The Information-Structures of the Petition to the APA

The Petition to the APA contains a set of “meme-structures” – in fact, several sets of parallel and overlapping “information-structures” are contained within the Petition.

I want to take a moment and identify some of them. 

Think of the Petition as an information-virus.  The information-structures (meme-structures) of the Petition represent the viral DNA code of knowledge that is going to be inserted into the institution of the APA.

Information-Structure: Professional Knowledge & Competence

This is an unstoppable information structure.  The Petition itself is simply a small pebble.  The information-structure of professional knowledge and competence is the power.  This first small pebble of the competence information-structure will increasingly become a battering ram, a catapult, a trebuchet, and a cannon in each transformation.

The battle is to claim the narrative.  The pathogen has its narrative, and it has used this narrative to captivate allies and disable the response of the mental health system to the pathology.  The meme-structures of AB-PA are designed to claim the narrative.

For example, the narcissistic/(borderline) parent claims to be the “protective parent.” 

No.  We are claiming the narrative.  The targeted parent is the protective parent, and it is the allied narcissistic/(borderline) parent who is the abusive parent.  We are protectively separating the child from the abusive narcissistic/(borderline) parent.

All of the information structures of the Petition claim the narrative, beginning with the Prelude. 

I chose the term Prelude intentionally, because I see the Petition as a musical piece with a Prelude and Five Movements.  The fifth Movement is simply a return to the themes of the Prelude (an ouroboros). 

The organizing core theme of the entire Petition – the central organizing information-structure – is a call for professional knowledge and competence.  This information-structure is unstoppable.

No one in the APA can credibly argue that there is an “acceptable level” of professional ignorance and incompetence that is allowable. 

The central meme-structure of the Petition asserts the high-ground of professional responsibility.  This is a central organizing information-structure that 100% of psychologists can agree to.

This information structure is unstoppable.  It serves as a battering ram information-structure.  Professional competence.  All we seek is the APA’s support in obtaining professional competence.  Bam – the information structure of professional competence, Standard 2.01a of the APA ethics code, beats against the doors of the APA. 

Professional competence is a right guaranteed by Standards 2.01a and 2.03 of the APA ethics code.  Bam against the doors of the APA.

All we seek is the APA’s support in obtaining professional competence.  Bam against the doors of the APA. 

We are going to force them argue that there is an “acceptable” level of ignorance and incompetence allowable.  They can’t do that.  We own the high-ground.

All we seek is the APA’s support in obtaining professional competence.  Bam against the doors of the APA. 

Over time, we will turn the battering ram into a catapult, then into a trebuchet hurling boulders at the APA’s walls, then into a cannon that simply blast open the door.  This information structure of professional competence is unstoppable with the APA.  They will support the principles of their own ethics code.  It is inevitable.

Support Meme-Structures: The Four Domains

A second set of meme-structures activates immediately upon the introduction of the competence information-structure.  The four domains of knowledge meme-structures define the knowledge required for professional competence; the attachment system, personality disorder pathology, family systems therapy, complex trauma.

The specific meme-structure nuggets are:

Pathological mourning
Cross-generational coalition
Narcissistic/borderline personality
Attachment trauma
Pathogenic parenting

The information-structure of professional competence will open the doors of the APA.  The four domains of knowledge meme-structures are the “viral dna-code” of knowledge structures that will enter the host organism – the APA.

Information Structure:  The Voice of Parents

The Prelude represents the voice of parents.  In the Prelude I am blunt and direct, because the stultified attitude of professional psychology needs to hear the suffering.  The APA is asleep to the suffering.  The direct voice of suffering and pain needs to wake them from their slumber.

I chose strong words and made strong allegations toward my professional colleagues.  I’m sure I’m not making friends among my professional colleagues.  I don’t care.  They need to hear the voice of parents.  The lives of children are being destroyed by the collusive incompetence of ignorant mental health persons.

The APA, and all of professional psychology needs to hear that statement.  If someone says,

“Back that up Dr. Childress.  Show me the evidence that the lives of children are being destroyed by the ignorance and incompetence of mental health professionals.”

I’ll respond with,

13,000.  The Petition to the APA has 13,000 signatures.  There are your 13 thousand data points of evidence.

Your signatures determine how strong you want this rebuttal response to be.  I would urge you to make it as strong as possible.  When I’m in dialogue with the APA and I’m asked for “evidence” of the problem’s magnitude, my response will be to cite the number of current signatures to the Petition.  When I’m asked for “evidence” that the problem is as bad as I say it is, I’ll go on the Internet and directly read the current number of signatures to the Petition.

It’s up to you how strong you want to become.  20,000?  More?  80,000?

The Prelude is the voice of children.  This isn’t about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.  This is about the lost bonds of love between a parent and a child.  We are restoring that bond.  We need the support of the APA.

So while my initial challenging words in the Prelude are blunt, the message they deliver is one of love.  We are fighting to protect the emotional and psychological development of children.  We will fight fiercely for children.  And we are fighting for love, and peace, and happiness. 

This is the meme-structure of the Prelude:  We will fight fiercely to protect children.  It is a message of love.

“Dr. Childress, prove that it’s as bad as you say.”

13,000 signatures.  13,000 voices.

Information-Structure: The Four Domains of Knowledge

Once the information-structure of professional competence opens the door of the APA, the viral meme-structures of AB-PA will insert their expansive “dna-code” of knowledge into the APA.  Articles 1 and 2 contain the individual meme-structures comprising the larger four domains of knowledge information-structure.  Each quote used in Article 1 and Article 2 is a meme-structure packet that will expand once inside the APA – attachment pathology, personality pathology, complex trauma.  

