More and more parents are experiencing the heartbreak of being cut-off or estranged from their adult children. Rules of Estrangement reveals the hidden logic of estrangement, explores it cultural causes, and offers advice for parents trying to re-establish contact with their adult children.
Labeled “a silent epidemic” by a growing number of therapist and researchers, estrangement is one of the most disorienting and painful experiences of a parent’s life. While estrangement is a complex and tender topic, Dr. Joshua Coleman’s insightful approach is based on empathy and understanding for both the parent and the adult child.
As a trusted psychologist whose own daughter cut off contact for several years and eventually reconciled, Dr. Colemen is uniquely qualified to guide parents in navigating these fraught interactions. He helps to alleviate the ongoing feelings of shame, hurt, guilt, and sorrow that commonly attend these dynamics.
Rules of Estrangement gives parents the language and the emotional tools to engage in meaningful conversation with their adult child, the framework to cultivate a healthy relationship moving forward, and the ability to move on if reconciliation is no longer possible.
We also recommend Dr. Coleman’s earlier book “When Parents Hurt” for additional information and compassionate strategies on the topic of conflict and estrangement.