For those who follow the work of Dr. Craig Childress, he is what I call a “one trick pony.” One trick ponies meaning people who do one thing, and do it very well. Dr. Childress’ trick is to keep pointing to the epidemic of children who are subjected to psychological abuse and providing the solution—use the tools already available within the existing information and accepted standards in the psychological community. Reinventing the wheel is unnecessary and actually counterproductive. There are no new syndromes to invent, no rabbit holes to go down, no vague arguments over what is or isn’t real, just observable verifiable behaviors, that when present demonstrate a pathology and when not present, do not.
There are several facets to what allows the pathology of child psychological abuse to develop and flourish, and things that can effectively counter it. The facet I am pointing to today is that of ignorance. Unfortunately, ignorance runs rampant in the field of mental health and this ignorance allows the pathogen to destroy families on an all too regular basis.
The ignorance, while sometimes willful, is often times due to a lack of education. In the mental health field there are standards and ethics that professionals must adhere to. If they do not, they are in violation. This applies to those who practice in the domain of high conflict* divorce.
The remedy? Make mental health practitioners accountable. That means attempting to educate, and if that isn’t successful to report unethical behavior to the body that grants the licenses. This must be done by those of us who have seen the mental health practitioners in our cases get it backwards. They aren’t likely to get it backwards if they are looking for the proper symptoms. They aren’t likely to get it right if they aren’t. Simple as that.
I have here links to two different types of situations. One is for a counselor or therapist who is involved with a child and becomes involved with a court case. This is the type of complaint I filed. These folks have no business trying to tell the legal system what is going on because they don’t know themselves and they don’t have the ability to make proper diagnoses. Some of these people are called “forensic” therapists. Don’t be fooled. If they lack proper training the pathogen will win out. In the sample here it is aimed at a professional working with a child age of 8 or younger although it can be edited for older. The first template contains references to APA (American Psychological Association) and ACA (American Counseling Association) codes of ethics.
Update: A competent professional in this field has pointed out that these complaint templates can also be used by those aligned with the pathogen to wrongfully make them. As a courtesy and also to protect them I have removed them. If you are curious about how to write one please contact me. I would like to find out a little more about your situation and can send you one privately, give you pointers or even help you write it out for a reasonable fee.
ALSO: If you are a member of a PASO (Parental Alienation Solutions Organization) chapter and your facilitator doesn’t have copies, please ask them to contact me and I will gladly send a copy to them for you and your group’s benefit.
The other are people who do have the ability to make proper diagnoses but don’t. Again, If they lack proper training the pathogen will most likely win out.
For either one make sure and follow these guidelines:
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- This is sample story line only. Edit and rewrite to match your own.
- Be as objective as possible. Boards will discount or even discard outright complaints that are angry and punitive in tone. Your aim is to educate, not punish.
- Use these violations specifically and build your complaint around them.
- Be prepared to have additional evidence and documentation to support as many of the statements you are making s possible.
Don’t wait for someone else to report the professional you are dealing with if they are ignorant and will not take on the information that will properly educate them.
It’s up to you to help your child.
I am an alienated parent fighting the system to save my son.
Both the legal and mental health systems are not helping me. Neither really understands what ex is doing.
I need to approach my local mental health system and hold them accountable to properly diagnose.
Please help
Send me an email: james@beyondparentalalienation.com
I get you some specifics. I don’t post this letter because I was told by a therapist in the Court system it was one of the best complaints she’s ever seen and could be abused.) Specificity is key. Also, I’d suggest a way to present the big picture like on a timeline helps. For a complaint, for Court, clarity is powerful. We have to stay out of the emotional “mud. They’re better at it. We need to be clear-headed and clearly spoken. One thing I’ve heard and still say is to never give up. Every opportunity is one for you to show them love. They need it more than you might realize.
