Iatrogenic
 The term iatrogenesis means brought forth by a
healer
 (from the Greek iatros, healer)
 Of or relating to illness caused by examination or
treatment.
Conflict pyramid
 Litigation is a process that was developed for
property disputes where there is not an
enduring relationship post adjudication. The
damage to ongoing relationships of the
adversarial process was not a priority in
developing the system.
Impasses to Divorce*
 Intra-psychic
 Interpersonal
 Contextual/Systemic
 Result in the failure to make the structural transition to
functional coparents
*Johnston, J.R. & Campbell, L. (1988). Impasses of
Divorce: The Dynamics and Resolution of Family
Conflict. NY: Free Press.
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Intra-psychic:
Personality Pathology
 Enduring pattern of maladaptive behavior
 Onset by early adulthood
 Rigid and unchanging
 These patterns of behavior cause significant distress
in multiple domains of functioning
 They are outside the cultural norm
Personality Disorders
 Cluster B Disorder (Engage Conflict)
 Histrionic: dramatic, intense, prone to fabrication,
borderline traits
 Borderline: extreme mood swings, fear abandonment
 Narcissistic: preoccupied with self, entitled, repression
 Antisocial: lack empathy, willing to hurt, disregard
societal rules, narcissistic
Interactional Level
 Legacy of a destructive marriage
 High conflict is toxic, not divorce
 Ambivalent separation
 shattered dreams
 Court processes are a forum to continue engagement
 Traumatic separation
 Negative reconstruction of other parent
Contextual/Surrounding
System
 Extended family
 Grandparents, new significant others,
 Professionals
 The helping hand strikes again
 The legal-adversarial system
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The tragic legacy of the
Litigation Context
Litigants don’t make good coparents
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Representation - advocacy
Distrust
Sabotage
Win/lose
Chaos
Unilateral action
In the name of the child
Focus on the problem being the other parent -adversaries
Depleted resources - financial,emotional
Dependency on litigation
Impact on Children
 Impaired reality testing
 Inaccurate perception and evaluation
 Separation difficulties
 Parentification (other focused)
 “Surreal sense of not existing”, Johnston and
Roseby
 Interference with identity development
 Childhood experience in the post-divorce family is a
training ground for personality pathology.