Broken relationships between adult children and their parents is a widespread phenomenon. While the parent-child attachment relationship is of critical importance for the child in the early years of life, the parent-child relationship continues to be a source of great importance over the course of the individual's life span for both the child and the parent. For adults and adult children who are estranged/alienated from each other, the pain and dissatisfaction never fully go away. Despite the prevalence of the problem of ruptured relationships, there are few resources available for mental health professionals working with this population. This book provides a tool for clinicians to turn to when they are working with adult children and their parents seeking to resolve conflict, improve communication, and enhance their relationships.
Dr. Amy J.L. Baker is a leading national expert in the field of parental alienation. She is the author or co-author of 8 books and over 115 articles, many in peer reviewed publications. She has trained judges, attorneys, clinicians, and the lay public on parental alienation and emotional abuse to audiences around the world. She has been interviewed by the New York Times, CNN, Good Morning America, Newsweek, the AP, NPR, and numerous other media outlets. Paul R Fine is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience providing psychotherapy to children, teens, and adults dealing with a range of personal issues. Alianna LaCheen-Baker is a LPN with experience working with alienated children and families.
Many therapists do untold damage to adult alienated children and their parents when they intervene without proper training or education. In this groundbreaking book Amy J.L. Baker, Paul R. Fine, and Alianna LaCheen-Baker provide detailed and informed advice for professionals working with this population. They provide the reader with a critical set of foundational beliefs, interventions, and activities that are essential for clinicians to understand and implement. Highly recommended.--Joshua Coleman, Ph.D., author of When Parents Hurt: Compassionate Strategies When You and Your Grown Child Get Along In some families, the nightmare of parental alienation ends when the adult child and the rejected parent find each other and choose--tentatively--to become reacquainted. Although the bad dream is over, the child and parent may still be confused, perturbed, angry, and frightened. This book is a guide for therapists who aim to help their clients get through this critical period of time, which can be both terrifying and wonderful.--William Bernet, M.D., professor emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee Restoring Family Connections should be in the toolbox of every practicing mental health clinician. It lays the groundwork for understanding the parental alienation dynamic in depth and how to achieve reconciliation. Do you care about families affected by parental alienation? Do you have the desire to help them work through the multiple psychological issues and emotional strife that accompany it? This manual and how to guide is the only resource available today that will help you achieve your goal.--Jill Egizii, president, Parental Alienation Awareness Organization USA
