Folie a Deux

“ Hatred is not an emotion that comes naturally to a child. It has to be taught. A parent who would teach a child to hate the other parent, represents a grave and persistent danger to the mental and emotional health of that child”.

read the complete article by

Ludwig.F. Lowenstein Ph.D

Southern England Psychological Services

http://www.parental-alienation.info/publications/41-paraliduetoashapsydisfoladeu.htm

The Vicious Alienator’s Game Plan

The Vicious Alienator’s Game Plan

Ludwig.F. Lowenstein Ph.D

Southern England Psychological Services

This article describes the motives and demeanour of the vicious and determined alienator in preventing, by whatever means, good contact and a good relationship with the absent, non custodial parent. Two illustrations are provided. One dealing with the father and the other with the mother as the alienator. A two-step approach is presented in how to deal with the implacable hostile and non-cooperative alienator. The importance of the expert witness working together with the court is required, as well as the court acting decisively to limit the “game plan” of the alienator is emphasised.

Illustration 1 – the father as an alienator

Mr Y had been given custody of a son aged 16 and a daughter aged 14 mainly due to the fact that the mother had suffered from depression. Mr Y was a highly controlling individual who did all he could to influence the children against a caring and loving mother. The divorce had been highly acrimonious. The mother Mrs N accepted that she suffered from depression but this was some time ago and was now under control due to the medication she was receiving.

After leaving hospital, she tried unsuccessfully to communicate with her children and to have contact with Mr Y, but he had totally brainwashed the children against the mother stating she was a “crazy, unpredictable and violent woman”. Father also made it clear to the children that should they wish to have contact with their mother they would no longer have a home with him, they must choose one or the other. The children therefore never responded to telephone calls, emails and letters from the mother who pleaded to have the chance to be with them. The father had inculcated a fear of insecurity, if the children wished to have contact with their mother.

read the complete article here:-http://www.parental-alienation.info/publications/85%20-%20The_Vicious_Alienators_Game_Plan.htm

The comparison of parental alienation to the “Stockholm syndrome”

Ludwig.F. Lowenstein Ph.D

Southern England Psychological Services

2006

What follows is in great part fact and what is not fact is based on supposition and psychological assessment of how the Stockholm Syndrome develops and how it has worked in the case of Natascha Kampusch recently reported in the press. She was abducted and kept in a prison in an underground cell without natural light and air being pumped into her enclosure. The Stockholm Syndrome was coined in 1973 by Nils Bejerot, a psychiatrist, while working for the police. It occurred that there was a bank robbery and four bank clerks were taken hostage by an armed robber who threatened to kill them. To the surprise of the police, the hostages stated that they had no wish to be rescued indicating that they felt sympathy for their captor.

It was assumed that the feeling of stress and helplessness and possibly a desire to survive led to this unlikely scenario. All the captives were eventually released without harm. The hostage taker himself must have been influenced by the behaviour of his victims as they were influenced by him. One can only wonder how this phenomenon occurred after such a short captivity. In the case of Natascha Kampusch her period of captivity of eight years probably brought about deeper psychological changes and more enduring ones.

As a specialist in the area of parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome where I have acted as a psychological expert in the courts, there appears to be a considerable similarity between parental alienation and the Stockholm Syndrome. The alienator in the case of the Stockholm Syndrome also needs to extinguish any desire in the victim’s past, seeking to demonstrate any allegiance to anyone other than the powerful captor of that individual.

Here too is demonstrated the power of the alienator and the insignificance of the power of the alienated party/parties. It is almost certain that Natascha Kampusch had opportunity in the past to escape from her captor, yet chose not to do so. This was despite her initial closeness to her family. A combination of fear, indoctrination and “learned helplessness”, promoted the total loyalty and obedience of the child to her captor. This captor was no longer viewed, as was the case initially, as evil but as necessary to the child’s well-being and her survival. A similar scenario occurs in the case of children who are alienated against an absent parent.

My forthcoming book about to be published and my website http://www.parental-alienation.info provides information as to why Natascha may have remained so slavishly with her captor for eight years of her young life. Why she decided finally to escape her enslavement will in due course be established. I will attempt to explain what might have occurred to finally induce her to escape.

