... I'm a mental health counselor... Or a social worker or PhDs that have the subspecialty experience with parental alienation to be able to succeed at any level, including that mild level of those weekly sessions. Even the most experienced person could not succeed at a moderate or severe level with hourly therapy once a week. And that's

Ashish Joshi

where these four-day reunification programs do a wonderful job. We've got articles from Richard Warshak; two of those. “Turning Point for Families” has a great article that was written, as well as Kathleen Ray in Canada. And a 96% success rate. And the reports from the clinicians that are executing these four-day reunification programs, which include... 90 days is the typical of a suspended contact with the alienating parent that was found to be abusive by the court. With the evidence of the court, those programs have a 96% success rate, and that's despite the efforts of the alienators who try to thwart these programs from happening. And sometimes, there are detractors that even involve the media and exploit the children, and there's coercion with the children to try to reject these programs. So typically in these four-day programs, it's within a day and a half that the previously indoctrinated child against the parent will be hugging the targeted parent. It does not take long to be able to help these children. The last comment that I'll make, and this especially will be echoed by, I think, my legal peers here, is that there are false allegations of domestic violence, there are false allegations of child abuse, and there's also false allegations of parental alienation. So we really need to be diligent and understand that all people that claim parental alienation are not actually victims of it and they're trying to manipulate the system. And I think that's where all sides of this, if we say there's parental alienation advocates and there's domestic violent advocates, we all need to be sensitive

Brian Hart

to. Our advocacy has to make sure that we're not advocating for a client that is manipulating the system and is not a victim of domestic violence or their children are not victims of domestic abuse or child abuse. And that we don't want people that are accused of being alienators that aren't. And that's where the Five-factor Model published by author Bill Burnett and others plays a role. Mark: Philip, I'd like you to weigh in also to what Brian had said, if you would, with your experience. However, one of the things that I think from the complaints that I have read that have been in fact promoted in ProPublica, for instance, you know, widely-read public online magazine, which generally has more sensibility... But many of those complaints are really coming from custodial parents. Parents who feel threatened, who cannot allow the other parent the opportunity to share in the affection of their child. And I think that relates to not only experience and perception within their own marriage or relationship, but also their own childhood trauma. And what are they reliving? And why is their anger so hated? And at the time that a child may be ordered to have this immersion four-day program, why shouldn’t the custodial parent also be remanded to individual therapy and counseling and help in coping? I don't know if that, in fact, is part of the order at the time that a child may be so ordered into the four-day therapy. Philip, please, if you would, if you’d like to comment, you're most welcome, of course.

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Philip Hendrix: Well, it's tough to follow Brian Hart. He's a walking encyclopedia. Let me provide a minor correction, Mark. I think, almost exclusively, the people behind these denial efforts are not just aggrieved parents, but in our parlance, they are the alienating parent. They're the ones behind most of this chaos. And this is, in part, done to provide cover for themselves and a distraction from what they have done through the situation, and their negative impact upon the child. I think that's pretty clear from who is driving this effort. The programs themselves, as Brian illustrated, are very successful, very effective when allowed to proceed as intended. Often times, when there are problems, the problem is because of, as you said, the custodial residential parent, who attempts to contact the child and often does have backchannel communication with them, thereby disrupting the process. That non-communication is an essential part of the process itself, because the child needs to be able to rely on emotionally from the formerly targeted parent, and that tie needs to be temporarily disconnected from the custodial parent in order for the process to be effective. There are any number of other reasons why programs can be unsuccessful, but those numbers are extraordinarily small. The success rate for these is in the high 90% for almost all of the programs. So there's very little valid criticism of them other than those that are spouting... As we call them,

PA deniers. They’re spouting their version of reality despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary. Mark: When a child is taken from the custodial parent, there needs to be a process, and I just presume that there may be, for prepping the child and prepping that parent, the custodial or residential parent, to participate in that process, and to be as supportive as possible. Certainly, at least informed as to what the expectation would be. But how would the court, do you think, best explain to all parties, not the need for, but how to understand that four-day separation, that four -day departure from a more familiar household, a relationship with that custodial parent? Philip: Well, that disconnect needs to occur. It must occur in order for the child to thereby become attached to the targeted parent: the person whom they formerly rejected. And without that, the program will likely fail. And as I alluded to moments ago that in those rare situations when a program is not successful, that's almost always the reason why. It’s because there's been back channel communication. However, let's not under emphasize the need for the residential parent, the alienating parent, to engage in a therapeutic process of their own. That's just as essential. We put all the focus seemingly on the targeted parent and the child. And we often neglect (the residential parent as family systems demand). We neglect the alienating parent who is the instigator behind all the chaos. So until and unless a court or other authority enforces their own orders and requires the alienating parent to engage in that therapeutic process, the process will not be as effective. That person cannot change their ways, so to speak, because the child, when they are reintroduced, hopefully in a supervised setting, they're going to continue their old patterns. So there needs to be a change in those patterns, needs to be a change in their parental behaviors towards that child in order for the program to be successful long term.