Each quote is a knowledge seed, an individual meme-structure packet that will expand once it finds a fertile mind.

Information-Structure:  Problem to Solution

The  information-structures of the Prelude and professional competence voice the problem, the four domains of knowledge meme-structures provide the solution.  This becomes a linking set, a coupling of information-structures.  The professional competence information structure opens the door.  The four domains of knowledge provide the content (the “dna” information of the knowledge structure).

The four domains of knowledge information-structures are critical to the strength of the Petition, since these are the specific meme-structures that will propagate from brain-to-brain within professional psychology.  In organizing this set of meme-structures, I tried to limit the introduction of “new” constructs as much as possible.  The standard constructs of professional psychology are “new”  enough to the ignorant.  Which is why I rely on so many quotes rather than statements by me with citation reference.  I’m using a delivery vehicle for these meme-structures of recognized authorities in professional psychology – Bowlby; Minuchin; Beck.

The information-structures of the four domains of knowledge are exceedingly strong.  They will hold the knowledge weight that serves as the foundation for professional competence.  The professional competence and four domains of knowledge are linked information-structures, and once we turn the corner on these, the four domains of knowledge open the ethics meme structures.

Information-Structure: Ethics

This too is an unstoppable information-structure.

By defining the pathology entirely using standard and established constructs and principles (the four domains of knowledge) the Petition activates Standards 2.01a and 2.03 of the APA ethics code.  We have identified domains of knowledge required for professional competence.

There is no credible argument that the APA can make that there is an “acceptable” violation of the APA ethics code.  We have claimed the high-ground of the APA ethics code.

The ethics meme-structure set originates in the ground foundation of the APA’s own ethics code, which is then linked through the four domains of knowledge into a petition for action; a statement of support from the APA for its own ethics code, and a statement of support from the APA for professional competence.

Information-Structures: The Action Structures

The meme-structures of the Petition to the APA have linked a voiced problem (the Prelude) to an identified solution (the four domains of knowledge).  Article 4 introduces the action meme-structures.

The sought for action is clear, 1, 2, 3. 

The sought for action is specific (offering specific suggested wording for the statements). 

The sought for action unfolds through three time frames, immediate (Remedy 1), intermediate (Remedy 2), and longer-term (Remedy 3).

Within this information-structure, we solve the “controversy” surrounding Gardnerian PAS in Remedy 2 dealing with the APA’s Position Statement on PAS.  I discard Gardnerian PAS.  No more controversy.  No more endless argument.  Done.  We’re shifting to the four domains of knowledge needed for professional competence.  Everyone, 100% of professional psychology, can join in this unified solution to attachment-related pathology surrounding divorce.

The “controversy” is over.  Let’s get on with the solution.  We are ending the division in professional psychology and we are delivering the APA to targeted parents as their ally.

The longer-term action of a conference of experts is the meme-structure that leads to a solution to the broken family law court system.  The Petition to end “parental alienation” is the seed of change, the conference of experts is the fruit of this change.

We have claimed the high-ground.  The information-structure of professional competence is unstoppable.  The four domains of knowledge meme-structures provide a solid foundation on which to stand.  The ethics information-structure is unstoppable.  The action meme-structures are vibrant and alive.

Eventually, the APA will issue a statement endorsing its own ethics code.  It must.  This is an entirely reasonable request from the consumer population for psychological services, “Please endorse your ethics code so we can get professional competence out here.”  How can they possibly say no?  13,000 signatures.  20,000 signatures? The more signatures, the stronger your pressure on them.

These information structures are your siege weapons.  Your siege towers are already against the walls, having been constructed during your prior assault on the APA a year ago.  You already know the entry points, the contact points.  Expand the outreach to state psychological associations asking them to endorse the Petition to the APA.  Begin to ping the AFCC, asking for their endorsement to the Petition.

In its raw form, the Petition becomes a battering ram at the doors of the APA.  All we are seeking is professional competence – bam.   We simply want the APA to support its own ethics code – bam.  All we are seeking is professional competence – bam…

This set of siege weapons can also be taken to other citadels, other organizations and the media.  The AFCC.  The British Psychological Association.  State psychological associations.  State bar associations.  Ask them to endorse the Petition.  All we are seeking is professional competence – bam.  We simply want your endorsement of a call for professional competence – bam.  All we are seeking is… – bam.

In early childhood mental health there’s a saying, you have to introduce a new food to a toddler 11 times before the toddler tries it. The first 10 times, the food is too “foreign” for the toddler to risk actually putting in the mouth.  But by time 11, the child has now seen the food ten other times, the food is now “familiar,” and the toddler tries it.  We’re introducing a new food to a toddler – knowledge to the APA and professional psychology.  One time… two times… three times…

The Petition contains the viral “dna-code” of knowledge; of specific information-structures.  A virus takes control of the host cell by first attaching to an entry point on the host cell, and then it inserts its viral dna-code into the host cell.  Attach to the APA (and to any other organization) at an entry point, and insert the information-structures of the Petition (“Please endorse the Petition to the APA”), and let the meme-structures contained in the Petition propagate and expand within the organism – broadly across the mental health system.  

Some entry points may be disconnected from the organism as a whole, and the information-structures sent to these entry points will simply languish at the inactive entry point.  However, some entry points will propagate the information structures throughout the host organism – throughout the organization.  We won’t know if an entry point is active or inactive until we ask,

‘”Will xyz organization endorse the Petition to the APA?”

All of this is within the flow of that-which-leads.  Each of us has our role.  I am your resource.  You are the warrior.  The time is now.  The battle for your children is now.  The battle for the APA is here.

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