Online Workshop Series

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Information:

Organizer: EGTC

Keynote speakers:

30.04.2026 Module I

William Bernet, M.D.

Professor Emeritus, USA

21.05.2026 Module II

Lena Hellblom Sjögren, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, Sweden

Target group:

professionals in child protection, psychology, law, and family services:

  • Social workers, child protectors
  • Family law attorneys, judges,

legal professionals

  • Psychologists, psychiatrists,

psychotherapists

  • Politicians in child welfare

Language: English

In Zoom environment

10:00 – 10:15 welcome

10:15 – 10:30 guest insight

10:30 – 12:00 keynote lecture, Q&A

12:00 – 13:00 lunch brake

13:00 – 14:30 keynote lecture, Q&A

Participation fee for one module 45 €


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William Bernet, M.D.

Professor Emeritus Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville, Tennessee, USA


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Kaire Talviste-Baiocco, M.A. (EGTC)

Expert assessment of a child’s

best interests in family matters.

Rafaela Lehtme, PhD. (Tallinn University)

Lecturer of Children's Rights and Advocacy in Tallinn University


ONLINE WORKSHOP SERIES FOR SPECIALISTS

High-Conflict Separation &

The Child Best Interests

Family Violence, Child Psychological Abuse,

Parental Alienation

“There are no battles in the courtroom more brutal or intense

than those fought over children,”

-an attorney with extensive experience in post-separation custody cases.

Some custody disputes become so heated that they spill into the public sphere, where people are compelled to form opinions and take sides based on limited information. Issues involving children resonate deeply - with personal histories, emotional responses, and genuine compassion all shaping public perception.

Professionals working with these highly complex cases are not immune to these same influences. They operate in an environment of conflicting narratives, competing interests and power struggles. At the same time, they are expected to remain focused on one central principle: the best interests of the child.

This requires a high level of professional knowledge, skills and self-awareness, an ability to recognize one’s own biases, value systems, and emotional triggers, alongside the professional duty to act when a child’s well-being is at risk. It also demands a clear understanding of which behaviors are harmful to children, what they need protection from, and what constitutes “good enough” parenting.

The most crucial question: how can children be protected

in high conflict separation?


How can harmful and abusive behaviors, particularly those which end up for a child by losing one parent, be recognized and evaluated? How can theoretical knowledge be supportive, understood and thoughtfully addressed in professional practice?

This workshop series is designed to explore these important questions in depth. It offers a space for respectful dialogue, shared reflection, and meaningful professional exchange in a supportive and collaborative environment.

We are especially honored to welcome internationally renowned experts, who will share their knowledge, experience, and diverse perspectives on navigating the complex challenges that arise in high-conflict family contexts.

This is a rare opportunity to engage directly with leading voices in the field, gain valuable insights, and connect with other professionals committed to thoughtful and effective practice.


30.04.2026 Module I

10:00 – 10:15

Welcome & Opening Remarks | Kaire Talviste-Baiocco, M.A. (EGTC)

10:15 – 10:30

Guest insight | Rafaela Lehtme, PhD. (Tallinn University)

10:30 – 12:00 Clinical and forensic insights into parent-child relationship patterns | Prof. Emeritus William Bernet, M.D.


  • Addressing parent child contact problems.

  • What is the Five-Factor Model, and how may it be responsibly applied within clinical and forensic settings?

  • Diagnosing and differentiating between alienation and estrangement.

  • Discussion & Q&A


12:00 – 13:00 lunch break


13:00 – 14:30 Clinical and forensic insights into parent-child relationship patterns | William Bernet, M.D.


  • Address the scientific validity of research on parental alienation, specifically, the research regarding the components of the Five-Factor Model.  

  • Discussion & Q&A



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Lena Hellblom Sjögren, Ph.D.,

is a Swedish licensed psychologist who has investigated and researched individual cases of contact refusal for three decades. She has been an expert witness in courts all over Sweden and Norway, focused on the child’s human rights to family life.

21.05.2026
II Module - The Child´s Best Interest in A Lifespan Perspective

  • The best interests of the Child and Children’s human rights
  • The Third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention
  • A well-intentioned principle “Listen to the child”


Considering the following areas:

Neurodevelopment

Attachment theory

Learning psychology

Suggestibility and memory

Personality functioning and disorders

Parental alienation

  • Conclusions about the child´s best interests in a a lifespan perspective.

Register for the Workshop Series

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