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Mark Yes. That brings up a number of questions. And I would like to invite the public, our listeners, to know that this is a fundamental and overview of challenges not simply to

the matter of a four-day immersion, and what sadly has been brutally called a camp in the media, but it's a program of healing. Philip: I remind you, Mark, there are intensive programs for other maladies and situations as well, namely substance abuse, drugs and alcohol. We call those intensive programs. Generally starting with a residential program, where they do 30, 60, even 90 days, and then they go to an intensive outpatient program. Why can we not use the same methodology and structure with these kinds of scenarios? MARK: That's a fabulous point. Because the nature of maladies within society requires

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a similar approach. Though content is addressed for that individual, you know, pathology or a problem. But we need to accept what is helpful to all parties; that process. Can I invite you, our attorneys, to comment on what they would like to share with respect to a number of these important points that Brian and Philip have introduced for all of us, please. BRIAN LUDMER: Well, Ashish, why don't I start with the case that you and I are involved in together? OK. So even the most dire situations can be turned around. My mom has a great expression: “Where there's life, there's hope.” Sometimes, it takes the eve of trial capitulation by the alienating parent who knows that they have been found out and a trial is not going to go well to get them on board with solutions. And so then the question becomes, “If I can't trust you because you're capitulating now only on the eve of trial, and I want something that will be resilient and successful over time, what does that look like?” So that's a settlement, if you will, or an interim settlement that has ongoing court oversight, has a series of stipulations that quit an end to the narrative that the estranged parent is the cause of the family dysfunction, assert that this must be solved because it's dire. If it's not, a point in interventionist, because it's not really therapy. It's a psychoeducational, very directive sort of process where there's accountability. The patient, if you will, is the entire family system, with the interventionist being responsible to the court to produce a result, which means it's distinctly not therapy. So in this case, as in many, there was an individual therapist for the child who crossed all kinds of boundaries, created harm, created dysfunction, manipulated the child, drank the Kool-Aid in that sense, colluded with the favored parent. So we know what the solutions look like if we add the knowledge of why conventional therapeutic interventions fail. Because usually, you get an interim court order that says, 22

“Get out of my courtroom. You guys should be solving this instead of litigating it. Go do some therapy.” And there's no further guidance, no structure, no accountability, no oversight. Those are 99.9% empirically and logically going to fail. And each successive intervention that fails to meet its goals actually makes solving it harder the next time. The worst case I had, which I only got involved near the end, there were 10 separate different therapeutic interventions; psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, then around the band again, and nobody seemed to learn the “greater fool theory.” So there is a way to do this short of a trial. And I'm pretty sure I spoke about this at one of the earlier PASG conferences, either Washington or Philadelphia, but it's highly structured because of the risk of failure if it's not. Because we would prefer a solution that doesn't involve a temporary protective separation. They have their own challenges despite the substantial record of success. So that's part of my pitch for how to help these families. They need an intervention.

It’s not therapy; it's highly structured. And if you can't get it, or if you try that, what I call “the one last chance” and it doesn't work, then you're left with what the Canadian courts call the, you know, there's four choices. You're picking the least objectionable of a series of choices there. It's a stark dilemma is what some of the cases refer to it. And all you're left with at that point is, are you going to do this sort of temporary protective separation with all its bells and whistles? Now, it doesn't have to be a formal program. It can be led by a local systemic family therapist who understands how this works. Or are you just going to say goodbye? Because it is an aspirational statement to say that, “Oh, well, I'm sure the children will reconnect with their mother or father in the future.” There's no evidence of that. It's not a good strategy. Mark: If I may, I just want to rephrase something that Brian had said, as I understood, that this program is not therapy. Brian, did I hear you say that, if I may? CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

Brian Ludmer: Yes. Therapy is generally founded on the therapeutic alliance, and that therapeutic alliance would be fatal in these directive sort of processes.

Mark: So, that is a very important distinction. And I wonder if the court may know that or has explained that.

What's the data look like? Who wrote the reviews and all of those? None of those questions are asked ever when a judge simply orders a kid to therapy. You know, when there is a visitation violation, for example, or where the kid says, “I don't want to go and see mom or dad because of whatever reason,” and “therapy” is put in place. No one questions the efficacy or scientific underpinning of that therapy. What exactly is the therapist supposed to treat?

Ashish, given your experience, how might you... And I know you're collaborating with Brian, and that it's not the first time that you've been engaging with Brian. You're very important people, leading litigants and counsel in this field. But I want to return your follow-up comments, if I may, and also address that issue, how you would explain to the court, “That argument of intervention is not succeeding. This is an opportunity and probably the last straw for some families.”

More often than not, if the case indeed involves the alienation dynamic, the traditional therapy setting makes it far worse. It ends up over empowering the child and disempowering the parent. And it just keeps on going on. They get more toxic. They get more loyalty-blinded, exacerbated. And the judges continue to get frustrated by asking questions about, “Why isn’t the situation changing? We have been in therapy for X number of months or years, and what's going on here?”

Ashish Joshi: What I would say is it's all dependent upon facts. We have to focus on the facts. Many, many times, I have come onto a case to realize that lawyers, judges, therapists, they're all meant to do the right thing, and meant well, but they have made the case far worse.

