Summary of Pathogenic Parenting

Summary: Pathogenic Parenting is not a new syndrome, but rather, a manifestation of standard and well established pathologies. It only uses references to classic works of psychology and none related to parental alienation syndrome. This gives it tremendous power, making it something that any mental professional operating within their boundaries of competence should already understand, making it a possible violation of state law to not understand it. Refer to the three diagnostic criteria and 12 associated clinical signs.

A parent suffering from a narcissistic or borderline personality disorder can, under unrelenting stress or pressure from divorce, decompensate into persecutory delusions that the other parent is inadequate or abusive. These parents then expel their feelings of inadequacy or abandonment onto their former partner by using the defense mechanisms of projection and splitting. Because of splitting, the ex-spouse must become the ex-parent of the child. Through triangulation, psychological enmeshment with their children, and the formation of a cross generational alliance with their children, they influence their children to share their delusion. This can be done by eliciting criticism from the child about the other parent and then enthusiastically validating it, and by mixing in partially true lies. These parents then use their children as a narcissistic supply (or regulatory-other), creating a role reversal relationship that shows a lack of empathy for their children’s own developmental needs.

It is a standard reenactment of childhood trauma with a standard false narrative related to their own childhood, where the child's other parent symbolizes an inadequate or abusive parent, the child symbolizes a victim of the other parent, and the parent using harmful parenting practices symbolizes a good parent ostensibly trying to protect their child. However, in reality, the other parent is neither inadequate nor abusive; but rather, the parent using the harmful parenting practices is abusive. In effect, the parent who fears inadequacy or abandonment is able to project their fears onto the other parent because all can "plainly see" that it is the other parent who is rejected and abandoned by the child.

This results in 3 diagnostic criteria in the child: attachment system suppression, personality disorder traits, and delusional belief. This rises to the level of DSM 5 Child Psychological Abuse, V995.51. The psychological fingerprints of the parent with the personality disorder are on the child.

Pathogenic Parenting also goes by the name Attachment-Based Parental Alienation.

See also:

• further discussion and information regarding the attachment-model of parental alienation

• Bio for Dr. Craig Childress

• references to the scientific professional literature

• the list of pathologies underlying pathogenic parenting

• the summary section of the book "Foundations"

• the first chapter of the book "Foundations"

• diagnostic and screening checklist for pathogenic parenting or and the same criteria with an additional 8 pages of context at the beginning, called the treatment-focused assessment protocol

• the front and back covers of "Foundations"

• the top 15 things that targeted parents need to know about Attachment-Based Parental Alienation

• the collected works of Dr. Childress

• differential diagnosis of pathogenic parenting

• frequently asked questions about pathogenic parenting

• Dr. Childress' Slide Decks from PASYMPOSIUM2017: Morning Keynote and Afternoon Part 2

• For a compare/contrast between Gardner's symptom of "Absence of Guilt about Treatment of the Targeted Parent" and the attachment-based criteria of lack of empathy, arrogant haughtiness, and entitlement, see here.

• Associated Clinical Sign 1: Use of the word "forced"

• See also Dr. Childress' presentation at the Annual National AFCC conference in Boston in June 2017: Overview1, Overview2, and slide deck parts a, b, and c

  • See also Dr. Childress' Video Lecture at California Southern University in 2014 and associated slide deck:

  • 1. Slide Deck for both talks (in pdf format) 95 slides for the two lectures above, in a pdf file. Other than the book, this slide deck is the fastest way to learn about the attachment model of parental alienation. Listen to the talk for more details.

  • 2. Theoretical Foundations for an Attachment-based model of "Parental Alienation" A two hour talk on July 28th, 2014 with convenient written transcript

  • 3. Diagnosis and Treatment of Attachment Based "Parental Alienation" A two hour talk on November 21, 2014 with convenient written transcript

• See also a two hour question/answer session with Dr. Childress

• Attend training and obtain certification at "The Childress Institute"

• Solutions Focus Visitation Schedule

• Contingent Visitation Schedule

  • Dr. Childress presents at EFCAP on "Correcting This Century's Biggest Forensic Mistake". EFCAP stands for European Association for Forensic Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychology

Other worthwhile topics:

• 13.4% of surveyed parents say they are alienated from one of their children

• Resources for Parental Alienation

• Attorney and Lawyer training material for parental alienation

• ABC 2020 Exposes Parental Alienation (Footprints in the Snow) as does the BBC, 60 minutes, CNN, and Canadian TV

  • Formerly alienated teens and adults tell their story

• Find a support group

• Access other resources on parental alienation

• Find ways to reconnect with your child

• American Psychiatric Association Comments on Disordered Parenting

• The Harms of Parental Alienation : ACES : Adverse Childhood Experiences Study

by Howie Dennison