Calif-legal.com: Expert Article - PARENTAL ALIENATION AND ENMESHMENT ISSUES IN CHILD CUSTODY CASES by Daniel J. Rybicki, Psy.D., DAPBS

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The answering machine is commonly used to screen calls, and the father's messages may be lost or erased. Father is clearly on the unacceptable list of callers. Rigid adherence to a visitation schedule and threats of calling the police are also seen by Gardner as forms of programming and manipulation. "Visitation obstructionism is a very powerful vengeance maneuver...[as is]..withholding the children (Gardner, 1987, p.93.)." Gardner goes on to note how the mother will imply that father is ill-equipped to care for the child by preventing him access to the child when minor illness is present in the child. Sarcasm, criticism, and efforts to align with the children against the father are also noted.

"There are a wide variety of other ways in which a mother may contribute to the child's alienation against the father. She may not forward to him copies of school reports...She may refuse to allow the father to join with her in teacher's conferences...A common maneuver is not giving the father copies of school photographs (Gardner, 1987, p.95.)."

Gardner notes that these efforts at alienation have included taking the child to a therapist without the consent of the other parent, and then expressly prohibiting the therapist from communicating with the father.

"Unfortunately, many therapists go along with this and thereby unwittingly contribute to the perpetuation of their patient's parental alienation. Confidentiality is used here in the service of perpetuating psychopathology (Gardner, 1987, p.98.)."

Varying degrees of alienation have been described, ranging from mild to moderate to severe. In accordance with the level of severity of alienation, therapists such as Dr. Gardner have proposed consideration of varying levels of intervention by the court. Those persons who challenge Gardner's model are most upset over these interventions, noting that they are based on an untested and nonempirical or unscientific diagnosis, rely on an untested model and theory, and carry extreme risks for harm to the child (e.g., Johnston, Walters, and Friedlander, 2001; Kelly and Johnston, 2001; Sullivan and Kelly, 2001). We will also consider these alternative approaches to intervention, but for clarity, let us proceed with our summary of what interventions are suggested by Gardner.

In the most severe cases, the mothers are often seen as fanatic, using every mechanism at their disposal to prevent visitation. They are obsessed with antagonism toward the father, and may even demonstrate paranoid ideation according to Gardner. Stahl (1999) notes that there is clear and consistent derogation of the alienated parent, with some cases involving a combination of programming, brainwashing, and hostility that begins with the alienating parent and is taken on by the alienating child. Issues of abandonment and betrayal help fuel this anger, coupled with projection of blame and intense fear/anger. Fabrications of sexual abuse and other outrageous problems are found in this group of parents. Children become fanatic and extreme as well, demonstrating what he calls a folie-a-deux relationship. There is a sick bond with the mother and children, such that the children suffer dramatically as a result. Ward & Harvey (1993) see the child as highly enmeshed with the alienating parent against the villain seen in the father. The child is seen as a victim, much like the mother, and the child is often required to keep secrets from the father and to express his/her allegiance to the mother. Threats of withdrawal of love are used to bolster this parental control over the child. Gardner suggests that psychotherapy for the mother and child is essential in such severe cases. Gardner also calls for hospitalization of the child or a change of custody, as steps taken to remove the child from further exposure to the damaging effects of the parental alienation process.

"Accordingly, the first step in the therapeutic process is removal of the children from the mother's home and placement in the home of the father...The hope here is to give the children the opportunity to reestablish their relationship with the alienated father, without significant contamination of the process by the brainwashing mother. Even telephone calls must be strictly prohibited for at least a few weeks...Then, according to the therapist's judgment, slowing increasing contacts with the mother may be initiated, starting with monitored telephone calls...This period of slow and judicious renewal of contact between the children and the brainwashing parent must be monitored carefully so as to prevent a recurrence of the disorder. (Gardner, 1987, p.226-227.)."