So it's important in these cases to have some findings of fact made as soon as possible. Because if it involves alienation, you need a particular kind of intervention. And by the same token, if it does not involve alienation, but it has other issues such as significantly deficient parenting, neglect on the part of a parent, abuse on the part of the parent, or a bunch of other reasons which make sense as to why a child is resisting relationship, we need those findings as well. Because mental

Philip: More specifically, it's not psychotherapeutic. It is psychoeducational.

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health intervention is supposed to treat a particular dynamic that's at play. And unless we know that in advance, we are simply trying to speculate. So as much as people don't like litigation and they want to stay away from it and they want to settle the cases, in many cases, it is important to go to court and get some findings made. Are the allegations true? Does the allegation of alienation have merit? Does the allegation of abuse have any merit? What indeed took place that has been causing the child to reject a parent or resist contact with a parent? And once those findings are made, then we go to the next step of intervention and what is appropriate. It's a night and a day difference when a clinician gets a finding from the court. For example, the court understands and agrees that both parents are safe, but the child has been rejecting the mother without justification. And the father has influenced the child to reject the mother by engaging in some alienating behaviors. Now, that kind of a finding gives a particular kind of information to a clinician who is going to provide intervention, versus a judicial finding, such as the mother has demonstrated significant issues related to alcohol abuse or substance abuse, the mother has engaged in significantly deficient behaviors of parenting, the mother has caused the child some sort of trauma or some sort of issues here, which has led the child to reject the mother. That information allows the clinician to provide a different kind of intervention. So we need to dig down on the facts and get some findings in the record as early as possible before we move down to interventions. Mark: Ashish, I think everyone, you know, absolutely agrees that the need to find facts as early as possible will create the greatest opportunity for selecting the most immediately appropriate intervention. And in many of the cases that I have been invited to either testify at as a professional witness or to otherwise observe... Because, Philip, my agency provides family therapy and supervised visitation and therapeutic visitation. In so many cases, that approach

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pCONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 which is so sound and sensible does not appear to have existed. If there's argument over the assignment of therapeutic type of remedy, which is late in a case, that shows deficiency and it shows also that children are harmed because of that delayed intervention or the delayed attempt to recognize what facts are. Now, we know in litigation, we have, you know, the right and the wrong, we have the “did,” the “did not,” we have the “he said, she said,” so to speak. And how would you and fellow attorneys, Brian, suggest that courts dig more rapidly into the fact finding as opposed to the argumentation from a litigation process? Brian Ludmer: All right. Well, I'm sure that Ashish will agree that all the courts everywhere are overburdened. Massive backlogs can't get timely dates since COVID. Because of all of that, there's all these rules, you know, your affidavit cannot exceed on a one-hour motion in many Canadian provinces, say 12 double-spaced pages. How are you going to prove the primary causal factor in a family dysfunction and refute the other side's narrative - because remember, they got a narrative - in 12 double-spaced pages and a five double-spaced

page reply on a one-hour motion? It's impossible. So then you have to be dealing with the court to get a half-day motion or a full-day motion. And then they tell you that those dates are being given out six to eight months hence. So in an ideal world, there would be some sort of fact-finding to assist the intervention, and spearhead the sorts of supports and changes of behaviors. But the court system today just doesn't allow for that. So what we're having to do is, say, with the right stipulations, the right buy-in by both parents, that whatever the causality is, we're not prejudging it, but here are the rules of the game. We're supporting two-parent child, extended family relationships. Each parent makes a vote of confidence in the other parent. Everybody commits to follow what the therapist says with a view to the healthy solution. Everybody buys in on what the healthy solution looks like. Maybe there's an existing parenting plan that isn't being followed. Everybody agrees that the goal of the intervention is to restore the family. So there's no blame game. It's just a future-focused, sort of everybody buy-in to it so that we can just let the therapist get on with fixing it. And the mistakes everybody has made; mistakes of omission,

mistakes of commission, misattributions, misrepresentations, misunderstandings, it'll all be worked out. Why? Because we all have a common vision. There's a parenting plan we're going to support. We all agree it's essential. We all agree it's urgent. We all agree to do whatever is required to get there. So does the past really matter other than in an informative sense of, “Here are the topics on which we struggled in the past. We need to do better; everybody, including the children, on those topics. The therapist will help us craft a go-forward parenting constitution, behavioral expectations, and we won't debate the past.” It's not about fault finding. It's simply about can we be informed by our past difficulties, and without the blame game, get right into solutions about the future on the assumption that everybody could do better, including the children could do better. So in the best of all possible worlds, the therapist would be informed to some measure. Because when you get in and try and fix it, you always learn more than what can be learned in a courtroom. But if we obviously could pull the two historical narratives closer together through some fact finding, it would be ideal. I don't think, anywhere, we have the court system, resources, timeliness, focus and attention that we need, have needed, and PHOTO BY RAWPIXEL.COM

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need even more today. And so this is what we have to do in the absence of that. Because to send every family to trial to figure it out sounds great, but it'll take you two to three years to get there, by which time there may be nothing left to save.

