01/16/2018 
 
Brig Zimmerman 
Executive Director, Healthcare I 
Office of Secretary of State 
Professional Licensing Boards Division 
237 Coliseum Drive 
Macon, GA 31217‐3858 
478‐207‐2440 
866‐284‐2237 (Fax) 

RE: Lack of Professional Competence Regarding Pathogenic Parenting

 
Greetings Mr. Zimmerman, 
 
I am an advocate for children that have been subjected to emotional and psychological abuse and alienated
from a parent (half of their family). I am writing you to seek your support and that of the Georgia
Professional Licensing Boards Division.

As you know, there are many reasons why a child can be alienated from a parent but the least of these
should be professional incompetence in the field of psychology. Mental health professionals that lack a
thorough background in family attachment systems are frequently appointed by courts to diagnose and
treat parent-child relationship problems. Because these mental health professionals are unable to recognize
the counterintuitive symptoms of pathogenic parenting, to the detriment of society, children are being left
in the care and custody of psychologically and emotionally abusive parents. As with any form of abuse,
the cycle repeats with each succeeding generation.

Competence in the Attachment System

Mental health professionals who are assessing, diagnosing, and treating attachment-related pathology need
to be professionally knowledgeable and competent in the attachment system, what it is, how it functions,
and how it characteristically dysfunctions.

Failure to possess professional-level knowledge regarding the attachment system when assessing,
diagnosing, and treating attachment-related pathology would represent practice beyond the boundaries of
professional competence in violation of professional standards of practice.

Competence in Personality Disorder Pathology

Mental health professionals who are assessing, diagnosing, and treating personality disorder related
pathology as it is affecting family relationships need to be professionally knowledgeable and competent
in personality disorder pathology, what it is, how it functions, and how it characteristically affects family
relationships following divorce.

Failure to possess professional-level knowledge regarding personality disorder pathology when assessing,
diagnosing, and treating personality disorder related pathology in the family would represent practice
beyond the boundaries of professional competence in violation of professional standards of practice.

Competence in Family Systems Therapy

Mental health professionals who are assessing, diagnosing, and treating families need to be professionally
knowledgeable and competent in the functioning of family systems and the principles of family systems
therapy.

Failure to possess professional-level knowledge regarding the functioning of family systems and the
principles of family systems therapy when assessing, diagnosing, and treating family pathology would
represent practice beyond the boundaries of professional competence in violation of professional standards
of practice.

Competence in Complex Trauma

Mental health professionals who are assessing, diagnosing, and treating the trans-generational
transmission of complex trauma need to be professionally knowledgeable and competent in the nature of
complex trauma, as expressed both individually and through family relationships.

Failure to possess professional-level knowledge regarding the trans-generational transmission and

expression of complex trauma when assessing, diagnosing, and treating family pathology involving
complex trauma would represent practice beyond the boundaries of professional competence in violation
of professional standards of practice.

Petition to the APA

Children and families are being destroyed by unchecked professional negligence, incompetence and poor
ethical conduct. It is my desire that you and the licensing board endorse and support Dr. Craig Childress’
Petition to the APA. This petition seeks defined domains of professional knowledge and competence in
the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of children and families surrounding divorce.

The petition also calls on the American Psychological Association to convene a high-level conference of
experts to examine the issue of attachment-related pathology surrounding divorce, and ultimately to
convene an all-encompassing conference of experts to examine the role of professional psychology in the
family law system and shared parenting/child custody decision-making processes.

It is imperative, for the sake of Georgia’s children, that the licensing board adopt and implement
procedures to safeguard the wellbeing of children.

Kind regards,

Gil Freeman