A child who has had a good relationship with the now shunned parent will state: “I don’t need my father/mother; I only need my mother/father. Such a statement is based on the brainwashing received and the power of the alienator who is indoctrinating the child to sideline the previously loving parent.

In the case of the Stockholm Syndrome, we have in some ways a similar scenario. Here the two natural loving parents have been sidelined by the work of subtle or direct alienation by the perpetrator of the abduction of the young girl. At age 10, the child is helpless to resist the power of her abductor.

To the question: “How does the abductor eventually become her benefactor?”, we may note the process is not so dissimilar to the brainwashing carried by the custodial parent. This is done for the double reason of: 1) Gaining the total control over the child and consequently its dependence upon them. 2) To sideline the other parent and to do all possible to prevent and/or curtail contact between the child and the absent parent/parents.

The primary reason for such behaviour is the intractable hostility of the custodial parents towards one another. This reason does not exist in the case of the abductor of a child such as occurred in the case of Natascha Kambusch. Nevertheless the captor wished to totally alienate or eliminate the child’s loyalty or any feeling towards her natural parents. Due to the long period away from her parents and a total dependence for survival on her captor, Natascha’s closeness to her family gradually faded. She may even have felt that her own parents were making little or no effort to find her and rescue her. This view may also have been inculcated by her captor.

Her captor’s total mastery and control over her, eventually gave her a feeling of security. She could depend on the man to look after her with food, shelter, warmth, protection and hence led to her survival. Such behaviour on the part of the captor led over time not only to “learned helplessness” and dependence, but in a sense to gratefulness. As he was the only human being in her life this was likely to happen. She therefore became a ready victim of what is commonly termed the “Stockholm Syndrome” or the victim of “Parental Alienation.”

This led even to her beginning to love her captor. This view has been substantiated by the fact that Natascha found it difficult to live and feel any real closeness to her natural parents once she was rescued or once she ran away from her captor. She even pined for the loss of the captor who had since committed suicide. Even her speech had been altered from the native Austrian or Viennese dialect to the North German speech due to the fact that she only had access to the outside world via radio and television. This again, however, was carefully monitored by her captor. He controlled what she could see on television and listen to on the radio from outside her underground cell. There was little in Natascha’s present life to remind her of her past except for the dress that she wore when she was captured.

While she developed physically from 10-18 years, her weight changed but little. Why did she decide eventually to leave her captor? This is a question that requires an answer. It is the view of the current author that the answer lies in the fact that she may have had a quarrel with her captor, possibly over a very minor issue. The result was her leaving her captor and then regretting doing so, especially after she heard of his death. By the time her captor, undoubtedly fearing the retribution by the law, had ended his life, she had pined for him.

After eight years or living in close proximity to his victim, some form of intimacy undoubtedly occurred including a sexual one. This led to a mutual need and even dependence. It is likely that the “learned helplessness” of the victim succumbed eventually a caring, perhaps even loving relationship developing. It is also likely that the psychological explanation is that attribution, helplessness and depression in the victim for the loss of her parents quickly gave way to seeking to make the best of her situation while under the total domination of her captor.

Again the same scenario occurs in the case of parental alienation where the power of the dominant custodial parent programmes the child/children to eschew or marginalise the absent parent. That absent parent no longer appears to be important and is even likely to be viewed as damaging to the child’s survival. Continue reading “The comparison of parental alienation to the “Stockholm syndrome””

Treating the Alienator – Ludwig.F. Lowenstein Ph.D

The treatment of the alienator is the most difficult of all. The trilogy of our alienator, child and victim of the alienation are the three involved in the process of Parental Alienation (PAS). The difficulty results due to the alienator feeling totally justified in the programming being carried out. Sometimes, but rarely, the alienator would not even be able to admit that he/she is programming a child against the target parent. This is commonly termed “denial”.

Most alienators know exactly what they are doing and are prepared to avoid any form of treatment in order to continue doing what they are doing. This is because they feel totally justified in their action of seeking to destroy any possible relationship between a child in their care and the targeted parent. Normally, in order to reduce the resistance of an alienator and to get them to participate in therapy, there must be a Court resolution and pressure by the Judge that parental alienation syndrome or programming must be eliminated.