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So that's the situation we find ourselves in today because of the limitations, you know, out... There’s... Every judge who ultimately does a trial in in this world says, you know, “The system needs to separate these families out of the mix earlier and devote special attention to them and actively manage them.” All the trial decisions says that, you know? There’s, “I'm picking up the pieces here four years on. We need to do better at an earlier stage.” And you do have court decisions that will make, say, finding a PA mixed in with something else on an interim motion. So they do exist. There is authority for that. But it's a lot harder today to do. There's usually an inclination to send the family to trial. And they absolutely need attention as soon as possible. So, Ashish, is the US court situation as overburdened and subject to all these limitations we see in Canada? Ashish: It depends. I've found that to be especially true in larger metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, where the family courts are simply not just overwhelmed with the amount of cases on the docket, but also with the fact that a significant proportion of litigants are pro se. They are representing themselves. They can't afford lawyers or don't have lawyers, and that creates a problem of its own. I absolutely agree with Brian that in an ideal world, it would be great if you get a trial or an evidentiary hearing. But when it doesn't happen, I have found that judges who hold review hearings or who at least put dates on the horizon that, “We don't have time now, but we are going to get to a trial in nine months from now. And in the meantime, I want parties to follow family system’s therapy or counseling,” or some mechanism is put in place with future accountability. Those cases do better than lawyers... Or coming up with CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

some sort of a system on its own and having no oversight by the judge. The other problem I often see is therapists being at odds with each other. There is a reunification therapist agreed on by everyone, but then the child has an individual therapist who is against the reunification therapist. So then the child's therapist continues to have individual sessions with the child and the child appears to have some distorted belief system. And the child's therapist keeps on telling everyone the child is simply not ready. We can't proceed with reunification until the kid is ready for the reunification, and we lose precious time in that. So these are some of the issues that we need to confront early on and try to get ahead of. And if everyone is pulling in the right direction, that's great. Even if the progress is slow, if direction is right, it's still a progress. Mark: You know, I have been smiling during Brian's discussion. Much of his latter part of the discussion about looking towards the future. My father, may he rest in peace. For many of my adult years, if not earlier, he would remind me, “Don't look backwards. Life doesn't go that way.” And my father was a product of the depression, victim of anti-Semitism, veteran of World War II. His parents were immigrants, an he, fiirst gen-

eration. So there are a lot of negatives that he had to deal with. But he said, “You know what? screw it. We're looking forward. We're moving forward.” I think both of you have been couching the realities of not only caseload, but what is practical procedure. And perhaps it might be that this period of COVID and post-COVID is giving us the important fluidity, if you will, that, Ashish, you have just been saying. If the need for trial remains present and can't be scheduled, though down the road, in the meantime, there must be efforts to provide some measured therapeutic assistance during that period. And would that have been a philosophy at the time of my own divorce in 1997, ’98, it would have been, I think, a far better result than... I’m fighting laryngitis... It's like a laryngitis, pardon me, esophagitis. But it would have been a far better result. And I think that there is a lot of really important nuggets here. Philip, before I continued, I had another point to make. Did you want to jump in on what Brian and Ashish had just shared with us? Philip: Well, I was nodding throughout both of their talks because I'm in agreement. Courts are overburdened. In some

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jurisdictions here in Colorado, up to 90% are self-represented parties. The process necessarily takes longer, if you will, because of that. But further, I think there's the overwhelming lack of understanding of these issues within our courts, with notable exceptions among attorneys. And sadly, even in the mental health profession, which points to the need that we have better education about these issues. Not just family dynamics, not just the issues of parental alienation, coercive control, and the many other things that are often involved in these kinds of scenarios, but there's a general lack of understanding of both legal and psychodynamics involved in families. Let's face it. Families are different. And each individual family has its own peculiarities, and you cannot replicate that. And for courts to attempt to apply cookie-cutter resolutions to that inevitably will lead to disaster for those families. Mark: That's really key. That’s really key. You know, the issues of court... And I think that's certainly another topic that I would like to address with you all down the road, on that of the need for court reform, which is court reflection. Understanding court process and understanding who is leading the courts. The matter of judges being reassigned even during a case. This is horrific. We talked about the importance of consistency for children to have access to parents. How about the consistency necessary when someone is adjudicating a case and is comfortable, is more knowledgeable, and then is moved to a different type of court? We're going to be concluding shortly. But I have found this discussion to be so important and meaningful. And particularly one point I did want to mention. Brian, you had said that rather than the four-day on-site program, it might be that a local therapist to (efficiently help) the family. A therapist most local to the family needing this type of assistance, may offer a more expedient and more ready resource. And then that in itself opens up the challenges. Who is credible? Who has the least bias? Who is most open to hearing and understanding and refuting and discerning and assisting? 26

Because the bottom line is what Brian had said and Ashish as well. We need to be goal-oriented. We need to be focused on what the value to the family will be to the child, and we must make that effort to do that. And so that means selecting the appropriate authority, the appropriate therapist, who might be asked to conduct such an intervention as a four-day program. Then that will be really significant, and a process for the courts to better understand. I'm going to invite final comments now. I'm so grateful for all of you, of course, to be here and share this important insight on the challenges to child reunification programs, and what has led into that, what has really magnified issues that are critical and yet oppositional to the realities of these success rates of exceeding 90% and higher. Gentlemen, your final comments would be most welcome, please.

