Help for the Alienated Parent

Parental alienation cases present significant challenges for the family courts and clinicians alike. At times, traditional counseling fails, judicial intervention may not be feasible, and a parent is alienated from a child or children with little to no ongoing contact for the foreseeable future. This article is organized as a guide for the clinician in offering some strategies for the alienated parent. These are organized under five headings: (1) erode the negative image by providing incongruent information; (2) refrain from actions that put the child in the middle of the conflict, (3) consider ways to mollify the hurt and anguish of the alienating parent, (4) look for ways to dismantle the coalition and convert enemies to allies, (5) never give up contact but “stand in the door and hold a cookie.”