The treatment process has three objectives:

  1. To prepare the alienator for the treatment itself.
  2. To treat the alienator.
  3. To monitor the effects of the treatment vis a vis the child who has hitherto been programmed.

 

Continue reading “Treating the Alienator – Ludwig.F. Lowenstein Ph.D”

Code of Ethics and Professional Practice

This Code contains the standards of ethics, practice and conduct which UKCP expects of all practitioners, and which must be followed whatever your modality of practice and whether you meet clients in person, online or otherwise.

The term ‘practitioner’ means an individual UKCP registrant who practises psychotherapy or psychotherapeutic counselling.

The term ‘client’ includes individuals, couples, families or groups who engage in psychotherapy or psychotherapeutic counselling.

Should a concern arise about a practitioner’s practice, it is against these standards that it will be judged under the Complaints and Conduct Process.

The Concept of Narcissistic Mortification Ludwig Eidelberg, M.D.

To those who have happened to read some of my previous papers, another paper on the subject of the Narcissistic Mortification may be something of a surprise. After many years of preoccupation with the study of this phenomenon, it is embarrassing to be forced to admit that an important aspect of the problem has eluded my attention completely. In mitigation of such an ‘offence’, one may plead that if we stumble on something new there is rarely anybody around who would be able to explain it clearly and distinctly, and in consequence, a description of a phenomenon hitherto unknown must appear confused, blurred, and even contradictory. In addition to the ‘conscious‘ difficulty connected with an accurate portrayal of the Narcissistic Mortification, I have had also to overcome my own unconscious resistances. Probably, the recognition that the Narcissistic Mortification has nothing to do with our own desires was too difficult for me to accept, although I had recognized long ago that my patients, in addition to repressing their infantile wishes, eliminate from their conscious minds other phenomena, the so-called Narcissistic Mortifications.

Using a descriptive approach, it was thought that a Narcissistic Mortification took place whenever the subject became an object of another subject. An attack by a robber was used as illustration in which the robber had the power to force the subject to do what he wanted. The consequent Narcissistic Mortification was defined as a sudden loss of control over external or internal reality, or both, by virtue of which the emotion of terror is produced, along with the damming up of narcissistic libido or destrudo. Continue reading “The Concept of Narcissistic Mortification Ludwig Eidelberg, M.D.”

