The alienated child: A psychodynamic exploration of Parental Alienation Syndrome.

This study offers a psychodynamic formulation of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), a phenomenon which arises in the contexts of separation and divorce, characterised as the unjustified rejection of children towards one of the parents with whom the child previously enjoyed a healthy relationship, in the absence of any form of child abuse, which is usually induced by manipulation strategies from the other parent (Mendoza Amaro & Bernet, 2022). The study focuses on the impact parental alienating behaviours have on a child’s development, as well as offering a psychodynamic exploration of the child’s contributions in support of the alienating parent’s campaign of denigration against the alienated parent. Using Walker and Hinshelwood (2018) Operationalisation of Terms method, three clinical case studies were tested against a set of determinants outlined in The Model for Identifying Parental Alienation Syndrome. Data shows that exposure to severe alienation behaviours may lead to maladaptive defence mechanisms in the child including pathological splitting and has implications for the child’s overall capacity for ambivalence leading to a lack of symbolisation and resulting in increased anxiety, rigidity and concrete thinking. Findings demonstrate how the personality develops omnipotence and omniscience as substitutes for learning from experience and that an appropriate emotional environment is required for ordinary guilt sense in a child to develop. Qualitative and quantitative data derived from an online survey of the membership of the Association of Child Psychotherapists regarding the clinical experience of offering therapeutic interventions provides a deeper understanding of the psychological, emotional and professional impact of working with alienated children. This study aims to address the distinct lack of scientific research on the direct experiences of alienated children by exploring whether key criteria associated with PAS can be identified in children who have unjustifiably rejected a parent and to enhance and develop professional knowledge regarding PAS.