Brian Ludmer

Ginger Gentile

Many parents focus on proving alienation and seeking connection, neglecting to prepare for reunification and rebuilding relationships. Alienated parents, often affected by complex trauma, may exhibit behaviors that push their children away, especially since these children may have been influenced by an alienator’s unhealthy behaviors. Ginger Gentile, through her work on the Erasing Family Documentary and extensive interviews, has developed the REVIVE method to help parents reunite and heal complex family issues in a straightforward and enjoyable way.

Marie-France Carlier

In Belgium, in case of loss of parent-child ties,  the family judges will  react quickly and take the case at the first hearing ( fixed within the 15 days), during which they try to obtain the parents' agreement to participate in an expertise based on parental collaboration. This expertise, created in 2010 by Benoit Van Dieren, a psychologist, and Myriam de Hemptinne, a magistrate at the Brussels Court of Appeal, is very successful and has spread throughout the country.

Susan Heitler

To get the word out about a phenomenon like a book or a new product, publicists look first for a “hook.” That is, what current events or common concerns can catch the attention of audiences, enabling the writer to embed in the story information about the main point they want to make?

Brian O’Sullivan

has developed the first academically accredited Masters Degree in Parental Alienation Studies.  He will invite delegates to consider elements of his work reconnecting alienated children with the rejected parent in severe cases of parental alienation in Ireland.

Marie-France Hirigoyen.

The detractors of parental alienation are mostly people who are very involved in the fight against domestic violence. Neglecting the fact that this problem is not gendered and can be exercised by both a father and a mother, they consider that this concept could contribute to the concealment of male violence and, in particular, to the denial of incest. 

Philip Marcus.

When parents separate, their most important responsibility is to minimize harm to their child. This requires them to reach agreement about how much time the child will spend with each of them, and to divide their responsibilities in accordance with the needs of the child. If they cannot reach agreement, a court must decide these matters, in the best interests of the child, according to the applicable laws. 

Anthony Bezzina.

When a parent is alienated the focus on work is interrupted and therefore a person is mentally and physically stressed. The alienated parent is emotionally stressed and feeling unwell and this increases fatigue. The effects may differ from person to person.

Olga Odinetz.

Some detractors of parental alienation claim it is a gendered issue. We analyzed the 654 initial contact letters received during 2023 by the French association ACALPA (Association Against Parental Alienation).

Ivan Sammut

This paper/presentation analyses these concepts from the point of view of the Maltese legal system and the Family Court in Malta. First, it depicts the Maltese Family court situation, underlying how one may conclude that certain practices and procedures in Malta infringe Article 8 of the ECHR. 

Anthony Gauchi.

Anthony Gauchi will draw upon a range of experiences and expertise in handling parental alienation cases and promoting shared parenting in Malta.

Øivind Østberg.

The child support system in Norway can inadvertently promote parental alienation, as the calculation of child support relies on the court's access decisions. However, if the actual access granted is less than decided, this discrepancy influences the total deduction in child support, as interpreted by the administrative body (NAV).

Ola Tellesbø.

This presentation highlights how Norway faced ECHR convictions for disregarding family life between 2018-2023 and the subsequent impact on contact arrangements. The study involved analyzing Supreme Court (SC) case law pre and post the Jansen v. Norway case, comparing legal justifications for limited contact with psychological research findings. Post-ECHR convictions, contact reduced significantly, with SC advocating for minimal contact to reinforce foster family bonds and mitigate perceived negative parental influences. However, psychological research suggests that maintaining contact with biological families can enhance a child's well-being. The conclusion questions the SC's alignment with the child's best interests, contrasting it with empirical evidence supporting continued parental contact, which also resonates with the ECHR's core principles.

Sandra Inês Feitor.

Family life is a fundamental and human right under article 8.º ECHR and article 9.º e and 18.º UNCRC. Family life must be seen also in light of articles 7.º and 24.º of EU Charter of Human Rights and the right to a good administration of justice and effective measures, in order to efficiently deal with parental alienation cases and situation of refusal of the children on reestablishment of family life.

Natalie P. Williamson and Cory M. Sprunger

One of the most difficult experiences as legal counsel for alienated parents is building trust. Trauma inflicted on your client by the alienating parent disarms your client’s ability to strategize rationally, and trust holistically. While courts recognize parental alienation and the harm it causes to the family unit, the emotional turmoil parents experience is largely overlooked.

Maciej Witczynski

The narrative of a father who has been alienated from his 15-year-old daughter has led to the erosion of their once-close emotional connection. This distressing situation has persisted for over five years.

Virginia E. Griffin

Legal techniques used for conflict resolution are historically adversarial. Therefore, the legal system must consider the health, safety, welfare, and best interests of children caught in the crossfire of family law conflict. 

Sari Hanafi

The family constitutes the basic unit in society despite being now more fragile and ephemeral than before. It has been for long not only the center of care and personal affections, but also the basis of civic education and public virtue. Yet, many scholars have argued that family authority is being eroded by both the liberal state and the forces of neoliberal and emotional capitalism.

Rossana Cruz and Cristina Dias.

The Portuguese Civil Code states that the court shall determine the child's residence and visiting rights in accordance with the child's interest and shall take into account all relevant circumstances, namely the willingness expressed by each of the parents to promote regular relations of the child with the other parent (paragraph 5 of article 1906). Until 2020 there wasn’t a clear legal reference to a shared residence.

Mary Gauci, President of Happy Parenting - Malta.

Happy Parenting - Malta (For Happier Children) has since the last 6 years been creating awareness on Parental Alienation, making protests, vigils and speaking several times in Parliament.