About Dr. Bone
History • Testimonials • Curriculum Vitae (PDF Download)bone_cv_11_17.pdf
JMB Consulting
Based out of central Florida, the primary focus of my work in the last twenty or so years is that of high conflict custody disputes within the context of divorce where parental alienation appears to be present. I work with families who are in the process of divorce as well as post divorce families. I work with parents, grandparents, lawyers and other professionals who may be involved in the case. I began my career as a mental health professional, helping people of all genres in all areas of their lives and especially divorce. I found that most divorces move through normal court proceedings without much delay and divorcees are ready to move on and begin rebuilding their lives rather quickly without conflict. Then there are the "other" divorces. In fact, it has been shown that approximately 10% of divorces consume approximately 90% of Family Court resources. With this in mind, it is easy to see that these problematic divorces drag on through an endless progression of turmoil and confusion. Custody and visitation scheduling become a heated battlegrounds without resolution or compromise. In these cases, some divorcees seemed obsessed with their divorce and ex spouse and involve their children in unhealthy ways. In many of these high conflict cases, children became alienated from a parent for which there was no history of difficulty prior to the divorce. These cases are Parental Alienation cases. What makes Parental Alienation divorces different? A few key points were present in these "other" divorces that set them apart from the majority of divorce cases.
These signs are something more than the typical conflict and custody disputes associated with divorce. They indicate the presence of Parental Alienation. Visit "What is PA and PAS" to learn more about how to identify this phenomenon. I have since worked on hundreds of these cases and have found that Alienation cases must be handled differently than divorces without parental alienation. I have developed successful tools to deal with the unpredictable Family Court system. Secondly, and consistent with the literature regarding what we know about the effects of divorce on children, it is well accepted that children do best when they have a healthy relationship with BOTH of their parents. Since parental alienation attacks this premise, robust arguments can and should be made to the court about the importance of this principal. We have developed effective tools and strategies for this purpose. Third, many who think they understand this phenomenon of parental alienation, simply do not. It is a truism to state that one does not know what one does not know. It is of vital importance to make certain that any professional who is involved in such cases have a deep and working understanding of this phenomenon. When otherwise competent evaluators, therapists and guardians do not, their predictable errors must be swiftly exposed and explained to the court, in ways that compel the court to take corrective action. Since this process can ruffle feathers, this must be addressed head on. Finally, the sad truth is that it is the children in these cases who are the real victims. In so being, they need to be given the tools to be able to protect themselves from the difficulties inherent in having an alienating parent. The role that I play in this work is a consultative one. In that role, I can wear many hats and therefore maximize the positive effects of what I have learned from my considerable experience regarding parental alienation. National Association of Parental Alienation Specialists In March 2017, I Co-Founded the National Association of Parental Alienation Specialists (NAOPAS), along with Dr. Robert Evans, PH.D. to address the question we are most often asked by judges and attorneys “is there a certifying organization for specialists in parental alienation?” Up to this point there hasn’t been. Recognizing that attorneys cannot be “certified” in this area as there is no legal sub-specialty in Parental Alienation, NAOPAS focus is on teaching the unique characteristics of parental alienation and how to litigate such complicated cases effectively. There is a great deal of misinformation regarding parental alienation, our goal is to present scientifically based research and information that exposes the common distortions about the subject. The NAOPAS website provides all of these tools and all of this information in one source location and puts it all in within easy reach of the attorney. Finally, the most important closing message is that there is hope and that we have made progress. I hope that you find my website to be of help in your situation. Sincerely, J. Michael Bone, PhD More history: I wrote a few articles with an attorney colleague, and my focus became more onto this problem. About the same time I received an invitation to become a member of the Scientific and Professional Advisory Board of the newly formed Parental Alienation Research Foundation in Washington D.C. I was invited to attend an inaugural meeting and accepted. It was there that I met Richard Gardner, M.D. whom I had learned had first coined and described this phenomenon. He was a very well established Child Psychiatrist who was a Professor at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and already enjoyed an international reputation before he ever described Parental Alienation Syndrome. At that same meeting, I met the now familiar names associated with the research and literature regarding parental alienation. Since that time I have had the personal pleasure of working with most if not all of them. On one occasion, I was honored with the opportunity of being a co-evaluator alongside Dr. Gardner. *I have over 25 years of experience and can identify the signs of real abuse in children and have worked many years to help children overcome this type of trauma. I am qualified to differentiate between the signs children exhibit who have been abused by anyone, especially a parent and the signs of Parental Alienation. This label however, can be used incorrectly and misapplied. I have witnessed abusive parents falsely using Parental Alienation claims to aid in their own situation. In these cases, this misapplication must be exposed and corrected so as not to be a disservice to the family and especially to the children involved. |
J. Michael Bone, PhD. Dr. Bone is an experienced consultant for cases involving Parental Alienation and has spent over 25 years working with high conflict divorce as a therapist, expert witness, mediator, evaluator and consultant, both nationally & internationally. Additionally, he is co-founder of the National Association of Parental Alienation Specialists. Winter Park, FL Contact 
Parental Alienation Initial ConsultationGet help regarding your specific Parental Alienation situation through an Initial Consultation with a National Level Expert. This is an important first step. Services
Educational/Guest Speaker Engagements
For both professional and non-professional organizations. Telephone Conferences Available to all persons seeking information and advice about parenting issues and alienation. In-person meetings available too. Litigation-Related Consultation For lawyers, parents and others needing a review of court cases, court files and recommendations. Coaching for Targeted or Alienated Parents (Family and Children) Over 25 years of professional experience. Via phone or in-person |