Brian Ludmer: OK. So I'll just offer one quick thing, which is there are resources. There are collections of case law that I've done where it has judicial commentary on why the conventional therapeutic intervention failed. And they're really interesting, those reflections, after the fact where judges said, “Well, it's obvious why it failed because this, that, this.” And so if you collect the series of those cases and you start to see the patterns, well, then that's what to avoid by building in a covenant pattern to prevent that behavior against sins of commission, sins of omission in your intervention. The other tool that we have these days is we have a whole bunch of kids who have reconnected with a lost parent. Again, no science behind how frequently that happens and just an aspirational sort of thing. But sometimes it does happen. And when you listen to those kids, young adults, about how they lost the relationship, what they were being told, how CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

they were misled, and how they eventually overcome it... Very, very instructive, then, to look at those sorts of parental and sometimes extended family behaviors and building a prohibition early on in the post-separation period against that sort of behavior. So we have an experiential data set that goes beyond just the science of studying formal programs, which is what the studies do in order to get a sufficient body of participants. But the really good systemic therapists who have seen reunification happen... The case law where courts make new go-forward orders after the reunification therapy period, and recognizes that sometimes, where needed, these protective separation periods, they do work. So the review judgments reflect on the fact that things have improved markedly. So we have all these other touch points. They’re objective, they can be assembled and be part of the education process for everybody, but also for use in court. Ashish: I agree with Brian. And I wholeheartedly second that suggestion about looking at case law. I also think it's important to look at professional or peer-reviewed literature when we are talking about this intervention programs and not be distracted by publications such as ProPublica or other social media distractions, because they have taken one little kernel of truth somewhere and blown it out of proportion. For example, when the court orders an intensive program, order a separation, it does typically do so after a trial or an evidentiary hearing. And it's important to go and look into transcripts, the testimony, what convinced this judge to order that separation. And these social media articles or journalistic articles don't really do justice to those decisions, and it all creates a hype and some sort of a scandalized version that looks very attractive to people on social media. Mark: I agree. It's unfortunately a sensational matter that gives fodder to publication, sadly. Philip, did you have a comment, perhaps? Philip: Despite the ongoing continuing need for us to engage those who attempt

to deny what has been scientifically proven over many decades of research and clinical practice, we need to fight misinformation, we need to fight disinformation. Legal mental health profession and family advocates alike, I think, need to think outside the box to come up with better ways to deal with these kinds of issues. If we collectively would look at the facts, as Ashish likes to say, and look at the research that Brian has alluded to, I think the answers are there for us. And these programs, whether they be remote or local or four-day or whatever duration, they are highly effective and can serve families well. We just have to engage in them. We have to utilize them. And in order to do that, I think we need to do a better job in educating the courts and others who are involved in these scenarios that we can better rely on to use the tools that are available to us currently. Mark: Thank you so much, Philip. 25 years ago, when I got involved with the Children's Rights Council in Washington, which advocated for joint custody nationally, it was David Levy who said, reform required providing information, education, and support.” That was the mantra. I believe in that. It has guided me in all of my efforts. The role of advocacy is critical to affect change. Recently in Connecticut, the Parental Alienation/Psychological Abuse Support and Intervention (PAS) organization led by its founding Executive Director, Joan Kloth-Zanard MFT, convened an advocacy training conference addressing the issues and processes for an impactful effort to bring positive legislative changes nationally. Thank you all so very much for your wisdom and generous time to discuss these attacks and challenges on these programs. But I want to thank you for all that you do to improve child outcomes when parents separate in all aspects of your work and your advocacy. And I want to wish you all well. And I look forward to continuing conversations and being an outlet to assist you in your words. Thank you so very much.

What a Ruling by the Courts of Parental Alienation Means by Linda Gottlieb

So, when a judge makes a ruling on parental alienation, a finding that this is what happened in the case, that one parent turned the child against the other parent who is loving and kind and protective, what does that really mean? Well, what it means is it's basically a finding for child abuse. It's very important to understand exactly what the child abuse involves. It's child psychological abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse. We have a lot of names for it. It is in the DSM 5 as child psychological abuse to undermine a child's psychological needs. What exactly does that mean, child psychological abuse that occurs in alienation? The alienating parent is saying to the child, basically, you have a choice. It's me or the other one. Take your pick. I often say, how do you say to somebody, cut off, you have to cut off one of your arms. Choose the right or the left. It is wrong. It is damaging. It is cruel. It is antisocial to do that. It's child manipulation. It's coercive control. It's domestic violence of that child. To say to that child, you cannot have your own feelings, love, need, opinions for and about the other parent. In my opinion, that's the most cruel, inhumane thing a parent can do to a child. When we think about the impact on a child for life as to how they're going to live, we know that the most important factor in that is the relationships with each parent.

