Parental Alienation

Sorry for going off subject - I can't really claim that this has anything to do with the Alexander Technique... Except that this Alexander Technique Teacher has just returned from an adventure in Canada where the aim was to deliver a message to an alienated child.

I went to support the father, who I'm very fond of - and who has been denied access to his child for nine years! Impossible to determine why the mother decided to weaponise the child - it could be any number of reasons, all of them cruel and misguided, ultimately giving her incredible power.

And unfortunately this is not an isolated case. Canada is among those countries where a huge amount of money can be made from parental alienation, so has no interest in even acknowledging it, let alone doing anything about it. There are thousands and thousands of kids growing up with a parent missing. Narcissists are in control.

So, after nine years of heart-wrenching misery; of trying every route, including the legal one, this fella decided he had to go in person. What a lot of planning, anxiety and soul-searching was involved - these things aren't as straightforward as they might seem on the TV!

After a couple of fraught days in the country, trying to figure out the best course of action, we decided to go to the high school, where the most we could have hoped for would have been to leave our details at the office.

Then a miracle occurred. As we entered the school, his teenage daughter passed us - a chance in a million with over 900 pupils - and we got a few seconds face to face. He called her name and she turned. He said I'm your dad - I've come from England to see you - can we chat? And before she teared up and rushed back into the office to call her mum, she smiled.

In that precious, fleeting moment, a young girl recognised her long-lost daddy and loved him. A seed was sewn and hopefully, one day, she will act on it. He'll be waiting with open arms.

My thoughts are with all those affected by this wicked practice. Stay strong x