Alan D. Blotcky, PhD

As a clinical and forensic psychologist, I am often court-appointed or privately retained to conduct psychological/custody evaluations in high-conflict divorce cases. My evaluations in these cases usually take at least 6 months or more to complete. Why? Because longitudinal evaluations are the best way to detect, uncover, and describe complicated family dynamics. Family dynamics can be largely or entirely missed in a one-shot, cross-sectional evaluation. Inaccurate or wrong findings, conclusions, and recommendations can be the unfortunate consequence. A child’s well-being and best interest can be lost if the evaluation is completed too fast with too few information/data points over time.

I have had many cases where important family dynamics did not reveal themselves initially in individual interviews and psychological testing. The goal of any psychological/custody evaluation is to determine the impact of parental and family influences on a child and to make recommendations based on those findings.

 Anything short of that is a missed opportunity and will be unhelpful in a legal proceeding.

Uncovering family dynamics is especially fraught in high-conflict divorces that are, by definition, contentious, adversarial, and prone to obfuscation and falsehoods.

 The surest way to see family dynamics clearly is to experience them in real-time as part of the evaluation process. In essence, the evaluator becomes a watchful spectator of the interactions and maneuvers of the various family members over an extended period of time.

Cross-sectional evaluations usually take 3 or 4 sessions per adult and 2 or 3 sessions per child. They include interviews, psychological testing, review of collateral information, and review of mental health records. Such evaluations can be accomplished in short order, like 2 months. But, all too often, these evaluations are not sufficient to uncover vital family dynamics. They often lack depth and breadth because they are based on limited information collected over a short period of time.

My longitudinal evaluations take at least 6 months and always include the filling in of a timeline of events and behaviors as they are occurring in real time.

 Information for the timeline is collected through many interviews, phone contacts, emails, and text messages. Both parents and children can provide valuable data for the timeline. At the end, a comprehensive picture of the family and its dynamics can be described extensively in vivid color and with texture.

Longitudinal evaluations are especially helpful in suspected cases of parental alienation.

 Since alienating or offending parents never admit to their damaging behavior, it behooves the mental health expert to follow the family over many months to see the sequence of events and behaviors as they unfold in real time. A timeline can be established that reveals the ebb and flow of harmful family maneuvers and behaviors.

Longitudinal evaluations also make sense when false allegations of abuse are a part of the case. In my experience, multiple false allegations during a divorce proceeding are a huge red flag for parental alienation.

 If the evaluation process extends for many months, these false allegations can mount up, clearly showing their role in the alienating process. And “not indicated” or “not substantiated” reports by child protective agencies can mount up as well during the evaluation period.

In court, longitudinal evaluations are robust and compelling. They provide many more data points to be considered in the overall assessment and depiction of the family. It is far easier to describe parental alienation in detail if a longitudinal approach has been taken in the evaluation process. Also, it lends itself to gripping courtroom testimony.

The American Psychological Association has published a report regarding the important features of a child custody evaluation.

 Ethical considerations are always paramount. What is missing in their model is an emphasis on a longitudinal evaluation rather than a cross-sectional one. Perhaps this feature should be added to the American Psychological Association’s model of custody evaluations.

By definition, longitudinal evaluations are much more time-consuming than one-shot assessments. But time should not be the guiding factor in mental health evaluations in high-conflict custody cases. Getting it right is far more important for the child. Taking as much time as needed should be the mantra of a highly helpful evaluation.

Treatment recommendations can be more accurate and specific when a longitudinal approach is taken in the evaluation. Treatment should always follow from diagnosis, and a comprehensive evaluation can set the stage for ongoing interventions that will be both effective and efficient.

In my experience, attorneys and judges make better decisions about custody arrangements when they are provided longitudinal information. Judges seem moved by timelines, documentation, and real-time examples.