VISIT THE CF DIGITAL! PODCAST SERIES ON ANCHOR.FM/MARK-ROSEMAN2 CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

BOOKS

The Parental Alienation Syndrome

by Linda Gottlieb In this thoughtprovoking book, Ms. Gottlieb attempts to resolve the controversies surrounding Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) by providing substantial empirical evidence from her treatment cases in support of the eight symptoms which child psychiatrist, Richard Gardner, had identified as occurring in the PAS child, and she further exemplifies the commonality of the alienating maneuvers among the alienating parents. The author redefines the typically held characterization of the parents' relationship as portrayed in the pertinent literature and accepted by most PAS aware professionals. Numerous case examples are explored: horrific tales of manufactured child abuse; referrals to child protective services (CPS) resulting in suspension of visits between targeted parents and their children; meritless reports to police alleging domestic violence in support of orders of protection which slander and stigmatize targeted parents; exclusionary tactics preventing targeted parents' involvement in their children's medical,

educational, social lives and activities; and depletion of targeted parents' resources due to legal fees required to defend himself/herself and to obtain judicial enforcement of parental rights. Ms. Gottlieb methodically documents that PAS is a form of emotional child abuse of the severest kind. The author provides an unprecedented number of treatment summaries, which demonstrate the effectiveness of structural family therapy in treating the PAS family. To further elucidate the subject, the author interviewed several matrimonial attorneys, Law Guardians, and forensic evaluators regarding their experiences with PAS, and she incorporated their thoughts into her recommendations as to how the mental health and judicial communities should resolve this situation in the best interests of the child. "New Rules" are suggested which encourage a collaborative rather than an adversarial approach to child custody. This book will be an excellent resource for parents who are divorcing or are in conflict, for adult child victims of PAS, for mature

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A Workbook for Alienated Parents

This workbook is the first of its kind for alienated parents and is divided into three parts. Part One will provide the knowledge and understanding you need to personally deal with the ramifications of PAS or to help those who do. Thus, from a broad perspective this book is written for a wide array of readers including those directly affected by PAS as well as for extended family members, significant others, counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, child custody evaluators, family mediators, general practitioners, pediatricians, family law lawyers, judiciary, police officers, school administrators, school teachers, and policy makers. 28

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by L.D. Belding This is a diary-like workbook with lots of information to help parents. A quick review of the book and it seems to provide essential tools and words of wisdom to help navigate and document the issues around custodial interference. https://a.co/d/2ycNwg CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

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"The book will give the reader a historical background of Family Court was well as a direction for the future. It is a must reading for the professional and for the layman facing litigation. The summary of the research is excellent and easy to understand.” Dr. Douglas Darnall Author, Divorce Casualties “The reference book by Dr. Roseman provides all readers with a common understanding of divorce dynamics, child custody variables, and opportunities for improved child outcomes when parents decide to separate and divorce. Parent alienation is included in the text but it should be avoided at all levels for each parent.” Dr. Richard Sauber Founding Editor, American Journal of Family Therapy Co-Editor, The International Handbook on Parental Alienation Syndromes “Dr. Roseman has completed a very thorough and helpful guide for families of divorce as well as professionals. Very carefully researched and written. No matter how much you think you know about divorce and how to lessen its impacts, you will learn something here.” Dr. Donald A. Gordon, Professor Emeritus, Ohio University Available from: Westbow Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retailers.

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6th International Conference on Parental Alienation - Conclusions

by Angela Hoffmeyer

nternational researchers and experts have met in Oslo, Norway to discuss new research, law reforms and best practices for prevention of parental alienation and re-connecting alienated children and good parents. This is today a sever challenge for society.

PHOTO BY FREEPIK.COM

In most countries 10%-30% of all children loses contact with a parent. Some due to the lack of responsibility and good parenting, but many due to parental alienation or as WHO states it the “Parent-child relations problem”. This can be of minor, medium or extensive nature. The first international conference on parental alienation was held in Washington in 2017, then in Stockholm in 2018, Philadelphia in 2019, Brussels in 2021, Fort Collins, Colorado in 2023, and now this year in Oslo with 250 participants from 20 countries. "I experienced this very strange feeling. I sat and looked at you, and suddenly I was 12 years old. I thought: 'This is incredible— so many adults, so many intelligent people: judges, lawyers, psychologists. They are taking this issue so seriously.' I was filled with warmth; it felt like a healing moment. I could listen to you taking this in, taking responsibility, and I was just thinking—the 12-yearold Hanna was thinking—'Wow, this is amazing, and I hope that many children will see all this, and the outcome.'" -Conference participant, being alienated as a child The 2024 conference was by the participants stated as unique, important and impressive. Here are some of the main conclusions. European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in numerous parental alienation cases and mentions the term explicitly in its judgments. That alone says a great deal. The Court has repeatedly emphasized that member states have obligations to protect the right to family life under Article 8 of the 30

European Convention on Human Rights. Thus, the Court has concluded that states have breached their obligations by neglecting to enforce rulings aimed at restoring the relationship between parents and children. The judgments underline that states must take responsibility by implementing necessary measures to maintain family ties Davíð Þór Björgvinsson (former judge at the Human Rights Court) discussed these matters but also the complexities of the judicial system when it comes to parental alienation cases. He noted that as time passes while cases drag through the legal system, the emotional separation between parent and child should be of major concern. It is therefore important that national governments act with prevention measures.

