High Conflict Personalities in Divorce Cases

Today’s high-conflict divorce cases are primarily driven by high-conflict personality styles. The issues are generally much less important than the personalities, which cause people to engage in repeated self-sabotaging behaviour, intense blaming of others, unregulated emotions, and “splitting” of those who are trying to help them. They consume inordinate amounts of professional and staff time for attorneys, judges, mediators, evaluators, psychologists, social workers, therapists, and advocates.

This seminar focuses on understanding and managing people with these personalities when they are involved in four issues: child alienation, child abuse, domestic violence, and false allegations. Their lack of impulse control and emotional regulation and its contribution to violence and abuse will be explained. Bill Eddy will also discuss their serious cognitive distortions, which contribute to false allegations that are often honestly believed and sometimes knowingly false. An open-minded, evidence-based approach will be presented for assessing and managing these cases. The problem of professional “splitting” will be addressed to help various professions understand and work together, while reducing their level of stress.

You will learn —

William A. (Bill) Eddy, LCSW, Esq., is Senior Family Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego, California. He has 14 years' experience representing clients in family court. Prior to becoming an attorney in 1992, he was a licensed clinical social worker with 12 years' experience providing therapy for children, adults, couples, and families. He has experience working with child sexual abuse and domestic violence as a therapist and as an attorney. He is the author of the books High Conflict People in Legal Disputes and Splitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing a Borderline or a Narcissist. For more information, visit billeddy.com.