Navigating the Waters of Parental Alienation with Dr. Amy J. L. Baker

If you are the targeted parent in a case of parental alienation, it is easy to default to defensiveness. But responding with righteous indignation is actually counterproductive, making you look anxious, agitated and afraid. So, how can you approach the situation in a constructive way that won’t further alienate your child—or the custody evaluator assigned to your case? Dr. Amy J. L. Baker is a nationally recognized expert in parental alienation and the emotional abuse of children. She has written more than 115 publications including eight books on the topic of parent-child relationships, children of divorce and parental alienation syndrome. Dr. Baker serves as an expert witness and coaches parents dealing with alienated children and alienating co-parents. She is also the Director of Research at the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection. Dr. Baker holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College of Columbia University. Today, Dr. Baker joins Katherine to discuss the ins and outs of parental alienation. She walks us through the four components that must be present for a situation to qualify as parental alienation and several of the behaviors kids exhibit in a ‘campaign of denigration.’ Dr. Baker shares her approach to addressing false accusations if you are the target of parental alienation, describing the value in approaching kids with compassion and empathy. Listen in for Dr. Baker’s advice on exhibiting humility with a custody evaluator and learn what to do if you’re the victim of parental alienation. Topics Covered The formal definition of parental alienation The four components necessary to qualify as parental alienation Prior positive relationship Absence of abuse, neglect Favored parent exhibits alienating behaviors Kids exhibit behaviors unique to alienation The characteristics of a ‘campaign of denigration’ How to approach a child making false accusations Gratitude, compassion and empathy Correct the lie and go back to compassion How to gauge the intentionality of the favored parent’s behavior What to do if you are the victim of parental alienation The value in presenting yourself with humility to a custody evaluator The need for training for legal professionals around parental alienation The tendency for judges to support the status quo Connect with Dr. Amy J. L. Baker Dr. Baker’s Website: http://amyjlbaker.com Resources Co-Parenting with a Toxic Ex: What to Do When Your Ex-Spouse Tries to Turn the Kids Against You by Amy J. L. Baker and Paul R. Fine: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608829588/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=msccomputersy-20&linkId=d6b93910214fbeb440532f6f3bb0061c The High-Conflict Custody Battle: Protect Yourself and Your Kids from a Toxic Divorce, False Accusations & Parental Alienation by Amy J. L. Baker, J. Michael Bone and Brian Ludmer: https://www.amazon.com/High-Conflict-Custody-Battle-Accusations-Alienation/dp/1626250731 Connect with Katherine Miller The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/ Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/ Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1 The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246 Email: katherine@westchesterfamilylaw.com Call (914) 738-7765