Psychology Today UK — 22 June 2026
“What Estranged Parents Need Others to Understand”
Counsellor and professor Suzanne Degges-White looks at the experience of parents estranged from adult children through the idea of “ambiguous loss” — a relationship has been lost, but without the finality or social recognition that normally accompanies bereavement.
The article discusses grief, shame, uncertainty and the difficulty of explaining estrangement to other people. It also acknowledges that recognising a parent’s pain does not mean dismissing an adult child’s own experiences or boundaries.
Why we’ve included it:
This is a thoughtful account of parental grief that avoids reducing estrangement to a simple question of blame. It may be especially useful for explaining to friends or family why estrangement can feel so difficult to live with.
Read the article at Psychology Today UK
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.