Welcome back to the Cut Off podcast. In this thought-provoking episode, Marisa dives deep into the harsh realities of parental alienation: a phenomenon that quietly devastates families yet remains widely misunderstood and overlooked. Moving beyond the emotional turmoil of being cut off from your children, this episode aims to provide clarity and a much-needed vocabulary for listeners struggling to make sense of their own experiences.

Marisa powerfully defines parental alienation as a form of psychological abuse where one parent purposefully disrupts a child’s bond with the other parent, not due to genuine issues like abuse or neglect, but through sustained manipulation and subtle messaging. She distinguishes this from the normal challenges of high-conflict custody disputes, emphasizing that true alienation involves intentional and persistent efforts to erase a parent from a child’s life, leaving lifelong wounds that go far deeper than the courtroom battles.

Marisa unpacks the warning signs, the profound sense of powerlessness both parents and children endure, and the critical difference between alienation and justified estrangement. She sheds light on the resist and refuse dynamics, the psychological splitting that leaves children questioning their own sense of self, and the systemic blind spots in the legal and clinical worlds that allow alienation to flourish unchecked.

With honesty and firsthand insight, Marisa also reveals how the legal system can be weaponized as a new form of coercive control, compounding the pain for targeted parents. She challenges listeners, and the professionals who serve families, to recognize parental alienation as a public health and generational crisis, not merely a private family matter.

If you’re seeking understanding and hope in the midst of family turmoil, or want to learn how we can all advocate for deeper awareness and support, this episode promises both clarity and compassion. Tune in and know: you are not alone.

Timestamps:

00:00 Tragedy of Parental Alienation

04:32 Parental Alienation: Manipulating Child Bonds

09:10 Parental Alienation vs. Estrangement

11:36 "Parental Grief: Child Estrangement"

13:54 "Generational Impact of Parental Alienation"

17:37 Children's Sudden Resistance Explained

22:30 Parental Alienation Impact on Child

25:55 "Impact of Parental Alienation"

29:22 Legal System as Coercive Control

32:15 Invisible Abuse and Legal Challenges

36:35 Parental Alienation Recognition Gap

40:07 Unintentional Reinforcement of Parental Alienation

41:32 Cycle of Control in Alienation

45:10 Recognition: Key to Ending Alienation

Show Website - https://cutoffpodcast.com/

Marisa Conway's Coaching Website - https://coachmarisaconway.com/

Marisa's Book - Shattered Bonds, Resilient Heart - https://shatteredbonds.org/

Book a Time with Marisa - https://calendly.com/marisaconway/discovery-call-1?month=2025-07

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