Parental Alienation: From Couch to Courtroom and Beyond

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This podcast will take a deep dive into the phenomenon of Parental Alienation. The literature and research will be presented and show how this form of child abuse and is a traumatic adverse childhood experience. We will discuss what Parental Alienation is, how do you know it’s happening and what can be done about it, legally as well as from a mental health perspective. Audience includes attorneys, mental health professionals and other legal professionals.

Dr. Bob Evans


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 19m AVG DURATION
    • 33 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Parental Alienation: From Couch to Courtroom and Beyond

    The Role of the Gaurdian ad Litem in Parental Alienation Cases Ep 33

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 35:57


    In this episode, Robert A. Evans, Ph.D. and Dr. Michael Bone, Ph.D. discuss the role of the Guardian ad Litem in custody cases with parental alienation. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Therapist Role in Parental Alienation Cases

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 21:20


    This is the first in a series of podcasts that will examine the various roles of professionals that can be found in family law cases that involve Parental Alienation. We will discuss potential issues that can arise with these roles (e.g., GaL, Custody Evaluators, Judges, etc.) as it pertains to Parental Alienation. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    A Brief Overview of Parental Alienation - Episode 31

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 17:07


    In this episode, we discuss the resist and refuse phenomenon of parental alienation.  Dr. Evans discusses the following:Understanding Parental AlienationLooking at the potential causesThe impact on childrenAddressing Parental Alienation Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 30 Splitting Behavor and What Is It?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2024 13:25


    Splitting behavior in children is frequently seen but almost always misunderstood. It is not evidence of child abuse as one might think, but a form of adjustment for children. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Responding To Cases of Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2024 17:53


    Discussing Nick Woodall's article which presented the psycho-dynamics of child splitting in cases of Parental Alienation. Included looking at what works and what doesn't for intervention.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Exploring The Alienated Child's Relationship with the Favored Parent

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2024 23:43


    All too often legal and mental health professionals focus strictly on the rejected parent and alienated child's relationship. The real pathology is actually in the other direction. The focus needs to be on favored parent and the child. Because it is counter instinctual (unnatural; biologically inconsistent) for a child to reject a parent, when this is observed in family court cases we need to pay attention. And the details are in the pathological relationship. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Impact of Splitting Narratives

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 17:57


    Alienation cases frequently find the professionals associated with the case also split in advocating for one side or the other when in fact they are supposed to be neutral or at a minimum supporting the child. Frequently researchers publish "me-search" supporting a position that reflects their bias. All one has to do is dig into their references and you that they quote others who have simply said the same unsupported statements. While all this is going on the children are left in an abusive, alienating relationship. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 26: Interview with J Michael Bone, PhD

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 29:20


    In this episode, we talk to J. Michael Bone, PhD, a parental alienation expert and consultant. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Child Affected by Parental Relationship Distress

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2024 17:20


    A brief review of an article by Drs. Bernet, Wamboldt, and Narrow which presents a mental condition that is in the DSM-V-TR essentially describes Parental Alienation.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 24: APA Recognizes Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2023 22:05


    Am. Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization recognizes Parental Alienation as being included in existing diagnoses and mental conditions. This episode reveals communications between the Parental Alienation Study Group (PASG) and the APA that establishes Parental Alienation as a mental disorders as incorporated into existing diagnoses. Also, a discussion on such controversy regarding the words "diagnosis", and "mental condition" is provided.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Dehumanizing the Target Parent

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 19:13


    The stereotyping, name calling of the target parent gets very little attention in our litigation cases, but the research in this area suggests it's a much bigger assault than is recognized.  This episode presents some of the social psychological research that presents a warning.   Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 22: Covering Some Myths About Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 18:26


    This episode discusses some common myths about parental alienation that are commonly found in court rooms around America.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    How Do Good People Do Bad Things?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2023 21:14


    In this episode we briefly introduce the social psychology perspective of parental alienation. Spinning of the work of Dr. Zimbardo, a social psychologist who examine the evil doings of some ordinary people, we explored the notion that parental alienation can go beyond just the individual.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 20: Road Signs for Mental Health Professionals re: Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 23:23


    Parental Alienation cases don't always present themselves immediately and favored parents enter therapists' offices with hidden agenda. The indications that a therapist is about to be lured into a case are not always blatant and obvious. As it turns out this information is not taught in graduate schools and therapists frequently have to learn these the hard way.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 19: The Counterintuitive Nature of Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2023 18:13


