Parental alienation is, for want of a better word, terrifying. It is something we sincerely hope you never have to experience. The long-term effects on the children and the alienated parent can be really damaging. In short, parental alienation is where a child – either intentionally or unintentionally – becomes distanced from one parent without a good reason. This can be because they’re coached to dislike the other parent. It can also happen because they have repeatedly overheard negative conversations about that parent.