There is 1 additional advantage to a longitudinal approach. Sometimes, the evaluation process itself can lead to significant awareness, changes, and resolution. The evaluation itself can be an intervention. In mild cases of parental alienation, for example, the evaluation process can convince the alienating parent to cease his or her damaging behavior, thereby resolving the crisis at hand.

One final note: In some cases of divorce, when parental alienation is not suspected and false allegations of abuse are not present, a one-time, cross-sectional evaluation does make sense. Simpler cases can indeed call for simpler evaluations.

In summary, parental alienation cases need longitudinal evaluations in order to detect and describe the damaging alienating behavior. These cases can be complicated and confusing at the beginning, but the evaluation process can tease out the prominent problematic dynamics in the family. A one-time, cross-sectional assessment can miss powerful and conclusive information in a case.

is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama.He is also clinical associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr Blotcky can be reached at alanblotcky@att.net.

Assessing for alienation in child custody and access evaluations.

2. Bernet W. Children of high-conflict divorce face many challenges. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/children-high-conflict-divorce-face-many-challenges

3. Blotcky AD. Timelines are a critical tool in cases of false allegations of abuse and parental alienation. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/timelines-are-a-critical-tool-in-cases-of-false-allegations-of-abuse-and-parental-alienation

Parental alienation: the blossoming of a field of study.

Current Directions in Psychological Science

5. Blotcky AD. Child abuse allegations: sorting out lies versus truths. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/child-abuse-allegations-lies-versus-truths

Guidelines for child custody evaluations in family law proceedings

Articles

Here’s why longitudinal evaluations in high-conflict divorce cases are critical. 

The Benefits of Longitudinal Evaluations in Parental Alienation Cases

Parental alienation is a pathological phenomenon in high-conflict divorces where 1 parent sabotages a 

child’s relationship with the other parent

. If the offending parent is successful in their mission, the child totally rejects the targeted parent; this would be severe alienation. Mild and moderate alienation involve partial rejection of a parent.



What an alienating parent does not realize is that a child is harmed tremendously by the total or partial loss of a parent. Short-term and long-term negative consequences have been found as a result of a child’s alienation.

 In its severest form, parental alienation is child psychological abuse, as listed in DSM-5.

There are many roadblocks in the diagnosis and treatment of parental alienation.

 An offending parent will vigorously deny being an alienator and confuse others by proclaiming that they are the victim. The alienated child will be strongly allied with the favored parent and claim that they alone have rejected the other parent without coaching or other influence. The alienated child’s attorney—the guardian ad litem (GAL)—often has no mental health training and will accept what the child says at face value, thereby reinforcing the alienation process. The alienating parent’s attorney will unabashedly encourage the alienating behavior because it is a “winning” strategy from a legal viewpoint. Most judges have little understanding of 

and are often swayed by the combined voices of the GAL and the alienating parent’s attorney.

These are a few of the major roadblocks in parental alienation cases. These roadblocks are real and potentially catastrophic to a case. They can interfere with accurate diagnosis, the implementation of appropriate treatment, and ultimate legal decisions that are in the child’s best interest. These roadblocks can turn a case upside-down so that the alienation is missed or dismissed—or, worse yet, that the wrong parent is identified as the alienator and the child is placed, or remains, in the care of an abusive parent.

But these roadblocks can be overcome. 

 cases can be accurately diagnosed, and appropriate treatment can ensue. Here is what needs to happen:

First, the targeted or rejected parent needs to make sure that a forceful attorney and an experienced mental health expert are on the team. Both professionals are critical to success. Neither can win the case alone. The mental health professional must have a strong understanding of the specific family dynamics associated with parental alienation. Without this knowledge base, the mental health professional will be susceptible to making serious errors in the case. This must be avoided by choosing the correct expert.

Second, documentation and a timeline of events and behaviors can be extremely compelling evidence in a parental alienation case. The documentation and timeline can be used by the attorney and mental health expert, especially in the courtroom. Judges pay attention to such evidence.

Third, 

 of abuse must be confronted head-on so that they do not become entrenched and intractable in the case. Often, these allegations are used as weapons by the alienating parent.

