Presentation Description
Presenter: Dr. Shely Polak
When parents separate, the relationship between a child and one or both parents can become strained. But these challenges are rarely black and white. They cannot be fully explained by common labels like “parental alienation” or “estrangement.” Instead, they often stem from a mix of emotional, relational, and safety-related factors that require careful attention.
This session takes a closer look at the real-life complexities families face in these situations. We will explore how things like a child’s age, past family dynamics, ongoing conflict between parents, and safety concerns all play a role in how contact issues develop and how they should be addressed.
We will also talk about the growing problem of misinformation, both in the media and in some professional settings, which can lead to poor decisions, limit helpful options for families, and ultimately fail to serve the child’s best interests. Finally, we will discuss how new policies or laws, when driven by fear or politics rather than facts, can prevent professionals from using effective tools and strategies that support families in distress.
This presentation is designed for all professionals working with separating families and offers practical insight into how to respond thoughtfully and ethically to these difficult situations.
Key takeaways:
Learn how to differentiate between various types of parent-child contact problems following separation
Understand the difference between misinformation and disinformation and the risk both pose to the field
Identify existing legislation that restricts the use of reintegration therapy
About the Presenter
Dr. Polak holds a Master of Social Work and PhD from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. She has been awarded the designation of accredited family mediation (Acc.FM) by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation. Her mediation and negotiation training also includes Harvard Law School’s Executive Education Negotiation and Leadership Program.
She is the Founder and Director of Mackenzie Clinic a private practice offering clinical and specialized services related to families impacted by separation and divorce including parenting plan evaluations (S.30 assessments), family mediation, reintegration therapy, voice of the child reports, parent coordination, and therapeutic services for children and families impacted by divorce.
Dr. Polak also holds a lecturer position at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto. Her research focus is on the practice of reintegration therapy in cases of parent-child contact problems post-separation and the intersection of social work with the law. Dr. Polak has published in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters on topics related to separated/divorced families involved with the court system. She is a frequent presenter at national and international professional and academic conferences in the area of high conflict separation/divorce and parent-child contact problems.