Parents and Parental Alienation

Table of Contents

  • What Is Parental Alienation?

  • Signs and Symptoms

  • Effects on Children and Parents

  • Why Parental Alienation Happens

  • Telehealth Support for Families

  • Moving Forward: Steps to Healing

  • References

What Is Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation occurs when one parent uses manipulation or negative behaviors to turn a child against the other parent. This phenomenon is most common in families experiencing high-conflict separation or divorce. The child may grow distant, hostile, or fearful toward the alienated parent—often without justification.

Signs and Symptoms

  • Common signs of parental alienation in children include:

    • Unfairly criticizing one parent without real evidence

    • Strongly negative feelings and lack of mixed emotions toward the alienated parent

    • Claims that their negative opinions are their own, rather than influenced

    • Automatic support for the alienating parent

    • No guilt about mistreating or rejecting the alienated parent

    • Borrowed adult language to describe situations

    • Expanding hostility to extended family of the alienated parent

    Parents targeted by alienation may begin to withdraw out of emotional pain or fear of further rejection.

Effects on Children and Parents

The impact of parental alienation can be deep and long-lasting:

  • Children: May suffer anxiety, depression, attachment problems, low self-esteem, trust issues, substance use, and difficulties forming healthy relationships. They may struggle with identity, independence, and experience feelings of grief and loss.

  • Parents: Experience emotional pain, feelings of loss, isolation, helplessness, and may be unfairly excluded from their children’s lives. Research links parental alienation to increased risk of mental health difficulties in both children and adults.

Why Parental Alienation Happens

Parental alienation is often seen in high-conflict custody disputes but can occur in any family context. Contributing factors include unresolved tensions, poor communication, and sometimes involvement of third parties (court, lawyers). Alienating behaviors can be motivated by anger, a desire for control, or history of unresolved hurt, but regardless of cause, the child stands to lose meaningful connection and support.

Telehealth Support for Families

Telehealth therapy is a valuable resource for families experiencing parental alienation:

  • Accessible Help: Families can connect with mental health professionals from home, reducing barriers to care.

  • Co-parenting Counseling: Telehealth supports effective communication and rebuilding trust in family relationships.

  • Child & Parent Therapy: Both parents and children can benefit from counseling and educational resources to address the emotional impact and promote healing.

  • Flexible Scheduling: Telehealth provides ongoing support, crisis intervention, and group work, even for families separated by distance.

  • Practical Strategies: Professionals can guide parents in responding constructively, fostering resilience, and reducing conflict.

Telehealth expands options for families seeking a path forward and creates more opportunities for connection, education, and recovery.

Moving Forward: Steps to Healing

Healing from parental alienation involves:

  • Rebuilding trust through consistent, positive contact

  • Engaging in family or individual therapy

  • Learning healthy ways to communicate and resolve conflict

  • Seeking support from professionals and peer groups

  • Educating extended family and social circles about the impact of parental alienation

If you or a loved one suffer with parental alienation and would like to explore treatment options, you may schedule in with our clinicans below:

Schedule Now

If you find the person you were looking to schedule with is no longer accepting patients, feel free to contact us at 734-707-1052, Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm, and we will see if we can find any openings for you with another similar provider.

References

Verywell Mind. (2024, March 28). The impact of parental alienation on children and families. https://www.verywellmind.com/parental-alienation-syndrome-7965936verywellmind

Healthline. (2019, December 4). Parental alienation syndrome: What it is and signs to look for. https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/parental-alienation-syndromehealthline

NCBI. (2022, March 29). The impact of parental alienating behaviours on parents and children. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9026878/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih

Parental Alienation Study Group. Dr. William Bernet’s summary of symptoms. https://parentalalienation.eu/awareness/8-symptoms-of-parental-alienation/parentalalienation

Berkeley Well-Being Institute. Parental alienation: Definition, syndrome, & effects.https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/parental-alienation.htmlberkeleywellbeing