Session 01.2 Children of High Conflict Divorce: A Child's Inner World
Tracks
Track 2: Room LG18
| Monday, July 28, 2025 |
| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
| LG18 - The David Li Kwok Po Lecture Theatre |
Overview
45 minutes screening of “Millie” followed by a 30 minute Panel Workshop
Chair: TBC
Panellists:
- Darren Mort, Barrister At Law, Australia
- Philip Stahl, Independent Practice Psychologist, USA
Details
Overview
This workshop will address the short- and long-term effects of high conflict separation and divorce on children, using the film Millis to illustrate critical family dynamics. Mr. Mort and Dr. Stahl will utilize the film to highlight positive and negative family dynamics affecting children. They will use also discuss these dynamics by utilizing a discussion paper which will provided to attendees.
The film Millie explores how children perceive the world in the midst of a family breakdown. Her experiences involve dealing with her loved parents and understanding how she navigates her parent’s separation. The film explores Millie’s internal psychological world and portrays circumstances that those around their children aren’t even aware of. Millie’s parents don’t understand what Millie is experiencing when they expose Millie to their conflict, and the film portrays how parental behavior, whether or not intentional, affects children and their psychological well-being. The film also explores how parents can learn to behave differently and positively affect their children. With insight, parents learn to manage their separation to ensure that their child has less stress and less exposure to harmful conflict. Millie represents every child who experiences dissociation due to family conflict and every adult child who still carries the scars of their own childhood story.
This workshop will also provide an opportunity for participants to share their own emotional responses viewing the film as well as their experiences working with families such as the one portrayed in the film.
This showing of Millie will be its world premiere, following the award-winning film Tommy from Mr. Mort and the To Be Loved Network. The research associated with parents viewing Tommy has shown that parents can change their behavior with the children regardless of their feelings toward each other.
The film Millie explores how children perceive the world in the midst of a family breakdown. Her experiences involve dealing with her loved parents and understanding how she navigates her parent’s separation. The film explores Millie’s internal psychological world and portrays circumstances that those around their children aren’t even aware of. Millie’s parents don’t understand what Millie is experiencing when they expose Millie to their conflict, and the film portrays how parental behavior, whether or not intentional, affects children and their psychological well-being. The film also explores how parents can learn to behave differently and positively affect their children. With insight, parents learn to manage their separation to ensure that their child has less stress and less exposure to harmful conflict. Millie represents every child who experiences dissociation due to family conflict and every adult child who still carries the scars of their own childhood story.
This workshop will also provide an opportunity for participants to share their own emotional responses viewing the film as well as their experiences working with families such as the one portrayed in the film.
This showing of Millie will be its world premiere, following the award-winning film Tommy from Mr. Mort and the To Be Loved Network. The research associated with parents viewing Tommy has shown that parents can change their behavior with the children regardless of their feelings toward each other.
Speaker
Mr. Darren Mort
Barrister At Law
World premiere of the film Millie
Biography
Mr. Darren Mort is a barrister in Melbourne AU, has been on the domestic violence task force committee reporting to the Royal Commission on the impact of domestic violence on children. He is the writer and producer of the film Tommy, which is embedded in the US court system and co-founder of the children’s charity To be Loved Network. His latest project is Millie, focusing on child trauma and is the subject our program.
Dr. Philip Stahl
Independent Practice Psychologist
World premiere of the film Millie
Biography
Dr. Philip Stahl is a US-based Board-certified forensic psychologist in private practice who lives in Southern California and provides consultation and expert witness testimony in child custody litigation throughout the United States, North America, and Australia. Dr. Stahl conducts workshops and training throughout the United States and internationally for lawyers, child custody evaluators, and others working with high conflict families of divorce. He is on the faculty of National Judicial College in the US, teaching domestic violence and other courses to judges since 2000, and regularly speaks at state judicial colleges and international judicial education.
