Oregon says NO to Parental Alienation

The Board of Psychology for the State of Oregon has it right. In a disciplinary action regarding licensed psychologist Jacqueline J. Head, the Board considered complaints regarding the lack of sufficient examination of the parties at issue as well as the doctor’s references to “parental alienation” and a 4-day “parental alienation workshop” (which sounds like a not-so-cleverly disguised “reunification camp,” the Board made some key findings. . .

Among Dr. Head’s other failures, the Board found:

• “that in her communications to the court and the parent’s attorney, Licensee referred to “parental alienation” as if it were a diagnosis, a representation which is not established scientific or professional knowledge within the discipline of psychology”

• “did not base her recommendations to the court or her evaluative statements to the court on information sufficient to substantiate her representation that the children suffered from “parental alienation” when that condition is not listed in the DSM-5 and it is therefore not possible to diagnose individuals with that condition”

• “recommendation that the family attend the “parental alienation” workshop constituted a danger to the children’s emotional health or safety”

See the full text of the Board’s Notice of Proposed Disciplinary Action here.

Click to view the full text.