 Multiple allegations of abuse during a legal proceeding are a huge red flag for fabrication.

Fourth, specific interventions must be proposed, usually by the mental health expert and the rejected parent’s attorney. Here are the necessary interventions: The alienating parent must have individual therapy, the alienating parent’s attorney must make it clear that the damaging behavior must cease, and the alienated child and rejected parent must have reunification therapy. This is the treatment template in all parental alienation cases.

 All of these interventions must take place. Reunification therapy will fail if the alienating parent’s destructive behavior is not stopped.

Fifth, in severe cases of alienation where there is total rejection of a parent, removal of the child from the alienating parent for some period of time is considered both essential and mandatory. Research and clinical experience show that such removal can be accomplished with excellent results.



Sixth, nothing can sidetrack and undermine a parental alienation case more than enabling attorneys. Their unhelpful roles in the situation must be confronted. The alienating parent’s attorney and the GAL must be informed and guided by the mental health expert’s knowledge, experience, and understanding of the research and clinical literature.

Seventh, custody decisions must be based on accurate, comprehensive information about a family’s real dynamics. Parental alienation must not be overlooked, minimized, or dismissed. It is the goal of the mental health expert and the rejected parent’s attorney to present the true narrative of the alienation process in the family. At times, their voices must be strong and loud.

Eighth, the rejected parent must remain hopeful, determined, and proactive at every step along the way. Defeatism cannot creep in. Passivity is counterproductive. The rejected parent’s passion and love of the child must be the energizing force in uncovering and resolving the parental alienation pathology.

In sum, parental alienation cases can be managed effectively. It requires an experienced and assertive mental health expert, open and thoughtful attorneys, and a truly interested judge. These steps can lead to success. Overcoming parental alienation is within grasp.



is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr Blotcky can be reached at

Roadmap for the treatment of parental alienation.

2. Koszyk PM, Bernet W. Treatment and prevention of parental alienation. Psychiatric Times. March 12, 2020. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/treatment-and-prevention-parental-alienation

3. Blotcky AD, Bernet W. A silent epidemic: Parental alienation in a child is on par with physical and sexual abuse. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/a-silent-epidemic-parental-alienation

4. Blotcky AD, Bernet W. Winning parental alienation cases: A roadmap for family lawyers. 

https://familylawyermagazine.com/articles/winning-parental-alienation-cases/

5. Blotcky AD. False allegations of abuse can be a strategy in child custody litigation. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/false-allegations-of-abuse-can-be-a-strategy-in-child-custody-litigation

In cases of parental alienation, these 8 steps should happen. 

Overcoming Parental Alienation

“We as a state, we as a society, need to do a better job with mental health. Anybody who shoots someone else has a mental health challenge.”

-Texas Governor Greg Abbott, May 25, 2022

There is a common misperception amplified by mainstream media and government officials that people “go crazy” or enter some altered state of consciousness and start shooting. Rather, executing murderous plots such as mass shootings at schools, grocery stores, places of worship, and public events requires a mind that is lucid and capable of producing rational thought, planning, and logical cognitive processing. For example, the 

2017 Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival shooter

 reportedly had extensive notes on distance, trajectory, and wind changes in his hotel room.

 These shooters are often linked with an adherence to ideas and rhetoric that are bandied about as truth on media outlets. On top of that, elected government officials with massive public platforms echo these “truths” and reinforce their so-called legitimacy. The result is a radicalized—not mentally ill—individual absorbing all of this extremist ideology who then takes advantage of the easy access to guns in America.

Highly publicized incidents of gun violence certainly impact those who are horrified by its gruesome details, its criminality, and its cruelty. On the other hand, those with malevolent ideas may perceive a different picture: That gun violence is justified and warranted by civilians in some cases. The 

 after killing 2 unarmed individuals and wounding another sent a loud and dangerous message: These killings may be justifiable in some cases and viewed as legal and moral.

