Approximately 1.2 million divorces occur annually in the United States (Kreider & Ellis, 2013), and at least 10% of these cases involve custody litigation (Luftman, Veltkamp, Clark, Lannacone, & Snooks, 2005). Many parents bring children to play therapy to facilitate adjustment during or after a divorce (Camastral, 2008). However, in divorces involving child-custody disputes, some parents involve children in therapy to gain leverage in their case (Moore, Ordway, & Francis, 2013). Play therapists can inadvertently do harm to families when the complex dynamics of high-conflict divorces are not understood. In Part I of this article, the dynamics of high-conflict divorce and the importance of maintaining appropriate therapeutic boundaries will be discussed. In Part II of this article, ways play therapists can collaborate with court professionals to maintain their appropriate role and decrease their risks for legal/ethical sanctions will be explained.

Understanding High-Conflict Divorce Children adjust to divorce over time (Holst, 2006; Kelly, 2012). However, the child’s adjustment to divorce may become complicated when one or both parents become(s) so consumed with hostility toward the other parent that they involve the child in marital conflicts in hope of alienating the children from the opposed parent (Amato, 2010; Owen & Rhoades, 2012). Parental alienation syndrome (Gardner, 1985) is a pattern of emotional and behavioral symptoms that exist among children involved in high-conflict divorces and custody disputes. While there is debate among professionals as to whether a syndrome exists (Rand, 2011), children who experience parental alienation can be highly guarded and resistant to therapy (Clarke- Stewart & Brentano, 2006). They may feel confused and hurt by the parental conflicts; yet conceal their emotions (Fidler, Bala, & Saini, 2013; Portnoy, 2008). There are also parents who make alienating

statements without realizing the comments are inappropriate. For example, a parent might say, “Oh, Your father can’t pay his child support on time, but he can spend money on new shoes.” In such situations, a child may adopt the parent’s anger or feel guilty for having a relationship with the opposed parent. Children who are alienated are unlikely to discuss the negative messages (Amato, 2010; Owen & Rhoades, 2012). When play therapists are unaware that parental alienation exists, they lack an accurate understanding of the nature and extent of the child’s emotional difficulties. Their assessment

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can become biased from hearing only “one side of the story.” Play therapists will want to proceed cautiously with children involved in custody cases, as the children may make statements that are exaggerations, are out of context, or are what they hear from one parent against the other. When helping professionals fail to recognize that a high-conflict divorce exists, they may cause harm to the family by perpetuating the cycle of parental alienation in the family (Fidler et al., 2013; Moore et al., 2013).

The Case of Maria Maria is a 6-year-old child referred to play therapy by her pediatrician. Maria had been having stomach aches that are believed to be stress-related. Maria’s mother brought her to play therapy and explained that she and her father are in the process of divorce. Both parents have petitioned the court for primary custody. The mother insisted that the child’s father “is crazy.” She described him as having an extensive history of depression and alcohol use. The father was reportedly under the care of a psychiatrist; however, he has been off his medication for several months. The mother expressed concern that the father drinks excessively when Maria visits. She also reported that the father is “paranoid,” because he believes that she has a boyfriend, and she insisted that the father’s home is “unsafe.” Maria had difficulty making decisions in her

sessions and did not engage in play activities. Instead, she told the play therapist, “I need to tell you that I don’t want to visit my father. He gets drunk a lot.” She added, “My dad is paranoid and thinks my mom does bad things. But, she isn’t doing anything wrong. He just thinks that, because he is crazy and off of his medication. I want to move away with my mom. His house is unsafe.” Maria later said, “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. He also says mean things about my Mom. He says she is a bitch. He’s just mad because he doesn’t want the divorce, and he knows he is going to have to pay child support.” The play therapist met with the father to get

information, as well. The father admitted to drinking excessively on a few occasions in the past. However, he denied any recent episodes of intoxication, as well as having ever been intoxicated in Maria’s presence. He reported one incident where he lost his temper when Maria was visiting. He stated, “Maria kept saying that she wanted to go home, because she didn’t feel safe. She said her mom said she wasn’t safe at my house. I told her that was bullshit and that her mother was a bitch. I know I shouldn’t have said it. But, my temper got

September 2014 | PLAYTHERAPY 17