    More on the counter-intuitive nature of parental alienation. Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 18: PASG Pre-Conference In Person Training in June 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2023 13:02


    This is a brief announcement about a pre-conference training being held in Colorado this coming June on the topic of Therapy With Families in Divorce: What You Didn't Learn in Grad School.  Date:  Friday, June 16, 2023Time:   9:00am to 3:00pmLocation:  Colorado State UniversityLory Student CenterLongs Peak Room #302Fort Collins, CO 80523Register for your seat today:  https://naopas-learning-center.thinkific.com/courses/therapy-with-families Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Episode 17: How Courts Are Receiving Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 15:04


    A brief discussion on how courts are receiving parental alienation and some of the key features of parental alienation on which they are relying.  Please visit www.naopas.com or www.drbobevans.com for more information on parental alienation and Dr. Evans.

    Boundary Violations in Parental Alienation Cases

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2022 17:24


    A severe, but frequently overlooked and understood are boundary violations that clearly meet the definition of abuse, whether it is directed toward a child or an adult.Counts and mental health professions must pay more and closer attention to this issue. 

    Episode 15 Understanding & Treating Psychological Splitting

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 17:27


    Psychological splitting is the underlying defense seen in children who have been manipulated to align with one parent and reject the other parent. Courts and therapists need to be informed about how detrimental psychological splitting is and identify the correct procedure to treat these children.

    Episode 14: Measuring Children's Acceptance and Rejection (part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2022 16:09


    This episode is a continuation of episode 12 where the effects the alienating strategies on children is presented. Research shows these strategies and tactics have a strong negative effect on children. 

    Episode 13: Professionals Working in the Alienation Field Need to be Trained

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2022 18:28


    Far too many legal and mental health professionals lack a comprehensive knowledge of Parental Alienation and, as a result, do damage to children.  Albeit they're unaware of it. There is a critical need for such professionals working in this field to be thoroughly educated in Parental Alienation. This episode covers some of the strategies/tactics parents employ and suggests some of the damage that is done to children as a result. 

    Measuring Children's Acceptance and Rejection

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2022 18:44


    Parental Alienation practitioners have wanted an assessment instrument to help identify alienated children. The PARQ has been demonstrated to be such an instrument and found to be highly reliable and valid. 

    New Alienation Article

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2022 16:02


    This episode discusses a new journal article that presents strong research about parental alienation and refutes some of the critics of the phenomenon of parental alienation. 

    Episode 10: Hayden's Law

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2022 16:00


    A new law in the U.S. Senate poses serious problems for those dealing with the phenomenon of parental alienation. We all need to take steps to alert our law makers to amend this bill before passage.

    Episode 9: Identification and Management of Alienation Cases

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2022 20:14


    This episode explains the identification process of parental alienation cases and points out the pit falls frequently found in alienation cases, including the serious consequences of failing to properly identify such cases.  Also, don't forget to go to NAOPAS.com and type in the word podcast in the coupon section in order to get your 50% discount on all the training opportunities available on the site. 

    Traditional Therapy Fails in; Severe Alienation Cases

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2022 17:39


    Court routinely order counseling and therapy for severe alienation cases and consistently these approaches fail. Courts need to know why this doesn't work.

    Detecting Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2022 19:05


    The components of parental alienation are discussed so therapists and legal professionals can investigate and identify the details commonly associated with this phenomenon. 

    Parental Alienation and Attachment Theory

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2022 20:39


    John Bowlby's attachment theory is a vital component to the phenomenon of Parental Alienation.  Attachment is a key to understanding the onset and the consequences of Parental Alienation. This is an introduction to this aspect of Parental Alienation. 

    The Lucifer Effect

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 24:41


    This is a presentation reviewing Dr. Philip Zimbardo's book The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil and how this work is related to the phenomenon of Parental Alienation. 

    The Role of Attachment in PA cases

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2021 16:48


    Attachment  or bonding is a critical process for humans. It determines how we interact with the world, not only as we develop into adults, but it plays a significant role in our ability to parent later on in life. 

    Do We Believe The Children?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 23:57


    This episode focuses on Dr. S. Ceci's work on memory and memory contamination

    Episode 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2021 14:51


    discussing research on false memories

    Intro to Parental Alienation

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 34:01


    This first episode introduces the concept of Parental Alienation and begins to explain how the phenomenon can happen in children who previously have had a loving, attached relationship with a parent. 

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