Geir Kjell Andersland (lawyer, Norway) the chair of the recent parliament men’s committee in Norway, gave a presentation where he discussed how the European Court of Human Rights addresses parental alienation cases, especially considering Article 8 of the Convention. He emphasized that governments have a dual responsibility: to protect families against unjustified interference but also to facilitate reunions between parents and children. He specifically pointed out that although the best interests of the child are paramount, this should not infringe upon the parents' right to maintain a relationship with their children. There is a positive responsibility to secure both the children and parents human rights to a family life. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

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Jesper Lohse (chairman / MBA, Denmark) presented recommendations for law reforms based on a Harvard case analysis of the Danish family court system from a leadership perspective. An analysis in which there was made process analysis of 750 children cases, which has led to some of the leading law reforms worldwide and also became part of the Council of Europe resolution 2079 on gender equality. In 2024 a new parental alienation action plan for 2024-2027 has been launched by the parliament. Camilla Bernt (lawyer, Norway) discussed legal challenges in parental alienation cases and the importance of developing laws and remedies that protect children's rights. She pointed out that the current system in Norway, like in many other places, struggles with great uncertainty and often lacks the necessary knowledge to make the right decisions that best serve the child's interests. She urged increased education among judges and others involved in these cases. William Bernet (professor of psychology, USA) discussed the political divide within the field of parental alienation. He pointed out that this divide between proponents and critics of parental alienation theories has hindered research, education, and intervention. Bernet emphasized the importance of cooperation with critics, noting that constructive dialogues will not only increase understanding of the phenomenon but also help professionals in law and mental health to work together better in family cases. Philip Marcus (former judge, Israel) presented clear proposals for changes in the handling of custody cases. He criticized that opposing sides in custody disputes often contribute to increased conflict and distance between the child and both parents. CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

He called for changes in the organization of courts, where joint legal and psychical custody shall be the basic assumption, and more emphasis shall be placed on interdisciplinary teams with knowledge of child development and mental health throughout the life. Edward Kruk (professor of social work, Canada) discussed the importance of early intervention in parental alienation cases. He pointed out that intervening early in such cases is key to reducing harmful effects on children. He said, among other things: "Parental alienation is like a wound that heals poorly if not addressed quickly and systematically. If we do not intervene early, the behavior becomes entrenched, and harm to the children increases as time passes." Marie-France Hirigoyen (doctor in psychology, France) discussed the misconceptions related to parental alienation, where this problem is often seen as gender-specific. She pointed out that parental alienation is not bound by gender and that both men and women can be perpetrators or victims of alienation. Hirigoyen provided a clear analysis of how misleading information about this issue leads to misconceptions both in society and the legal system.

Davíð Þór Björgvinsson

Geir Kjell Andersland

Pehr Granqvist (professor of psychology, Sweden) emphasized that attachment theories are often not used correctly in custody cases. In his presentation "Attachment Goes to Court" he discussed that attachment analyses should not be used to make final legal decisions about custody but should guide the selection of interventions that support the child and the family. Ben Hine (professor of psychology, United Kingdom) presented important findings on parental alienating behaviors, which showed that about 60% of participants had experienced such behavior, linked to severe mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He emphasized the necessity of mental health support for those who experience parental alienation and caused parental alienation as well as legislative changes to identify and address this behavior. Depending on the country 10-30 pct. Of all children does today not see one of there parents. This can be due to parenting behavior and lack of responsibility, but parental alienation is a major challenge for children, families and societies.

Jesper Lohse

Camilla Bernt

q CONTINUES ON PAGE 32 31

pCONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Several important conclusions and recommendations has been identified by the World Parents Organization from the 2024 conference. There is most importantly a need by national governments and authorities in most countries to address. u New law reforms based on the Council of Europe resolution 2079 on Equality and shared parental responsibility. u Early parental leave programs and support for both parents.

William Bernet

Marie-France Hirigoyen

Philip Marcus

Pehr Granqvist

Edward Kruk

Ben Hine

u Prevention of parental alienation behavior with early intervention. u Consequences for parental alienation behavior and misinformation. u Consideration of family social and health history incl. diagnosis. u Children interviews, contact persons and support groups. u Parent support groups and legal aid for both parents in parental alienation situations. u Increased collaboration between professionals and authorities. u Education of professionals in parental alienation and lost contact related to children. u Programs for re-connecting children and good parents. u Welfare benefit independence with children time at parents. The lack of law reforms, management culture not taking responsibility and lack of consequences for parental alienation and misinformation is a key challenge for society. Current family law simply does not work in today’s society for children and families, but a solution can be found. It is possible to create a success with good leadership and modern legislation for children, families and society.

