Author: Anna Grandusky, MS, LPC-Associate
with Clinical Supervision by Chris Wilder, PhD, LPC-S
- Co-Parenting 101: Say This, Not That (and Keep the Peace for the Kids)
Parenting is hard. Co-parenting? Even harder. Add in the stress of separation, divorce, and the occasional urge to throw your phone after reading a text from your ex, and it’s enough to make anyone question their sanity. But here’s the thing: co-parenting isn’t about being perfect or pretending your ex doesn’t drive you nuts—it’s about - The Unseen Battle: How Narcissistic and Borderline Personality Disorders Fuel Parental Alienation
Parental alienation—a term that sends shivers down the spine of any co-parent navigating the treacherous waters of shared custody. It’s when one parent, intentionally or not, turns their child against the other, fracturing a once-healthy bond. But what’s driving this? Often, the underlying force is a personality disorder, particularly Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) or Borderline - Stress Responses vs. Personality Traits: What’s Really Going On?
When you think about your personality, what comes to mind? Are you the life of the party, the quiet observer, or maybe the perfectionist who needs everything to be just right? Now, imagine that some of these traits weren’t just part of who you are, but responses you developed to cope with past pain—pain that - Parental Alienation Hits Home: A Therapist’s Perspective
As a therapist, I talk a lot about parental alienation (PA) and its impact on families. But today, I’m sharing something more personal—my own experience with PA. This isn’t just a clinical concept to me. It’s something I’ve lived through, and it’s part of the reason I’m so passionate about advocating for kids’ rights to - Breaking Generational Cycles: Healing from Your Own Childhood to Parent Differently
Breaking free from generational cycles isn’t easy. When you grew up with emotional neglect, perfectionism, authoritarian parenting, or a complete lack of boundaries, it takes real effort to recognize those patterns—let alone stop them in their tracks. But here’s the truth: just because you were raised a certain way doesn’t mean you have to parent - Emotional Regulation for Parents: How Your Own Reactions Shape Your Child’s Behavior
When parents bring their child to therapy, they often say things like, “I just don’t know how to get them to calm down,” or “Nothing I do seems to work.” What they don’t always realize is that their child is watching them for cues on how to regulate emotions. The truth is, emotional regulation in - The Lifelong Impact of Parental Alienation: How Childhood Trauma Echoes into Adulthood
Parental alienation isn’t just a childhood ordeal—it’s a lasting wound that can shape a person’s emotional and psychological well-being for a lifetime. While many recognize the immediate distress it causes for children, fewer understand the deep and enduring effects it has on their adult lives. From struggles with mental health to difficulties in forming relationships, - The Invisible Battle: How Parental Alienation Drives Fathers to Despair
Parental Alienation (PA) is a devastating, often misunderstood phenomenon that affects both mothers and fathers, though the impact on fathers, in particular, tends to be disproportionate (Morewitz & Goldstein, 2014). It’s not about picking on mothers—PA is something that can affect any parent who becomes a target of manipulation by an alienating partner. However, it’s - High-Conflict Co-Parenting: When One Parent Won’t Play Fair (And What You Can Actually Do About It)
Co-parenting is hard enough when both parents are reasonable, communicative, and committed to keeping things peaceful for their kids. But when one parent refuses to play fair? When they twist the truth, ignore court orders, or treat co-parenting like a game where the goal is to ‘win’ at all costs? That’s a whole different ballgame. - Why Your Therapist Can’t Be Your Custody Evaluator
When it comes to high-stakes custody cases, emotions are running wild, and everyone’s scrambling to make sure the best interests of the child are front and center. But here’s the thing that might surprise you—your therapist can’t just waltz in and play the role of a custody evaluator. Nope. This isn’t just some rule, it’s
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