Reunification therapies for parental alienation: Tenets, empirical evidence, commonalities, and differences

Abstract

Reunification therapies (RTs) for parental alienation are intended to repair relationships between parents and children who have rejected contact with those parents as a result of manipulation by preferred parents. Proponents of intensive (four day to several weeks) RTs have published outcome studies and other reports. This paper examines six intensive RTs that share some basic assumptions: Family Bridges, Family Reflections Reunification Program, High Road to Reunification, Overcoming Barriers Family Camp, Transitioning Families Therapeutic Reunification Model, and Turning Points for Families. Tenets, treatment methods, and outcomes of each program are critiqued. It is concluded that many program tenets are questionable, and that outcome studies are too weakly designed and implemented to provide evidence of the programs’ effectiveness. Information about these programs is thus concluded not to be admissible as scientific evidence in the courtroom.

Keywords:

• Outcome studies
• parental alienation
• reunification therapies
• treatment methods

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.