WHYY — 17 October 2024 — 50 mins
“Family estrangement and reconciliation”
Psychologist Joshua Coleman and UK family researcher Lucy Blake discuss why parents and adult children become estranged, what reconciliation may require, and how people can cope when reconciliation does not happen.
The conversation covers changing expectations within families, parental grief, differing accounts of the past, communication and the difficult question of when to keep trying and when to accept that a relationship may not be repaired.
Why we’ve included it:
This is a particularly strong discussion because it combines Coleman’s extensive work with estranged parents with Lucy Blake’s broader academic research into family relationships. It is thoughtful, balanced and directly relevant to parents trying to understand both estrangement and possible reconciliation.
Listen to the programme at WHYY
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Inclusion in our library means we believe this item may be useful or thought-provoking. It does not mean Estranged Parents endorses every opinion or conclusion expressed.
Estranged Parents
Free, confidential peer support for UK parents estranged from their adult children.