We were delighted to receive a confirmation from the American Psychological Association's (APA) Committee on Children, Youth & Families (CYF) that our petition had their full attention. What really made me smile was that they immediately realized that the crisis we experience day and night can not be handled by their committee alone. CYF bumped our petition up to their parent board, The Board on the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI), who determined that our petition has strong practice implications. And indeed it does!
BAPPI is considering forming a joint working group with the Practice Directorate but there are others who need to be represented on the work group in order to get all the pieces together. The following diagram is not perfectly accurate, but illustrates how fragmented and complex our issue is. However it also illustrates the power of collaboration, which is highly valued by the APA.
The NATP is not a polished, well-funded lobbying organization, or celebrities or even folks with any clout or influence. On the contrary; we are parents who have been abused, tormented, marginalized and re-victimized by every system in place that claims to advocate for the best interest of children and families. Even so, we never stopped trying to find a way to protect our children from our narcissistic/borderline ex-partners who have caused so much pain and suffering.
Now, for the first time in the history of this nationwide travesty, one of the world’s most powerful organizations, the APA has heard our collective voice and responded swiftly with respect and compassion.
Chills just ran down my spine as I re-read that last sentence. I know this means that we are just at the starting gate, but my dear long suffering and heroic targeted parents, we are
AT the starting gate
and it’s only April.