I am standing right beside you

I was asked to provide a letter of support to the Parents on the Dutch – Belgian Ride to End Parental Alienation.  This is my letter to them, and to all parents who are fighting for your children. 

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4/25/17

To: Parents on the Dutch – Belgian Ride to End Parental Alienation

From:  Dr. Craig Childress

We are miles away, and I am standing right beside you.  You are not alone.

We are worlds apart, and yet I am standing right beside you.  You are not alone.

We will not stop.  We will not relent.  We will recover your children, your beautiful children.  You are not alone.

We stand together, side-by-side, with you and with your children.  Your children are not alone.

It is with joy that I write this letter to you because we stand together today with clarity, with truth, and with love.  Though worlds apart, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and our prayers have power because they are born in your love.

Though worlds apart, I hear you.  I know your love.  I hear your voice.  We will not stop until all of your children are back in your arms.

Over the course of my professional career I have worked with all the various forms of child and family pathology, ADHD, autism-spectrum disorders, angry-aggressive families, child abuse and trauma.  The pathology of “parental alienation” is one of the cruelest pathologies I have ever encountered.  It must end.  Its cruelty must end.  Alienating a child from a loving and beloved parent is psychological child abuse, and it must end. 

And it will end.  Even as we stand together today, it is ending.  Our road to recovering your children is clear. The pathogen that takes your children can no longer remain hidden in the dark crevices of its secrecy as it spreads its lies and its cruel manipulation of the child.  We are exposing it to the light.  We are exposing its lies and manipulation.  We are exposing it from beneath its veil of concealment.

The lies, the manipulation and exploitation of the child – the psychological abuse of the child – can only occur when it is not seen – when it remains hidden.  Once it is exposed, it loses all of its power.  We are exposing it.  Day by day the darkness of professional ignorance and incompetence recedes.  Each day – with each mile we travel on our road – we are nearing the solution.

This pathogen is extremely dangerous, but it is stupid as sin.  That’s why this pathology thrives in ignorance.  It seeks allies in ignorant people, and it survives because of the continued profound professional ignorance and incompetence in mental health.  Our enemy is ignorance.  Our weapon is knowledge.

This pathology currently thrives in the profound professional ignorance of metal health persons whose ignorance and incompetence allows the pathogen to remain hidden and unseen. The level of professional ignorance and incompetence out there is appalling.  The current level of professional incompetence in assessment and diagnosis results in little more than voodoo assessment – rattle some beads, recite some incantations, and read the entrails of a goat, – “Bring me a goat, please, I’m doing a family assessment of ‘parental alienation’ and I need to augur the signs.”

As for treatment, professional practice is positively medieval – “Bring me some leeches, we need to bleed the patient.” The current level of professional ignorance and incompetence out there is positively medieval.

And this particular pathology thrives in ignorance.

But each of you today are the living light of love and knowledge.  Through your loving light, and through your truth, we are rolling back the ignorance and darkness in which the pathology hides.  We are demanding professional expertise and professional competence in the assessment, the diagnosis, and the treatment provided to your children and your families.

Ignorance is our enemy.  Knowledge is our power.  In AB-PA I have given you the rock-solid Foundations of established psychological constructs on which to stand in your demand for professional knowledge and competence in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of your children and your families.  Knowledge and competence from professional psychology is your right, and it is the right of your children.

Our enemy is ignorance, because this pathogen uses ignorance as an ally.

Today, you are the living flame of love, and truth, and knowledge, bringing light into the dark hiding places of this pathology.  Today we are exposing the pathology from its hiding place and we are naming it – we are calling it what it is – child abuse – psychological child abuse.

We will no longer tolerate professional psychology abandoning you and your children to the psychological abuse of your children by a disordered and pathological narcissistic-borderline personality parent, who is using the child – who is weaponizing the child – as an instrument of revenge in the spousal conflict surrounding divorce.  Children are kids.  They are never weapons.  We know exactly what this pathology is.  It is psychological child abuse. 

Our enemy is ignorance; professional ignorance.  And you are the living light of love, and truth, and knowledge. 

We will not abandon you.  We will not abandon your children.  We will not stop until all of your children are back in your arms.

Children have the fundamental right of childhood to love both parents; and children have the fundamental right of childhood to receive the love of both parents in return.

We will not stop until we achieve these rights for all children, and we will not stop until we are able to protect all children from all forms of child abuse – physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological child abuse.

You are your children’s warriors, and though I am a world away, I am standing right beside you in your fight for your children.

Best wishes,

Craig Childress, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist, PSY 18857