It is also important to consider that would-be shooters see what happens when these crimes unfold from execution through legal consequences (if the shooter survives the incident). It may be that the Oxford, Michigan, shooter delivered his preattack messages and 

 as a potential prerequisite to an insanity defense.

 In addition, there are a lot of copycat features to the Uvalde shooting that resemble 

 A small number of these teenage shooter situations may be either copycat attempts or a “blaze of glory” means to an end in 

The fact of the matter is that ideology, racism, and perceived injustice trump mental illness in many of these cases. To put it bluntly, racism is not mental illness. Because of our deep-rooted history of mistreating populations of color and the maintenance of these beliefs over decades of American history, there has been a legitimate 

—dehumanization that falsely identifies certain groups as less than human, as enemies, or as needing to be eliminated. This, in part, explains why an 18-year-old white man can gun down an unarmed 86-year-old grandmother in a 

 He did not see past the color of her skin. That is racism—

 mental illness. A similar phenomenon occurred in the 

 That radicalized shooter saw elderly Jews worshiping on a Saturday morning as a threat. That is anti-Semitism—

 in Orlando, we saw a confluence of these factors.

 By most of the available evidence, this shooter was a radicalized Muslim with a particular hatred for the LGBTQ+ community. That is a hate crime—

 mental illness. Lastly, in some cases, the shooter has a grievance or is trying to correct an injustice, as was the case in the 2021 mass 

 that left 9 of the shooter’s former colleagues dead. That is vengeance—

We are not saying that some mass shooters are not seriously mentally ill at the time of their violent acts. That is likely the case in some of these horrific events. Some estimates place the number at about 

 who have serious mental illness when firing.

 Further, the contribution of serious mental illness to violent crimes involving a gun may be as low as 

 In fact, individuals with mental illness are more likely to be the 

—not the perpetrators—of violent crimes.

What we are saying is that serious mental illness is not the issue in the majority of these cases. The real problems are easy access to guns, widespread distribution of extremist propaganda and rhetoric, a rise in domestic terrorism, and failure to act by elected officials charged with protecting our citizens. Lastly, quite simply, civilians should not have automatic weapons, and 

arming guards or teachers is not the solution

 is an associate professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and a global expert on psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

 is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama.

1. Hixenbaugh M, Siemaszko C. Abbott calls Texas school shooting a mental health issue but cut state spending on it. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/abbott-calls-texas-school-shooting-mental-health-issue-cut-state-spend-rcna30557

2. October 01, 2017: Gunman opens fire on Las Vegas concert crowd, wounding hundreds and killing 58. History.com. October 1, 2018. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/2017-las-vegas-shooting

3. Maxouris C. Here’s what legal experts say helped acquit Kyle Rittenhouse. 

. November 20, 2021. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/us/legal-experts-what-helped-rittenhouse-acquittal/index.html

4. Chambers J. Teacher alarmed by Oxford High suspect's drawings ahead of shooting, warned school leaders. 

. December 3, 2021. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2021/12/03/oxford-school-shooting-ethan-crumbley-drawings-teacher-warning/8854446002/

5. December 14, 2012: Sandy Hook school shooting.History.com. December 11, 2013. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-students-and-adults-at-newtown-connecticut-elementary-school

Presence of armed school officials and fatal and nonfatal gunshot injuries during mass school shootings, United States, 1980-2019.

7. Hamby S. What is dehumanization, anyway? 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-web-violence/201806/what-is-dehumanization-anyway

8. Bowman E, Chappell B, Sullivan B. What we know so far about the Buffalo mass shooting. 

. Updated May 26, 2022. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/15/1099028397/buffalo-shooting-what-we-know

9. Deadly shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue. ADL. October 30, 2018. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.adl.org/resources/lesson-plan/deadly-shooting-tree-life-synagogue

10. Zambelich A, Hurt A. 3 Hours In Orlando: piecing together an attack and its aftermath. 

https://www.npr.org/2016/06/16/482322488/orlando-shooting-what-happened-update

11. San Jose marks first anniversary of deadly mass shooting at VTA railyard. CBS SF Bay Area. May 26, 2022. Accessed May 31, 2022. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/san-jose-marks-first-anniversary-of-deadly-mass-shooting-at-vta-railyard/vi-AAXLUmR

. American Psychiatric Association; 2016:81-104.

