Parental alienation: Some days you wake up and think: 'It's like a living bereavement'

Psychotherapist Brian O'Sullivan: 'One of the key findings of my research was the pervasive psychological, emotional, and physical harm to the parents.' Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The issue of parental alienation has been gaining public awareness for a number of years as more and more cases come before the courts.

It is broadly defined as when a child who had a previously healthy relationship with their parent begins to reject this parent, seemingly without justification.