Publications by Dr. L.F. Lowenstein

 Publications by Dr. L.F. Lowenstein on Parental Alienation Syndrome http://www.parental-alienation.info/index.html
108 Specific Treatment Approaches for Children who have Suffered from Parental Alienation 2013
107 The Family Courts What is an ideal Judgment 2013
106 Confessions of an Expert Witness in the case of PAS 2013
105 Do Children Have Rights Against the Psychological Effects of Parental Alienation 2013
104 The Long Term Effect of Parental Alienation in Childhood 2013
103 Implacable Hostility against Grandparents following Parental Separation and Divorce 2012
102 Finding a Real Solution to Complex Contact Disputes Due to Implacable Hostility Between Parents 2012
101 Am I a Controversial Psychologist? 2012
100 Treating the Long and Short Term Effects of Parental Alienation 2012
99 Why does mediation often fail with families in turmoil? 2012
98 Complex with Highly Complex Contact Disputes Between Parents 2012
97 One Expert Witness Attempting to Explain Families in Turmoil Leading to Parental Alienation 2012
96 What Can be Done With an Uncooperative Alienator? 2012
95 What Can Yet be Done With Older Children Who Have Been Long Term Victims of Parental Alienation? 2012
94 Is the concept of parental alienation a meaningful one? 2012
93 The Important Friendly Parent Doctrine and the Judiciary 2012
92 I Have A New Parent The Ensuing Problem Leading To Parental Alienation Scenarios 2012
91 Parental Alienation or not – is that the question? 2012
90 Should Parental Alienation be Considered a Crime? 2012
89 Is joint custody of children best following separation of parents 2012
88 The Alienated Parent Becoming a Stranger 2012
87 Can the attitude and behaviour of alienators be changed? How can this be achieved? 2012
86 The Parental; Alienator Who Abducts Children 2011
85 The Vicious Alienator’s Game Plan 2011
84 Understanding and treating children who have been alienated against a parent 2011
83 Angry Sadistic Alienators 2011
82 The Manipulative Alienator 2011
81 Can the role of the judiciary in family courts be improved 2011
80 What is in the Best Interest of the Children 2011
79 The value and limitation of mediation (ADR) (Post divorce disputes, concentrating on child contact issues) 2011
78 The Judiciary and Parental Alienation Disputes 2011
77 Post separation conflicts which affect contact for an alienated parent 2011
76 Parental alienation and child contact disputes in Pakistani families in the UK 2011
75 Infants and childen in danger of maltreatment due to domestic violence (the problem of violence in the home) 2011
74 The Judiciary in Family Courts (The need for making courageous decisions) 2011
73 The association of the judiciary and the expert witness in family contact disputes involving alienated children 2011
72 Assessment of Child Custody Disputes (using psychological testing and interview) 2011
71 The complexity of investigating possible sexual abuse of a child 2010
70 The effects on children in the future who have been successfully alienated against a parent 2010
69 How can the truthfulness of children making child sex allegations be established? 2010
68 Why are the courts unwilling to acknowledge PAS or PA 2010
67 What if the custodial parent refuses to co-operate with child contact decisions 2010
66 What if the alienated parent has faults 2010
65 Vital steps in treating the implacable hostility of the alienator 2010
64 The possibilities and limitations of psychological therapy in case of parental alienation 2010
63 The Judiciary and Parental Alienation Disputes 2010
62 The alienated psychologist 2010
61 Is the parent fit to parent a child 2010
60 How Can the Truthfulness of Children Making Child Sex Abuse Allegations be Established? 2010
59 Diagnosing Child Contact Disputes Between Parents (Are There Solutions?) 2010
58 Child Contact Disputes Between Parents and Allegations of Sex Abuse (What does the Research Say?) 2010
57 Can the judiciary do more? 2010
56
Contact Disputes to to Implacable Hostilities (A psychologist advises)
2009
55 Child Parent Contact Following Domestic Violence 2009
54
Parental-alienation – A potentially serious mental disorder
2009
53 Emotional abuse of children due to implacable hostility between parents? 2008
52 What is in the best interests of children? 2008
51
Attachment theory and Parental Alienation
2008
50
What can be done to reduce the implacable hostility leading to parental alienation between parents?
2008
49 Mediation with seperated parents – Recent research (2002-2007)  2007
48 Implacable hostility, parental alienation
2008
47
Obliterating Paternity
 2007
46 The comparison of parental alienation to the “Stockholm syndrome”
 2006
45
How Can Mediation be made to be Successful in Serious Family Disputes?
(Solving intractable hostility between former partners in contact disputes)
2006
44
My experiences in Courts of Law dealing with parental alienation cases
2006
43
When is it not a case of PA or PAS?
2006
42
Real Justice for non custodial parents and their children
2006
41
Parental Alienation Due to a Shared Psychotic Disorder (Folie a Deux)
2006
40
The Psychological Assessment and Treatment of Pathologically Induced Alienation
(Dealing with alienation leading to an induced phobic reaction)

2006
39
The Psychological Effect of Modelling (Imitation) on Parental Alienation
 2006
38
Dealing with Parental Post-Separation Conflicts (Recent Research)
2005
37
Understanding Post-Divorce Conflicts and How to Resolve Them (Recent Research)
2005
36
Attempting to Solve Child Contact Disputes (Recent Research)
2005
35
The Type of Remedial and Therapeutic Methods required in Parental Alienation
2005
34
Assessing and treatment of Parental Alienation
2005
33
Difficulties in treating parents and children who have been involved in the Parental Alienation process
2005
32
Family Courts (Where have courageous and just judges gone?) 
2005
31
How does one identify and treat false accusations of sexual abuse in Parental Alienation situations?
2005
30
How can one overturn the programming of a child against a parent?
2005
29
The Concept of Mediation
2005
28
Part 4 Dealing with treatment of PAS
2005
27
Part 3 Long term effects on children
2005
26
Part 2 PAS impact on children
2005
25
Part 1 PAS or PA is that the question
2005
24
Signs of PAS and how to counteract its effects
2005
23
Causes and associated features of divorce as seen by recent research
2005
22
The psychological effects and treatment of PAS
2005
21
Recent changes in PAS approach by the Judiciary
2005
20
Do children need fathers?
2004
19
Tackling Parental Alienation
2003
18
Treating Families in Turmoil
2002
17
Problems suffered by children due to the effects of PAS
2002
16
The psychological treatment of children who have suffered from PAS
2001
15
The value of mediation in child custody disputes
2001
14
Recent research into risk assessment of children
2001
13
How to make joint custody parenting work effectively
2001
12
Joint custody and shared parenting
2001
11
Tackling Parental Alienation
2001
10
Treating the alienator
2000
9
The role of mediation in child custody disputes
2000
8
Parental Alienation and the Judiciary
1999
7
Mediation in the legal profession
1999
6
Mediation – the way forward
1999
5
Parental Alienation Syndrome: What the legal profession should know
1999
4
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS)
1999
3
Child custody disputes – Ideals and realities
1998
2
Parental Alienation Syndrome
1998
1
Parent Alienation Syndrome: A two step approach toward a solution

