So many perspectives: Can we have constructive dialogue with critics and deniers of parental alienation theory?
William Bernet
M.D., a professor emeritus at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Discussions regarding parental alienation theory and the broader topic of parent–child contact problems have unfortunately been argumentative and divisive. This high level of polarization has hindered and constrained parental alienation scholarship, impeding the education of mental health and legal professionals as well as research aimed at preventing and intervening in cases of parental alienation.
In this presentation, several examples of parental alienation polarization will be described. In response to this destructive polarization, various professional organizations, groups, and individuals have attempted to initiate constructive dialogue with critics of parental alienation theory. PASG has participated in some of these projects, driven by our belief that collaborations are essential for advancing a nuanced understanding of parental alienation theory. Ultimately, this enhanced understanding holds the potential to greatly benefit the children and parents grappling with this distressing form of family dysfunction.
William Bernet, M.D., a professor emeritus at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has testified as an expert in forensic psychiatry about 300 times in 24 states. In 2007, Dr. Bernet and Judge Don R. Ash published Children of Divorce: A Practical Guide for Parents, Therapists, Attorneys, and Judges. Dr. Bernet edited Parental Alienation, DSM-5, and ICD-11 (2010). Dr. Bernet and his colleagues edited Parental Alienation: The Handbook for Mental Health and Legal Professionals (2013). Dr. Bernet and Demosthenes Lorandos edited Parental Alienation – Science and Law (2020). He was the founder and first president of the Parental Alienation Study Group.