With special guests:
- Karen & Nick Woodall
Everyone seems to know someone who has been affected by parental alienation, even if the name of the condition may not be recognised. We have all seen children, following a separation, who reject a parent and cling to the other parent when there is no good reason for doing so.
We would expect therapists working in this area to be on the lookout for the tell-tale signs that a child is fully alienated. However because of a galling lack of understanding of the condition this is not always so. Even the early signs may be missed such as when a child who is usually happy to come to your house or come with you on trips begins to find it difficult to do so.
Once the alienation has taken root it is obvious to any thinking person that there is something wrong because the child’s reality has been distorted. At that point the worst aspect of a separation with another parent may take place, namely, you lose your child.
Our guests today take us on a journey in their new book Understanding Parental Alienation: Learning to Cope, Helping to Heal. By reading the book a targeted parent can learn what to do at different stages of the alienation process when a child may advance from mild to extreme alienation. We have all heard that knowledge is power and this is graphically demonstrated by our guests today as they clearly explain what is happening so frequently these days following the high rate of family separation.
What is particularly important about listening to Karen and Nick Woodall is that these experienced and world recognised authorities tell us what can help us cope and then heal. When a parent is caught in this nightmare the feeling is often that no-one else understands. The usual attitude of others is that it will never happen to me. If it does happen to you this book will encourage you and show you the way to cope. And when the happy day arrives that you are reunited with your children you have to be able to heal and not lose it all again.
If you or anyone you know is worried about the parenting relationship this program is a must. We go to the highlights of the book which is based on years of experience and an uncommon expertise. You will know at the end of the program why our guests are valued so highly and it is a privilege to get to hear from them in such an important area, namely the serious threats to the relationship between parents and their own very special children.
Karen & Nick Woodall
Karen Woodall is a highly experienced psychotherapist who has worked with divorced and separated couples since 1991. She has specialised in developing new ways of working with alienated children and their families and is now widely regarded as one of the foremost world experts in her field. Her influential blog has a worldwide readership. Understanding Parental Alienation is co-written by Karen and Nick Woodall. Nick Woodall has worked with separated families since 1999 and co-founded the Family Separation Clinic with Karen in 2010. He has worked extensively on family policy developing new services for the UK Government. Karen and Nick also co-authored The Guide for Separated Parents: Putting Children First in 2007.
Song selection by our guests: Jenny Ondioline by Stereolab