Over the years, UK Column has worked alongside many Family Court cases where children have been taken from the parents by the State with no justifiable reason. In the UK, it is a fact that the courts take many offspring when the parents have never harmed or neglected their children. In many cases, the shock and trauma of the proceedings splits the marriage or partnership forever.Â
On some occasions, when parents have separated for whatever reason, one parent will work to alienate the other parent from their children’s lives. They may do this with or without the help of Social Services and the Family Courts. It is a tragic thing to witness, and it causes unimaginable damage to both the child and the alienated parent.
Parental Alienation UK’s website provides a very helpful description of parental alienation. It states:
Parental alienation is a form of domestic abuse, where one parent or main caregiver effectively takes ‘exclusive possession’ of the child and, through repetitive psychologically abusive and coercive controlling behaviours, systematically erodes the other parent from the child’s life. The process can ultimately sever a child’s innate biological attachment bond with a much loved parent. It is very similar to cult and grooming behaviour and there is nothing – aside from death itself -which could be more brutal to safe mothers, fathers and wider family.
In this challenging interview, Brian Gerrish is joined by Debi Richens, a mother and grandmother, who has lived and survived the parental alienation process. Telling her personal story, Debi gives a stark and emotional testimony of her experiences as an alienated parent and her journey to recovery. Today, Debi works as the ‘Relationship Phoenix’, helping other alienated mothers to start their own journey to healing and building the inner strength needed to live life and help others.
In the discussion, Debi mentions Sir Paul Coleridge.