Global PAAD - a success

Calgary PAAD Event a great success!

On Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, volunteers from Calgary area held the 1st Parental Alienation Awareness Day Event in that city at Crossroads Indoor Market, 1235-26 Ave SE from 9-5. As I have become to believe is normal the number of people who were spontaneously drawn to the display was sparse - but for those few, interest was intense. Unfortunately, mostly due to personal experience. For many of these supporters and new recruits it provided a much needed networking opportunity. Here are records of the event (including a enthusiastic "Panda Abuzz" teddy bear supporter. On Sunday the "bubble machine" acted like a kid magnet, immediately drawing any child within 25m to our table. Unfortunately, it created a very slippy surface right infront of our table that had to be mopped - so we could only use it sparingly.)

Also, I would like to thank my Alberta PAAO colleague - Rhonda Pisanello for acting as team-leader in Edmonton on Saturday - and then coming down to help with Calgary on Sunday. Also to volunteers Suzanne, Earl Silverman and Robert Thorne from Family of Men - my most sincere thanks.

I look forward to an even better event next year.

[I will add more photo's as they trickle in - as well as overview of the Edmonton event.]

Calgary PAAD set - Crossroads Market, 1235 - 26 Avenue SE

Due to the diligent efforts of Suzanne - we now have a Calgary PAAD location. We will be holding an Information Event at the Crossroads Indoor Market (1235 - 26 Avenue SE, Calgary) next Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25 from 9am-5pm!

We shall have a table inside displaying information about PA (books, DVD's and resources) and will hand be handing out the PAAO pamphlet.

See you there!

(Here are some posters -#1 and #2 -to print and help promote the Event by posting somewhere.)

Edmonton set to go - Calgary PAAD Event is taking shape

Everyone, in addition to holding a PAAD Event on April 24 in Edmonton we now have some support in Calgary and so I am asking for volunteers to staff our table in Calgary. Details still being finalized but I will email the out ASAP. Calgary volunteers can email me their interest/availability.

In the mean time, if you can help staff the Edmonton Event at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market (103 ST + 83 Ave) from 10-2pm on sat April 24, 2010 - let us know by filling out this poll/schedule.

PAS Case File - Saskatchewan 2008

Sent by a member, this is a PAS influenced decision from Saskatchewan - case rendered in 2008. I recommend it to all as an example of court life - including what I would call an encouraging thread of acknowledgement that PAS exists. Of course the landmark PAS decision - Tremblay vs Tremblay rendered by (now retired Judge) M. Trussler of Edmonton was also mentioned.

What I found it abit disappointing that the Child Assessment study referred to a 1998 MSW article by Rhonda Freeman from The Canadian Journal of Family Law! Surely they have improved on child-parent assessment techniques since then! As least they also mentioned Douglas Darnell's 1998 reference text "Divorce Casualties, Protecting Your Children From Parental Alienation".

If any one else wants to share Case files, send in.

Action Alert: Write to APA to endorse including PAS in DSM-V

I received the following email request from Dr. Amy BAKER - the author and researcher of the well-received book about PAS entitled:

Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome: Breaking the Ties that Bind by Dr. Amy J. L. BAKER

Wed Feb 24, 2010

Greetings,

I hope that this e-mail finds you well. I am inviting you to consider writing a letter to the committee that will decide whether to include parental alienation in the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental disorders (DSM). The manual has not been updated in 20 years and may not be updated again for another 20 years.

A formal proposal presenting the research and clinical evidence for parental alienation has been submitted and is being considered by a working group. Letters from parents and other individuals personally or professionally affected by PAS can help persuade this group to take seriously this devastating problem affecting families today.

If you are interested, go the link below, *register, and write your letter.

Best Regards,

Amy J.L. Baker, Ph.D.

www.amyjlbaker.com

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/ConditionsProposedbyOutsideSources.aspx

p.s *This is rather tedious but necessary. They need your full address and will confirm registration email address before allowing you to comment. I suggest a CLEAR endorsement of including PAS in the DSM-V, then an explanation and/or personal anecdote or experience that supports your position (of course only if you feel comfortable so doing).

