When people in power, a Guardian ad Litem, a therapist, a coordinator, or sometimes even a judge say, “You Can See Your Child When You Behave Better.” On the surface, it sounds like logic. “We just want you to be appropriate.” But underneath, it’s coercive control disguised as therapy and one of the The Most Subtle and Sanctioned Form of Psychological Control in Family Court. What that sentence really means is: “Your access to your child depends on your compliance with our na

I Didn’t Need Protection from My Parent. I Needed Protection from Their Agenda. When the family court system decides who a child should be “protected” from, it often fails to recognize the most dangerous force of all, the manipulation of truth for personal or professional gain. For countless children, the parent they were told to fear wasn’t the one who caused them harm. It was the one who was rewritten into a villain’s role by adults who stood to benefit, emotionally, financ

When Guardians Ad Litem Become Part of the Problem Guardians ad litem (GALs) are supposed to protect children. They’re appointed to be the voice of the child, the neutral observer who cuts through the noise of litigation. But in too many family court cases, GALs don’t protect children, they protect narratives. The Meme Says It All, “If you encourage the alienating behavior of one parent while disregarding the evidence of alienation by the other parent… If you keep children aw