MEDIATION:
The mediation process is one in which parents work together to devise a parenting plan that is mutually acceptable to both parents. This parenting plan may be quite structured, specifying the day-to-day time share of the children, as well as plans for holidays, vacations, and other special issues of the family. By working together in mediation to develop your parenting plan, you can avoid the battles which are so damaging in an adversarial process, and you can include your children in the decision-making in a way that empowers them in a healthy way. When you use mediation and develop a parenting plan on your own, your children will be able to avoid loyalty conflicts and are less likely to feel the stress of battling parents. When your children are included in the decision-making process, they benefit because they can express their feelings and know that you are listening to them. Mediation gives children a much greater sense that they have a say in their life and a freedom to contribute to the decisions that affect their life.
PARENTAL ALIENATION:
Parental alienation (or Hostile Aggressive Parenting) is a group of behaviors that are damaging to children's mental and emotional well-being, and can interfere with a relationship of a child and either parent. These behaviors most often accompany high conflict marriages, separation or divorce.
These behaviors whether verbal or non-verbal, cause a child to be mentally manipulated or bullied into believing a loving parent is the cause of all their problems, and/or the enemy, to be feared, hated, disrespected and/or avoided.
Parental alienation and hostile aggressive parenting deprive children of their right to be loved by and showing love for both of their parents. The destructive actions by an alienating parent or other third person (like another family member, or even a well-meaning mental health care worker) can become abusive to the child - as the alienating behaviors are disturbing, confusing and often frightening, to the child, and can rob the child of their sense of security and safety leading to maladaptive emotional or psychiatric reactions.
Most people do not know about Parental Alienation and Hostile Aggressive Parenting until they experience it. Parental Alienation Awareness is put forth to help raise awareness about the growth in the problem of targeting children and their relationship in healthy and loving parent/child bond.