International Abduction: Chasing the Cyclone by Peter THOMAS

Peter Thomas Senese went through the terrifying experience of having his son abducted by his ex-spouse and taken via Canada to New Zealand. In the process of winning his son back, he decided to write about his experience for the benefit of others. His book was entitled "Chasing the Cyclone" and he has now created a documentary.

Chasing Parents: Racing Into the Storms of International Parental Child Abduction' - What The World Needs To Know About International Parental Child Abduction.

(To find out more got to www.chasingthecyclone.com)

Lucy WARNER - A true story of parental separation and a lost childhood

Lucy WARNER contacted Real Fathers 4 Justice UK to offer her support to their campaign after years of alienation by her mum. After her mother passed away Lucy was eventually reconciled with her father, however they cannot replace the precious years that have been lost forever.

It is a touching story and again puts a personal face on the fallout from PAS.

Below is a brief excerpt of the intro, but to read the whole story you must go to the Real Fathers 4 Justice UK Blog.

www.realfathersforjustice.org

26 January 2010: A true story of parental separation and a lost childhood

From as far back as I can remember, family meant the world to me. I had an older half brother (from my mother), a twin sister, a baby brother and the two most important people in my world, my mum and dad.

I was as normal as any excitable little girl. As I grew up I realized not all mums and dads lived together. I was lucky mine did, not that it seemed to make much difference to my friends because many saw both parents despite being separated or divorced.

When I turned 12 my life changed, not because I was suddenly a teenager but because my mother had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.

Harsh as the situation was we tried to push through as a family.

Six months later my father left the family home.

He later said, “It was one of the worst times to leave”.

continued...

DIVORCE

Tough love from Texas

February 9, 2010Susan Pigg - LIVING REPORTER

When Richard Warshak whisked into Toronto last week from his native Texas, he brought along some tough-love advice for both divorcing parents and family court judges.

"Love your kids more than you hate your ex-spouse," the renowned expert on parental alienation said.

Be firm and fast at pushing toxic custody cases through the clogged courts, he advised judges attending a day-long seminar at the Four Seasons Hotel.

[continuted... ]

• Runs a PAS deprogramming service called "Family Bridges".
• Of the 23 kids he's personally helped reconnect with an alienated parent since 2005, 18 still maintain a relationship with both parents. Eight of those 23 children came from Canada.
• This spring he's coming out with a new, self-help DVD (Welcome Back Pluto, which he hopes to sell on his website www.warshak.com for $19.95 U.S.) for parents struggling to reconnect with kids who've been poisoned against them.
• Warshak has been training two Ontario psychologists to run the program in Canada and says a third is due to join him soon.
• "We find that most children under the age of 8 don't really need this kind of program to make the transition."

PAAD 2010 Volunteers Needed - Sat April 24

It is that time of year again.

2010 PAAD in Alberta will be Saturday April 24, 2010

I am hoping to organize the 3rd Parental Alienation Awareness Day (PAAD) Event in Edmonton and if volunteers flock to help me,coordinate other Events elsewhere in the province.

We are looking for volunteers to initiate a PAAD Event in Alberta community's or join one nearby. An event can be as simple or as complicated as you want (and your budget allows - as we have no funding, but we accept contributions). Our objective is to educate the general public about PA but how you do that is up to you.

Last year wasn't fancy. We set-up a display table with a PAAO Banner, various PAS reference, books, had some DVD's on the laptop and began handing out (b&w photocopied) PAAO pamphlets at Edmonton's Old Strathcona Farmers Market near Whyte Ave. Alot of people welcomed the opportunity to learn about PAS. It is an issue that many struggle to understand.

Since that event we have soldiered on gathering supporters across the province. They include many targeted parents, some "stranded" grandparents, adult "survivors" of PAS, Second Wives and others. Let's take advantage of recent Parliamentary action on C422 to focus attention on PAS and PA behaviours.

By concentrating our message about PAS for ONE DAY GLOBALLY we hope to breach the wall of official indifference about such child abuse.

To volunteer, please sign-in using this form. Our success depends on having "slack" resources as not every community can support an Event. Since your candour will not be ruthlessly exploited please be generous with your intentions. We hope to have Event Leaders/ Locations
after Feb 27 and updates will be emailed as required. Non-Alberta volunteers can check for other Events at www.PAawarenessDAY.org.

Regards,
Christopher JONES
Team Leader - Alberta
E albertapaao [at] mail.com