14. Desmarais SL, Van Dorn RA, Johnson KL, et al. 

Community violence perpetration and victimization among adults with mental illnesses.

The misperception of gunmen as “crazy” is damaging. Here’s why. 

Most Mass Shooters are Terrorists, Not Mentally Ill

, the president of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine, is hunkered down in Kyiv, a city under attack by Russian invaders. As her home, city, and country are besieged, she is trying to stay alive. Homes are being destroyed, schools and churches are being decimated, people are being killed, and the constant pressure of war is exhausting. She is working tirelessly with other psychologists to help their fellow citizens deal with their inconceivable stress. She is taking the lead in her war-torn and crippled country as trauma reigns over 41 million Ukrainians.

Makeshift Medical Care Amid Mayhem of War

Saving Face After Narcissistic Injuries in Ukraine and Everyday Life

Does Russia Suffer From "Paranoid Government Disorder”?

Palii reported that many of her colleagues are now refugees in European countries. “Some have been forced to move to safer places in western Ukraine, some are hiding in their basements in cities being bombed and shelled, and some are surrounded by the enemy,” she said. Palii admitted she is worried about her life and the lives of her family members. She is feeling great pain over what she feels is a loss of control over her life and “watching the despair of others as they lose loved ones.” Despite her acute fears of death, Palii is marching on in her role as lead psychologist in her country.

Palii affirmed that the Ukrainian people are united and determined during this war. “We all see our future as an independent democracy,” she said. “Every citizen is active in forming the resistance to the takeover by Russia.”

As an example, Palii described a Ukrainian woman who “shot down a Russian drone by dropping a jar of pickled tomatoes from her balcony.” Every citizen is doing something to win—defending, accepting the displaced and injured, transporting, cooking for the army, donating to the military. “We are a brave people who will not accept anything short of victory against the enemy,” she says.

According to Palii, this war has opened a Pandora’s box of mental health problems. “All of us have already experienced collective trauma in the first 2 weeks of this massacre, and we are being repeatedly traumatized each and every day,” she explained. “We are already dealing with shock reactions, panic attacks, and acute anxiety.” In the near future, she expects to see “posttraumatic stress disorder, depression from the loss of life and property, and the consequences of brain injuries from close explosions.”

Palii has shown fearless leadership from the very beginning of the war and has developed an action plan. Initial requests for help involved problems such as lack of food and water and houses destroyed by bombs. “We have launched psychological support for Ukrainians and it is focused mainly on crisis assistance,” she stated. “We are actively involved in sharing and communicating self-help protocols to prevent panic and extreme anxiety.”

Children are a special focus as well. “We are focusing on our children by preparing them for forced relocation, supporting those whose parents have been deployed, and even suggesting to children what games to play in a bomb shelter,” Palii said.

Palii is planning for after the war. She knows Ukrainian psychologists will need training in crisis work and trauma therapy. She is already reaching out to experts in other countries to assist in their training. Her plan is to launch a crisis center, primarily online and manned by both volunteers and paid employees. Neurocognitive rehabilitation is being mapped out, as many Ukrainians will suffer brain injuries. Peer support interventions for military personnel will be a top priority as well.

Palii shows us what courage and leadership look like. She is a prime example of what makes the Ukrainian people great, united, and a formidable opponent. She has a deep commitment to her country, a strong desire for democracy, compassion for her fellow citizens, and a fearless desire to lead. Despite the grim and dark horrors of war, this Ukrainian psychologist is paving the way for survival and future mental health among her neighbors and compatriots.

