Childress & Pruter (2017)

Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

The High Road Protocol

Catalytic Psychoeducational Intervention

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Catalytic Psychoeducational Intervention The High Road workshop uses a series of catalytic activities:
• Psychoeducational content videos and narrative-story videos;
The High Road workshop is a catalytic psycho- • Structured problem solving and communication skill-
educational intervention involving a sequence of building activities;
structured activities that restores the normal-range that gently and systematically restores the normal-range
functioning of the child's attachment system. functioning of the child's attachment system.

C C
I I I I
C C
C C
I I I I I
I
C C C C

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C
Child Psychological Abuse C
Child Psychological Abuse

C C
C C
Th
C
I
Th

The Protective Separation & Traditional Treatment

Th High Road Augmented Recovery Th

C C

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Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

Attachment
System
The High Road Protocol
Restoring Normal-Range Attachment

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Anger Grief
Attachment Attachment
System System

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Anger Grief Anger Grief

Attachment Attachment
System System
I

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Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

Anger Grief Anger Grief

Attachment Attachment
System System
I

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Anger Grief Anger Grief

I

Attachment Attachment
System System

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Anger Anger
Grief I Grief

Attachment Attachment
System System

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Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

Anger Anger
Grief Grief

Attachment Attachment
System System

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Anger

Attachment Attachment
System System

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The High Road Protocol

Empathy Interventions
The High Road protocol represents the specific
I Narrative Story Video Em-1
component videos and structured workshop
I Narrative Story Video Em-2 activities used, and the sequence in which these
catalytic interventions are applied.
I Workshop Activity Em-3

Critical Thinking Interventions Both the component content AND the sequence in
which the supporting underlying brain systems are
I Informational Video CT-1
restored are critical to the successful application of
I Workshop Activity CT-2 catalytic interventions.
I Informational Video CT-3
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Childress & Pruter (2017)
Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

Catalytic Intervention Innovation Catalytic Intervention Implications

The High Road workshop is an entirely different type of The implications of the catalytic intervention approach
change-agent approach than is used in any form of employed by the High Road protocol for broader
traditional psychotherapy. professional psychology extend to interventions with
If the variants of traditional psychotherapy are other forms of pathology, such as:
considered to be different types of carbon-based
Substance abuse recovery approaches;
life forms;
Then the catalytic approach of the High Road Prison incarceration and recidivism.
protocol could be considered a silicon-based life
Recovery from complex trauma experiences.
form – an entirely different change-agent approach.

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Catalytic Intervention Approach

The catalytic approach of the High Road protocol is
simply a sequence of steps (using videos and workshop
The catalytic approach of the High Road protocol activities) that restores the normal-range functioning
restores normal-range attachment bonding motivations of component brain systems for compassion, empathy,
but doesn't focus directly on the attachment system or affection, and critical thinking.
the parent-child bond.
The restoration of the normal-range functioning of
The catalytic approach of the High Road protocol these component brain systems allows for the
restores positive and healthy family relationships, but resumption of the normal-range functioning of the
doesn't directly focus on the relationship itself or its attachment system, and normal-range attachment
problems. bonding motivations resume.

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Read the Court Order

The court order is read to the family.

The High Road Protocol

Opening Interventions

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Childress & Pruter (2017)
Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

Dr. Childress Commentary:

Emotional Stress Discharge
Reestablishes an appropriate hierarchy.
The child typically engages in 30 to 45 minutes of
By reestablishing an appropriate hierarchy protest behavior and challenges to authority.
(disempowering the over-empowered child), the
child is released from being in the middle of the
spousal conflict and from loyalty alliances.

Provides communication of safety and stress relief.

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Dr. Childress Commentary:

Question & Answer
Testing of authority (Are you capable and competent?
Can I trust you? Will you respect me?).
Once the child calms, all of child's questions are
The child's protest behavior represents an answered honestly and forthrightly.
emotional discharge in response to stress relief
from being taken out of the middle of the spousal
conflict.
By responding respectfully and with calm and
confident authority, the facilitator communicates
respect for the child's experience.
By responding respectfully and with calm and
confident authority, beginning trust develops.
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Dr. Childress Commentary:

Opening Activity
Following emotional discharge of stress relief from
being released from the middle of the spousal Narrative story video fostering the vicarious activation of
conflict, answering all of the child's questions empathy and compassion, and the story examines the
honestly and without evasion builds trust and safety. issues of prejudice and judgement.
The world of the narcissistic/(borderline) personality
is one of ever–changing reality defined by the
moment-to-moment needs of the narcissistic parent.

Calmly and patiently answering all questions

honestly and forthrightly builds trust and safety.

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Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

Dr. Childress Commentary:

Second Activity
A wonderful and captivating opening video.
Allows the child to recover emotionally. Narrative story video fostering the vicarious activation
of empathy and compassion, and the story examines
Begins vicarious activation of empathy and compassion the issues of prejudice and judgement.
systems.
No demand to interact with the targeted parent.
Addresses the child's anxiety about the workshop by
demonstrating respect for the child's emotional
exhaustion and triangulation.
Builds trust by demonstrating complex authentic
empathy for the child.
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Dr. Childress Commentary:

Third Activity
Following up with a second narrative story video allows
the child more time for emotional recovery (authentic Cognitive processing activity: Group discussion of
empathy and care for the child's well-being). concepts evidenced in the prior two videos:
Continues vicarious activation of empathy and
compassion systems. "Michael, can you read the definition of "prejudice"
that's up on the screen?"
No demand to interact with the targeted parent.
Addresses the child's anxiety about the workshop by "Okay, we're going to go around and I want each
demonstrating respect for the child's emotional person to tell us one example of "prejudice" they
exhaustion and no pressure on the child to interact or noticed from either of the stories we just saw."
change.
Builds trust by demonstrating complex authentic
empathy for the child.
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Dr. Childress Commentary: References:

Cui, L., Morris, A.S., Criss, M.M., Houltberg, B.J., and Jennifer S. Silk,
Deepening the cognitive processing of the material J.S. (2014). Parental Psychological Control and Adolescent
by activating and applying cognitive critical thinking. Adjustment: The Role of Adolescent Emotion Regulation.
Parenting: Science and Practice, 14, 47–67.
Activating cognitive systems brings cognitive Haley, J. (1977). Toward a theory of pathological systems. In P.
mediation to affective experience, turning off anger Watzlawick & J. Weakland (Eds.), The interactional view (pp. 31-
("cool" thinking vs. "hot" emotions). 48). New York: Norton.

Engaging in a group activity normalizes interactions Kernberg, O.F. (1975). Borderline conditions and pathological
narcissism. New York: Aronson.
with the targeted parent that don't involve anger,
judgement, or criticism. Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline
personality disorder. New York, NY: Guilford
Places the child in proximity to the targeted parent Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and Family Therapy. Harvard University
without the suppressing effects of anger on Press.
attachment bonding motivations.
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Pruter Presentation to AFCC National Convention

References:
Minuchin. S. & Nichols, M.P. (1993). Family healing: Strategies for
hope and understanding. New York: Touchstone.
Pearlman, C.A., Courtois, C.A. (2005). Clinical applications of the
attachment framework: Relational treatment of complex trauma.
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18, 449-459.

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