Parental Alienation Resources

By WomansDivorce.com

These parental alienation resources are provided to enable parents and professionals who are contending with the effects of severe parental conflict to gain further knowledge on the topic. The articles, resources, and books found below discuss why some parents will try to manipulate a child into "freezing out" a parent with whom they previously had a loving relationship, be able to recognize the behaviors of an alienated child, understand the research that has been done on the subject, and more.

PAS Articles on This Site:

Parental Alienation Syndrome - Understanding how parental alienation happens and what motivates the other parent to build a wedge between the child and the non-custodial parent, and the long-term consequences of PAS on a child.

Parental Alienation - Children who are victims of parental alienation often exhibit certain behaviors as they become aligned with the alienating parent. Find out what they are.

Are You An Alienating Parent? - There are varying levels of alienating behavior, from mild to extreme. And while you would never purposefully estrange your child from the other parent, you may be unwittingly undermining their relationship anyway. Here are some actions and comments you should avoid.

How Parents Conflict Affects Children - Some parents are unable to let go of the lingering bitterness divorce, always striving to gain the upper hand and blame their ex when things go wrong. But what happens to the children who are caught between two parents who despise each other?

Coping as an Alienated Parent - When you child continues to push you away and refuse all efforts at contact, it's easy to slip into depression, especially if the legal system turns a blind eye to what is happening. If you're caught in the web of an alienating parent, here are some tips to help you get through the rough days.

Other Parental Alienation Resources

https://www.warshak.com/ - Dr. Warshak is a nationally recognized expert on the subject of PAS and is the author of "Divorce Poison: Protecting the Parent-Child Bond from a Vindictive Ex". His site offers some great resources to help parents who have been rejected by their children, articles for professionals in the legal community which are dealing with PAS, and tools for specialists and therapists who help evaluate and treat the children who have been exposed to the alienating behavior.

www.amyjlbaker.com - This site is provided by Amy J. L. Baker, Ph.D, a developmental psychologist whose focus is working with children who have suffered due to their parent's divorce, abuse, or parental alienation tactics. Amy has written numerous books on the subject, including "Beyond the High Road", which offers advice to alienated parents, as well as "Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome", a book that gives a true glimpse into the lives of alienated children, and "Co-Parenting with a Toxic Ex" for parents dealing with high conflict after divorce.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Douglas_Darnall - Articles by Dr. Douglas Darnall providing information for professionals, parents, and others affected by and involved with cases of parental disputes and alienation. Dr. Darnall has also authored "Divorce Casualties" and "Beyond Divorce Casualties".

A Family's Heartbreak - This is a Facebook group started by the author of the book by the same name. It gives a personal look into the world of PAS through the eyes of a parent. You'll find posts giving hope and support, various articles, videos, resources, and more.

Books on Parental Alienation

The books listed below are available on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Divorce Casualties, Second Edition: Understanding Parental Alienation (#Ad)
This is a great book to help parents understand the subtle causes of alienation and what you can do to minimize the damage. Dr. Darnall describes characteristics of alienation, offers techniques to help identify alienating behavior and provides exercises to help children maintain a healthy relationship with both parents. Dr. Darnall also wrote "Beyond Divorce Casualties: Reunifying the Alienated Family" for parents and families working towards rebuilding a relationship with an alienated child.

Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome (#Ad)
Based on case studies of adults who were victims of parental alienation, Dr. Baker provides a unique perspective on the long-term effects of alienating behavior. For a child who was a victim, it sheds light on how the manipulation occurred. For the targeted parent, it provides validation for what they are experiencing and hope for the future.

Divorce Poison New and Updated Edition (#Ad)
Highlighting the damage a vindictive and manipulative ex can wreck in an effort to remove the other parent from their child's life, Dr. Richard A. Warshak offers specific advice to a targeted parent. This book provides real strategies for all parents facing ongoing conflict with their ex.

A Family's Heartbreak: A Parent's Introduction to Parental Alienation (#Ad)
Experience what can happen when you become the target of parental alienation in this book by Michael Jefferies. As you read through the author's heart-wrenching account, you can relate to his grief as he watches the once loving relationship he had with his son disintegrate before his eyes and feel his frustration at being unable to do anything about it.

Toxic Divorce: A Workbook for Alienated Parents (#Ad)
This is a workbook alienated parents written by Kathleen M. Reay, Ph.D. By reading through this book, victimized parents can get a deeper understanding of the dynamics of PAS and work through their emotions as they deal with the situation. It also has a section to help other professionals who are in contact with the child to be aware of and understand what is happening in the child's life.

Co-parenting with a Toxic Ex (#Ad)
This is another book by Amy J. L. Baker which helps parents deal with a hostile ex-spouse. Find out how to combat the negative messages you're ex is sending your children and learn strategies for coping with many of the different scenarios you may face when parenting with a toxic ex.

The International Handbook of Parental Alienation Syndrome
This is the ultimate reference book for parental alienation resources, featuring the studies and perspectives of 32 contributors from legal, clinical, and research fields from 8 different countries. The book has over 450 pages of in-depth coverage of parental alienation, its effects on parents and children, the need for public awareness, and more. You can download the book by using the link above. This book is becoming harder to get, so you might check with your library first if you want to read a physical copy. You can also see if it's available on Amazon or Abe books.