Beyond Trauma | Facing Estrangement: Repairing the Parent-Child Divide | Dr. Joshua Coleman

What causes estrangement between parents and adult children—and is reconciliation truly possible? In this powerful and nuanced conversation, psychologist and author Dr. Joshua Coleman unpacks the changing landscape of the modern family. We explore how cultural shifts and even well-meaning therapy can unintentionally contribute to family cutoffs, and what parents can do—now—to prevent or repair disconnection.

Dr. Coleman shares:
*The most common (and often surprising) reasons adult children walk away
*What the research actually says about parenting—and why the answer isn’t “gentle” parenting
*How estrangement ripples through generations
*What to say—and not say—in an amends letter
*Why reconciliation is a phase, not a moment
*How to move forward even if your child chooses not to

He also opens up about his own estrangement and reconciliation with his daughter, offering a deeply human look at what repair really takes.

This episode isn’t about being perfect. It’s about what happens after the hurt—when you’re ready to listen, take accountability, and rebuild.

“There’s no piece of advice I can give that will guarantee reconciliation. But there are principles—and they’re not rocket science. They’re just not intuitive.”

Whether you’re a parent hoping for reconnection or someone trying to understand the roots of family rupture, this conversation will stay with you.
---------------------------------
Dr. Coleman is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area and a Senior Fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families, a non-partisan organization of leading sociologists, historians, psychologists and demographers dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest research and best practice findings about American families.
--------------------------