Hi. I desperate need help with a template letter to file a complaint against a licensed social worker. I wanted to use Dr. Childresses letter but it states ethic violations based on psychologists not social workers. I haven’t seen my children in almost 4 years due to a mediation ordering a licensed social worker to do a clarification and therapeutic visitation with my children and I. In the past two and a half years she’s only done 5 zoom visits. She lied under oath in court 2 weeks ago. My attorney and I plan on filing a modified case for alienation and to remove her as the court ordered counselor. She’s in competent and totally on the alienating parents side.In the mean time I need to write the board about her and I also want to file a malpractice suit against her. We know she currently has another suit from a family in our area against her now. Please help! Thank you, Junior Sturkey
Send me an email: james@beyondparentalalienation.com
I get you some specifics.I don’t post this letter because I was told by a therapist in the Court system it was one of the best complaints she’s ever seen and could be misused.) I’d say you’re likely on the right path going this route. Clear information. Don’t let anything fall through the cracks. Specificity and a way to see the big picture like on a timeline is what we have. It’s powerful. No matter what, in general, I say never give up. Every opportunity is one for you to show them love. They need it more than you might realize.
Not sure what you are saying here; Is Dr Childress in your opinion to focussed on one thing. In his videos he is quite clear, to clear? I think 90% of what he says makes sense, but as a scientist & alienated father myself, I am well aware of how our views create confirmation bias & we humans nearly always look for opinions & allies that support our own views. I feel he is almost too sure of himself. His concept of the transgenerational meme & a separation/divorce triggering your ex Narcissist/Borderline Mother’s re-enactment of their own Mother’s abusive alienation of their Father, a generation ago makes perfect sense. In my exe’s case her Mother’s pathologic parenting was so successful at alienating her Father, aided by her Gran Mother, at age 18 she was persuaded to change her last name to her Mother’s maiden name, not even hyphenated! The ultimate technical legal alienation/snub of her Father. Now my ex is re-enacting these behaviours on our daughter, although not with the complete success suggested in Dr Childress’s videos. He does a bit of splitting himself ie it it’s either pathologic parenting or it’s not. I guess I am saying my daughter exhibits 100% of the signs & symptoms he suggests, but perhaps just 70% of the time. So at age 12 I feel but don’t know she is perhaps only 70% flipped & 70% damaged. So I feel there is still some hope. My concern is that in Australia, like in the US, I suspect none if any Family law psychologists or Judges would agree with Dr Childress, ie the pathology has remained hidden by ignorance.
So I ask you, if you have any advice about how I might convince a Judge my daughter should live with me, until my daughter has been psychologically ‘cleansed’ of her Mother’s re-enactment of her past pathologic parenting & allowed to grieve. My ex would also need to be ordered to seek psychological help herself because as you know a Narcissistic/borderline will never ever admit they have a problem & would not ever seek help themselves. They are so full of hate, loathing & evil, presumably due to their lack of ‘normal’ parental attachment, they seem to be in a downward spiral of a self inflicted increasingly joyless hateful & self loathing destiny; lacking true love for anyone including themselves. How they live like this I don’t know? My greatest fear is my daughter will end up the same & this disgusting pathologic meme will continue to reproduce endlessly through the maternal line as penetrant as mitochondrial DNA. I’m sure you know what I am talking about & have the same fears, please help?
I didn’t see this til now.
Best things are the simplest. Laying everything out on a timeline (search on that to see an example) is powerful. Judges have information overload. There is not likely a magic phrase that works (at least I haven’t found one) but being able to show a big picture of the behavior QUICKLY often helps. They can get it that way. And if the judge doesn’t respond within the law consider things like appeals. If you keep your information organized you have more options. I wouldn’t believe for a moment any hateful-sounding rhetoric is anything more than their trying to survive. They naturally get in close to the other parent because that’s where the insecure attachment lies. And they can come out of it quickly given the right circumstances. (Meaning exposure, even if it’s just texts or short conversations and LOVE. Being loving NO MATTER WHAT.They need both parents. I tend to say leverage that knowledge and never give up. They are desperately hoping you won’t.)