Palii’s extraordinary work is corroborated by Amanda Clinton, PhD, senior director for international affairs at the American Psychological Association, and Adam Suchy, PhD, of the Czech Psychology Network for Global Changes.

We are mental health professionals ourselves. We have much to learn from this brave and skilled psychologist. We hope all mental health professionals in Ukraine—psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors—join forces with psychologists at this time of great crisis. Professionals in the United States should provide as much assistance as possible in the form of manpower, expertise, and funds.

We pray that Palii remains safe and is able to continue her impressive work. Her country and its people need her.

is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. 

is an award-winning psychiatrist who specializes in the societal and ethical aspects of psychiatry.

“All of us have already experienced collective trauma... and we are being repeatedly traumatized each and every day."

The Face of Courage and Leadership

Cases involving false allegations of abuse and parental alienation call for detailed documentation by the targeted or rejected parent. The purpose of a timeline is to list (1) major events, (2) court filings, (3) verbal and behavioral actions, and (4) external investigations. By plotting out a timeline, one can visualize a sequence of events and behaviors over time—even years. This timeline method is especially useful for parents, mental health experts, and attorneys.

Parental alienation during and after divorce is an all-too-frequent phenomenon. It is where one parent intentionally coerces and manipulates a child to reject his or her other parent.

 Parental alienation is usually a secretive and insidious process that is denied by the offending parent. To be sure, the parent almost never admits to their disruptive and damaging behavior.

False allegations of abuse are often lodged by an alienating parent to sabotage the targeted parent’s relationship with their child. False allegations are a ramping up of the alienating mission of the offending parent. Sometimes, there are multiple allegations of abuse in attempt to throw the other parent under the bus. Offending parents frequently believe that multiple allegations are the best way to sink the targeted parent once and for all.

Compelling evidence of false allegations of abuse and parental alienation can be detected when examining a timeline of events and actions. The sequence of events and actions usually tells the story. For example, we know there are certain major events that are likely to trigger the onset of the process of alienation by 1 parent, such as filing for divorce, filing for full custody, having a close relationship with the child, starting a new romantic relationship, getting remarried, and many others. Alienating behaviors often appear in response to these triggers.

As we know, alienating behavior can take many forms, ranging from bad-mouthing and interfering with parenting time to children calling a parent by his or her first name. Seventeen different behaviors have been described in the literature.

 All alienating behaviors, when detected, can be placed on a timeline and a pattern can be seen.

As Stephen Miller has described, mental health clinicians, attorneys, and judges are prone to make faulty attribution decisions in cases of false allegations and parental alienation.

 This is because the offending parent is often cool, composed, and convincing in demeanor during the divorce proceeding. In contrast, the rejected parent is often anxious, agitated, and angry because they are being rejected by the child. On the surface, then, the offending parent is often successful at convincing attorneys, judges, and others that his or her narrative is correct. This results in a fundamental attribution error—a major mistake that can have catastrophic consequences in the decision-making in a case. This makes a detailed timeline of events and behaviors even more crucial for the targeted parent.

Timelines can be introduced in testimony in court. They can be displayed on a big-screen TV so that all parties and the judge can view them. Mental health experts and others can testify about the timelines and their implications. Timelines are an excellent way to present documentation in a child custody matter. Displaying them in court usually captures the judge’s or jury’s attention. It is the perfect method for combining visual and auditory modalities in a presentation.

Mental health experts play a vital role in cases of false allegations of abuse and parental alienation. Compelling evidence and opinions need to be presented in an understandable yet forceful manner. Timelines fit that bill.

is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. He can be reached at alanblotcky@att.net.

1. Blotcky AD. False allegations of abuse during divorce: the role of alienating beliefs. 

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/false-allegations-of-abuse-during-divorce-the-role-of-alienating-beliefs

2. Blotcky AD. False allegations of abuse can be a strategy in child custody litigation. 

Surviving Parental Alienation: A Journey of Hope and Healing

4. Miller SG. Clinical reasoning and decision making in cases of child alignment: diagnostic and therapeutic issues. In: Baker AJL, Sauber SR, eds. 

