Donna Maria Bradley

Donna Maria Bradley Founder, My Family Matters Foundation Ltd | Family Systems & Separation Dynamics Consultancy | BACP-accredited therapist | CPD Training for Professionals

I am the Founder and CEO o f My Family Matters Foundation Ltd, which is a private limited company. Company Number: NI697240. Founded in January 2023 and incorporated as a limited company by guarantee under the Companies Act 2006. Registered with the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland:NIC109741

I am a BACP-accredited therapist, qualified in mediation skills (level 6 with distinction), and hold

a Masters degree (Distinction) specialising in post-separation family dynamics and parent child relationship problems. With over a decade of experience in family separation contexts, I provide consultancy, psychoeducational support, and CPD-accredited training for professionals working within mental health, family law, safeguarding, and emotionally complex family systems. My work focuses on:

Coercive control and post-separation dynamics. Parental separation and family systems breakdown. Attachment disruption and child contact difficulties. Communication patterns and behaviours. Trauma-informed understanding of family behaviour in mental health and legal contexts. I also deliver CPD-accredited training for professionals and organisations on coercive control, domestic abuse dynamics, and trauma-informed approaches to complex family separation cases. Previously, I have held governance and advisory roles and have worked as the Co-Editor of the Parental Alienation Newsletter (until 2023) and Board Member of The Change for Children UK (until 2023). I also have extensive experience in charitable governance, training development, and organisational leadership within the family support sector. My role is consultative and educational in nature. I do not provide expert witness reports, or court testimony.

15/06/2026

When a child is resisting or refusing contact it’s important to understand the child experiences to ensure the child receives the support they need.

In a small exploratory survey (32 responses) looking at experiences in family court proceedings, 81% of respondents said...
15/06/2026

In a small exploratory survey (32 responses) looking at experiences in family court proceedings, 81% of respondents said they had no confidence in how Cafcass handled allegations in their case.

Cafcass is the service that provides safeguarding advice and welfare reports to the family court in England (UK).

This is a very small, non-representative sample, so it shouldn’t be over-interpreted but I’m sharing it as part of ongoing professional interest in how families experience these assessment processes.

I’m interested in others perspectives who follow on here too:

For those who have had involvement with CAFCASS, and are ok with commenting, does this feel surprising, or does it reflect your experience?

Early findings: https://getcourtready.co.uk/cafcass-and-false-allegations-research-paper

Not every parent who engages in alienating behaviours is a narcissist. However, there are signs that narcissistic traits...
15/06/2026

Not every parent who engages in alienating behaviours is a narcissist.

However, there are signs that narcissistic traits may be part of the bigger picture.

For example:

1.They may treat the child as an extension of themselves rather than as an individual.

2.They may struggle to tolerate the idea that the child can love both parents at the same time and often need to be seen as the good parent while portraying the other parent as the bad one.

3. They might pressure the child to take sides, react negatively if the child enjoys time with the other parent, or use guilt and loyalty tests to keep the child emotionally aligned with them.

4. Another sign can be a lack of empathy. The focus tends to be on their own hurt, anger, or need for validation, with little awareness of how the child is being affected.

These behaviours can be red flags for narcissistic traits, but no single behaviour proves someone is a narcissist.

However, it’s important to point out labelling a parent as narcissistic matters less than recognising patterns of behaviour that place a parents needs above a childs safety and wellbeing.

❤️💙🌎

15/06/2026

To every alienated parent, while you hold hope for your child, please don’t neglect yourself. Choose the people who choose you, the ones who stand beside you, believe you, and bring peace at this time into your life to help you through.

Children should never be placed in the position of defending, supporting, or protecting one parent over the other. They ...
15/06/2026

Children should never be placed in the position of defending, supporting, or protecting one parent over the other.

They deserve the space to simply be children.

The freedom to love both parents and
most importantly live a life from all forms of abuse.

Might not be today, might not be tomorrow but everything is going to be ok. ❤️
15/06/2026

Might not be today, might not be tomorrow but everything is going to be ok.

❤️

Dear Alienated Parent,This is a message for you. Yes, you.You, the loving parent who wakes each day carrying the weight ...
14/06/2026

Dear Alienated Parent,

This is a message for you.
Yes, you.
You, the loving parent who wakes each day carrying the weight of missing a child you never stopped loving.

You, the one who has missed birthdays, celebrations, milestones, and ordinary moments, yet still holds hope in your heart.

You, the parent whose love remains constant, even in silence, distance, and uncertainty.

You, the one fighting to stay strong when every room echoes with the absence of your child's laughter, voice, and presence.

Please remember:

Your love does not disappear because contact has been interrupted.

Your child is not forgotten, and neither are you.

Keep healing. Keep hoping. Keep becoming the safe, loving parent your child may one day need to find again.

You are surviving something few people truly understand.


14/06/2026

When a child is refusing contact with a parent it’s important you don’t jump to conclusions that you are being alienated, or blame the other parent. There is many reasons a child may refuse contact with a parent and why it’s important that the child receives the right support may they be with the parents or professionals so that the child receives the right support.

If you're an alienated parent, one of the hardest truths is that you cannot control another persons behaviour, but you c...
14/06/2026

If you're an alienated parent, one of the hardest truths is that you cannot control another persons behaviour, but you can control how you care for yourself.

Separation from your child or children can be emotionally exhausting. The stress can last months or even years, so it’s easy to become consumed by the ongoing stress and lose yourself in the process.

Protecting your future relationship with your child also means protecting yourself now.

That might mean:

❤️ Building a support network of people who understand and uplift you.

❤️ Rediscovering hobbies and activities that bring you joy and remind you who you are.

❤️ Accepting that life has changed and allowing yourself to create new opportunities and meaning.

❤️ Setting personal goals that aren't solely focused on court proceedings.

❤️ Investing in your physical and emotional wellbeing through exercise, volunteering, therapy, support groups, or self-development.

❤️ Taking your time with major decisions and giving yourself permission to heal before making significant life changes.

Your child needs a parent who is emotionally supported, grounded, and able to remain present despite the pain.

You deserve a life too not just existing and please know healing yourself isn't giving up on your child.

If we are serious about understanding and hearing the voice of the child, we need to talk more honestly and openly about...
14/06/2026

If we are serious about understanding and hearing the voice of the child, we need to talk more honestly and openly about contact arrangements, contact centres, and the lasting impact of domestic abuse, coercive control and alienating behaviours on children.

Are we really listening to the voice of the child?

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Derry
Derry

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Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm

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+442871163138

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