This is a self-help trend that creates much harm. Research by Karl Pillemer, a family sociologist and professor of human development at Cornell University, indicates that 1 in 4 American adults have become estranged from their families. Far more often, what I see in my practice are cases of family conflict mismanaged, power dynamics inverted rather than negotiated. Some of my patients are young adults who decided to end, or are considering ending, their relationships with their parents. In most cases of family conflict, repair is possible and preferable to estrangement — and it’s worth the work.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 28, 2021 15:30 UTC