"We are living in a shared parenting world with single parenting law”

-Jesper Lohse, Nordic Fathers

CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

pasg &

present

1st

International Interdisciplinary

Congress on Parental Alienation and Domestic Violence Law November 14th-15th Aula Magna de la Facultad de Derecho Buenos Aires, Argentina

CONTEMPORARY FAMILY MAGAZINE - FALL ‘24

CONTEMPORARY FAMILY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES WHO WE ARE A quarterly publication for family professionals across disciplines. The Magazine is a tool for family professionals, policymakers, child advocates and parents seeking to improve child outcomes. Editorial content provides practical thought and insight, and helpful, stimulating reviews. Research and journalism, interview and opinion are welcome. OUR AUDIENCE Available by online subscription, Contemporary Family Magazine reaches an international audience of several thousand readers from across professional, research, and academic disciplines. Increasingly, the magazine seeks to be a forum for those professionals working to improve child outcomes across the globe. Major editorial topics include: • Child Welfare • Child Custody • Co-Parenting • Family Science • Systems Therapy • Child Reunification • Public Policy • Education • Medicine • Child Advocacy • Family Law • Child and Family Services • Parental Alienation • Juvenile Justice

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2024 ISSUE DEADLINES • Spring: February 15th New Beginnings - Coping Through Transitions • Summer: May 15th Co-Parenting: Challenges & Successes Fall: August 15th High Conflict, In Practice, Prevention and Policy • Winter: November 15th Child Advocacy: Past, Present, Future Subscription and Advertising Details: www.contemporaryfamilymagazine.com BOOK REVIEW: (500-800 WORDS) Send your book review with author photo and cover with note why this book review is important. BLOG POST: (500-800 WORDS) You may request to write a blog post on Contemporary Family Website on any of our editorial topics, sharing your thoughts, your professional experience. FEATURES: (1,500-2,000 WORDS) Contemporary Family Magazine embraces stories about individuals, businesses, and organizations working to build resilience in family life and family change. Feature stories allow for interviews, original discussion and traditional journalism addressing significant concerns, changes, challenges and achievements on aspects of family from the perspective of law, child advocacy and custody, social policy, government, medicine, and psychology. RESEARCH & WHITE PAPERS: (2,500-3,500 WORDS) The Editorial Board of Contemporary Family Magazine seeks to showcase in-depth critical thinking without the restrictions and limitations of many peer reviewed journals. Rather, our mission is to more rapidly share new ideas READERS GOALS Our readers are family professionals across disciplines and many parents, all seeking guidance to improve their co-parenting relationships, to better advocate for court reform and to intervene when parental alienation may be apparent in their child custody case.

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PODCASTS, WEBINARS AND WEBSITES: RESOURCES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN WHEN PARENTS SEPARATE Ask Dr. Mark: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJtrX7yAywkOL61o2LPuarQ

We the Parents Podcast: Visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCiou-plwSw8bS2CkTQ57B4Q

As Crianças Importam / Children Matter (Portugal): https://expresso.pt/podcasts/ as-criancas-importam

Truth Hurts • A podcast on Anchor: http://www.anchor.fm/wait--see-media

Broken Families: Conversations with Barbara La Pointe (Canada) and Andrew Folkler (USA): https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ broken-families-conversations-barbara-la-pointe-canada/id1555956537 Fair Divorce: https://fairdivorce.co.za/ / https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCAMUTpNrZUBwgywknoi5Uzw.

Mark David Roseman & Associates: Visit: https://www.Markdavidroseman.org Abuse Excuse: Visit: https://www.abuse-excuse.com Chai Talk With Laurel: Visit: https://anchor.fm/laurel-herman

Family Access – Fighting For Children’s Rights Visit: https://www.familyaccessfightingforchildrensrights.com

Sh*t I Learned From my Divorce Show with Trish Guise, MBA, PMDC: Visit: https://chestermereradio.ca/programs/sh-t-i-learned-from-my-divorce-10

Never Give Up!!!!: Visit: https://soundcloud.com/bailey-smith-69208333blogtalkradio.com/friendstalk

Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG): Visit: https://www.pasg.info

Parent Separation Support: Visit https://sites.google.com/view/parentseparationhelp/home SLAM THE GAVEL with Mary Ann Petri Visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1364944 Speak Life Into Strife with host Kindra Renee: Visit https://www.speaklifeintostrife.com/ Bristol Grandparents Support Group Visit https://bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk/ CF Digital! Contact: cdoran@contemporaryfamilymagazine.org Families Divided TV International Webinar Presentations - Produced by Family Access Visit: https://www.thenownetwork.org Kids Need Both Inc. - Court Approved Courses, Help Line, and Community Visit: https://www.Hope4Families.net

Bamboo Tree Children’s Foundation: Visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCdUD5VvcQEoRa0vyQ-USsuQ Two Wishes: Visit: https://www.twowishes.org Eeny Meeny Miney-Mo Foundation. Visit: https://emmm.org.au/ Alienated Grandparents Anonymous, Inc. Visit: https://www.AlienatedGrandparentsAnonymous.com La Dolce Vita Project Contact: http://www.la-dolce-vita-project.com Parental Alienation Europe Parental Visit https://parentalalienation.eu The Law Center -Free Legal Resources & Video Law Library. Visit: https://thelawcenter.net/

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