Working With Alienated Children and Families: A Clinical Guidebook.

Timelines can assist mental health experts in cases of false allegations of abuse. 

Timelines are a Critical Tool in Cases of False Allegations of Abuse and Parental Alienation 

Based on current research, over 22 million adults have been targets of parental alienation in the United States. An estimated 10 million adults have experienced what they perceive to be severe alienation from their children.

 Even so, the clinical problem of parental alienation has been underreported and underappreciated in the public at large. It is a silent epidemic that must be acknowledged.

Parental alienation is a pathological phenomenon

 in which a child is convinced by one parent that his or her other parent is unworthy and dangerous and should be rejected.

 The child is convinced through a variety of tactics and maneuvers by the alienating/offending parent. If these maneuvers are successful, the child develops the mental condition of parental alienation. This 

alienation can be mild, moderate, or severe in intensity.

 In severe cases, the relationship with the rejected/targeted parent is completely severed due to the child’s mental condition. Even in mild and moderate alienation, there is damaging disruption in the parent-child relationship.

The rejection of a parent due to parental alienation is a devastating and tragic event for the child. Research clearly shows that children need both of their parents to be actively involved in their lives. The rejection of a parent is associated with many long-term, negative consequences for the child. Depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, lack of trust in relationships, and self-defeating behavior are just some of the deleterious consequences.

Causing parental alienation in a child is on par with physical and sexual abuse. It is 

considered child psychological abuse and is subsumed in DSM-5 (V995.51).

 Parental alienation is real, definable, and toxic. In severe cases, it is so malignant that it can undermine a child’s psychological development. It is not hyperbole to say it can be catastrophic.

A case of parental alienation needs to be investigated rigorously by the state’s protection agency, similar to what is done in cases of suspected physical or sexual abuse. To do otherwise is to miss the central point—that causing parental alienation is as toxic and damaging as these other forms of abuse.

Cases of parental alienation must be taken seriously by all professionals involved with the family. For example, 

attorneys are in a unique position to make a major difference in diagnosis and treatment

Attorneys for alienating parents must forcefully communicate to their clients that their alienating behavior is toxic and must stop immediately. Zealous representation of a client is not applicable in these alienation cases. In fact, confrontation of the alienating parent must be a top priority for the attorney, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may be. Short of that, attorneys will be condoning and enabling the alienation of the child.

Attorneys for alienated children—guardians ad litem—must take active steps to make sure the alienating parents stop their behavior while also assuring that the children get therapy to reverse their alienation.

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

In cases of physical and sexual abuse, the child is removed from the offending parent. That decision is not controversial. Similarly, a child who totally rejects the targeted parent due to parental alienation must be removed from the offending parent, at least temporarily. The removal of a child has been shown to be warranted and effective. In other words, removal of the child is the best option available.

Other professionals involved in a case of parental alienation—such as mediators, counselors, pediatricians, family physicians, teachers, social workers, and others—must play an attentive and corrective role in the process. Allowing alienation to continue unchecked is highly destructive to the child.

One final note: Mild parental alienation is much easier to correct than moderate or severe alienation. This principle must be kept in mind by all professionals who have contact with the child and the parents.

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

is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. He can be reached at 

is professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.

1. Harman JJ, Leder-Elder S, Biringen Z. 

Prevalence of adults who are the targets of parental alienating behaviors and their impact.

2. Blotcky AD. Parental alienation unlocked. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parental-alienation-unlocked/202105/how-recognize-parental-alienation

3. Are there different degrees of parental alienation? 

https://psychlaw.net/are-there-different-degrees-of-parental-alienation/

[Parental alienation, child psychological abuse and DSM-5].

5. Blotcky AD. Winning parental alienation cases: a roadmap for family lawyers. 

Parental alienation is devastating and toxic for the child.