Parental Alienation – Dr. L.F. Lowenstein – Stockholm syndrome

What follows is in great part fact and what is not fact is based on supposition and psychological assessment of how the Stockholm Syndrome develops and how it has worked in the case of Natascha Kampusch recently …

http://www.parental-alienation.info/publications/46-thecomofparalitothestosyn.htm

Parental Alienation – Dr. L.F. Lowenstein – Southern England Psychological Services

108 Specific Treatment Approaches for Children who have Suffered from Parental Alienation 2013
107 The Family Courts What is an ideal Judgment 2013
106 Confessions of an Expert Witness in the case of PAS 2013
105 Do Children Have Rights Against the Psychological Effects of Parental Alienation 2013
104 The Long Term Effect of Parental Alienation in Childhood 2013
103 Implacable Hostility against Grandparents following Parental Separation and Divorce 2012
102 Finding a Real Solution to Complex Contact Disputes Due to Implacable Hostility Between Parents 2012
101 Am I a Controversial Psychologist? 2012
100 Treating the Long and Short Term Effects of Parental Alienation 2012
99 Why does mediation often fail with families in turmoil? 2012
98 Complex with Highly Complex Contact Disputes Between Parents 2012
97 One Expert Witness Attempting to Explain Families in Turmoil Leading to Parental Alienation 2012
96 What Can be Done With an Uncooperative Alienator? 2012
95 What Can Yet be Done With Older Children Who Have Been Long Term Victims of Parental Alienation? 2012
94 Is the concept of parental alienation a meaningful one? 2012
93 The Important Friendly Parent Doctrine and the Judiciary 2012
92 I Have A New Parent The Ensuing Problem Leading To Parental Alienation Scenarios 2012
91 Parental Alienation or not – is that the question? 2012
90 Should Parental Alienation be Considered a Crime? 2012
89 Is joint custody of children best following separation of parents 2012
88 The Alienated Parent Becoming a Stranger 2012
87 Can the attitude and behaviour of alienators be changed? How can this be achieved? 2012
86 The Parental; Alienator Who Abducts Children 2011
85 The Vicious Alienator’s Game Plan 2011
84 Understanding and treating children who have been alienated against a parent 2011
83 Angry Sadistic Alienators 2011
82 The Manipulative Alienator 2011
81 Can the role of the judiciary in family courts be improved 2011
80 What is in the Best Interest of the Children 2011
79 The value and limitation of mediation (ADR) (Post divorce disputes, concentrating on child contact issues) 2011
78 The Judiciary and Parental Alienation Disputes 2011
77 Post separation conflicts which affect contact for an alienated parent 2011
76 Parental alienation and child contact disputes in Pakistani families in the UK 2011
75 Infants and childen in danger of maltreatment due to domestic violence (the problem of violence in the home) 2011
74 The Judiciary in Family Courts (The need for making courageous decisions) 2011
73 The association of the judiciary and the expert witness in family contact disputes involving alienated children 2011
72 Assessment of Child Custody Disputes (using psychological testing and interview) 2011
71 The complexity of investigating possible sexual abuse of a child 2010
70 The effects on children in the future who have been successfully alienated against a parent 2010
69 How can the truthfulness of children making child sex allegations be established? 2010
68 Why are the courts unwilling to acknowledge PAS or PA 2010
67 What if the custodial parent refuses to co-operate with child contact decisions 2010
66 What if the alienated parent has faults 2010
65 Vital steps in treating the implacable hostility of the alienator 2010
64 The possibilities and limitations of psychological therapy in case of parental alienation 2010
63 The Judiciary and Parental Alienation Disputes 2010
62 The alienated psychologist 2010
61 Is the parent fit to parent a child 2010
60 How Can the Truthfulness of Children Making Child Sex Abuse Allegations be Established? 2010
59 Diagnosing Child Contact Disputes Between Parents (Are There Solutions?) 2010
58 Child Contact Disputes Between Parents and Allegations of Sex Abuse (What does the Research Say?) 2010
57 Can the judiciary do more? 2010
56
Contact Disputes to to Implacable Hostilities (A psychologist advises)
2009
55 Child Parent Contact Following Domestic Violence 2009
54
Parental-alienation – A potentially serious mental disorder
2009
53 Emotional abuse of children due to implacable hostility between parents? 2008
52 What is in the best interests of children? 2008
51
Attachment theory and Parental Alienation
2008
50
What can be done to reduce the implacable hostility leading to parental alienation between parents?
2008
49 Mediation with seperated parents – Recent research (2002-2007)  2007
48 Implacable hostility, parental alienation
2008
47
Obliterating Paternity 
 2007
46 The comparison of parental alienation to the “Stockholm syndrome”
 2006
45
How Can Mediation be made to be Successful in Serious Family Disputes?
(Solving intractable hostility between former partners in contact disputes)
2006
44
My experiences in Courts of Law dealing with parental alienation cases
2006
43
When is it not a case of PA or PAS?
2006
42
Real Justice for non custodial parents and their children
2006
41
Parental Alienation Due to a Shared Psychotic Disorder (Folie a Deux)
2006
40
The Psychological Assessment and Treatment of Pathologically Induced Alienation
(Dealing with alienation leading to an induced phobic reaction)

