Parent Alienation Part 1. Defining the Problem

CPD courses for psychologists

Part 1 – Defining the Problem of Parental Alienation and Childhood Psychological Abuse

This talk, developed by the Parental Alienation Accreditation Alliance (PAAA) provides a foundation for understanding and defining Parental Alienation. 

Part 1 introduces the clinical, legal, and research landscape of parental alienation, ensuring that participants from diverse professional backgrounds - including mental health, law, social work, education, and family advocacy - share a common language and understanding before proceeding to more advanced topics.

Parental alienation is defined as a mental condition in which a child - typically in the context of a high-conflict separation or divorce - becomes unjustifiably aligned with one parent (the preferred parent) and rejects the other parent (the alienated parent) without legitimate justification. The course emphasises that this pattern is driven by psychological influence, manipulation, or interference by the favoured parent, extended family members, or professionals involved in the case.

Learning Objectives: 

• Communicate accurately about parental alienation using appropriate terminology across multidisciplinary settings
• Educate colleagues, clients, and families about the reality of parental alienation using evidence-based information
• Recognise warning signs and patterns of parental alienation in family systems
• Evaluate cases with appropriate knowledge regarding claims and counterintuitive presentations
• Decide on alignment with scope of practice and whether to refer or not
• Recommend appropriate interventions and referrals based on proper understanding of parental alienation

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