2006
39
The Psychological Effect of Modelling (Imitation) on Parental Alienation
 2006
38
Dealing with Parental Post-Separation Conflicts (Recent Research)
2005
37
Understanding Post-Divorce Conflicts and How to Resolve Them (Recent Research)
2005
36
Attempting to Solve Child Contact Disputes (Recent Research)
2005
35
The Type of Remedial and Therapeutic Methods required in Parental Alienation
2005
34
Assessing and treatment of Parental Alienation
2005
33
Difficulties in treating parents and children who have been involved in the Parental Alienation process
2005
32
Family Courts (Where have courageous and just judges gone?) 
2005
31
How does one identify and treat false accusations of sexual abuse in Parental Alienation situations?
2005
30
How can one overturn the programming of a child against a parent?
2005
29
The Concept of Mediation
2005
28
Part 4 Dealing with treatment of PAS
2005
27
Part 3 Long term effects on children
2005
26
Part 2 PAS impact on children
2005
25
Part 1 PAS or PA is that the question
2005
24
Signs of PAS and how to counteract its effects
2005
23
Causes and associated features of divorce as seen by recent research
2005
22
The psychological effects and treatment of PAS
2005
21
Recent changes in PAS approach by the Judiciary
2005
20
Do children need fathers?
2004
19
Tackling Parental Alienation
2003
18
Treating Families in Turmoil
2002
17
Problems suffered by children due to the effects of PAS
2002
16
The psychological treatment of children who have suffered from PAS
2001
15
The value of mediation in child custody disputes
2001
14
Recent research into risk assessment of children
2001
13
How to make joint custody parenting work effectively
2001
12
Joint custody and shared parenting
2001
11
Tackling Parental Alienation
2001
10
Treating the alienator
2000
9
The role of mediation in child custody disputes
2000
8
Parental Alienation and the Judiciary
1999
7
Mediation in the legal profession
1999
6
Mediation – the way forward
1999
5
Parental Alienation Syndrome: What the legal profession should know
1999
4
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS)
1999
3
Child custody disputes – Ideals and realities
1998
2
Parental Alienation Syndrome
1998
1
Parent Alienation Syndrome: A two step approach toward a solution
1998

http://www.parental-alienation.info/

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