by Susan Gold | Feb 12, 2025 | CPTSD and PTSD, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Professional, Toxic Relationships
For much of my life and career, I found comfort in the surface narrative—moving through the motions, staying busy, and avoiding deep scrutiny. But now, as the cracks in conventional structures continue to widen, operating on autopilot and chasing distractions no...
by Sadie Montgomery | Feb 6, 2025 | Boundaries, Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, CPTSD and Parenting, Estrangement, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Toxic Relationships, Triggers
“Mom,” Harper started, “Grandma Clare sent me a text inviting me to dinner at her house for my birthday. Is that weird that she only invited me and not all of us?” Grandma Clare, my stepmother, is a narcissist. Over the past decade, I have set boundaries and distanced...
by Kechi Mourer | Dec 6, 2024 | CPTSD, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Holidays
The holidays are an intense time of reflection for me. I used to have a big family—a big, loud, Hispanic family—we would gather for birthdays, holidays, and random Sunday dinners. My grandmother held the group together with love and community. Those days are long...
by STAR Network | Jun 20, 2024 | CPTSD and PTSD, Family Estrangement, Men's Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness, Parental Alienation, TAR Network
Many men stay in toxic, abusive relationships (TAR) due to a variety of complex reasons and deep-seated fears. One primary reason is men’s tendency to view themselves as “fixers.” Men often cling to the hope that they can repair the relationship,...
by Lynn 18 | Apr 9, 2024 | CPTSD, Family Estrangement, Guest Contributor, Mental Health Professional
I am an estrangement clinician primarily working with parents who are estranged from their adult sons or daughters. My lived experience as an estranged parent is a far greater credential than my degree in psychology and my training as a life coach combined. Like many...
by Rebekah Brown | Jun 28, 2023 | Complex PTSD Healing, CPTSD and Inner Child Work, CPTSD and Narcissistic Abuse, Family Estrangement, Narcissistic Personality Disorder
For part one of this series see What are The Roles in Dysfunctional Families Systems? A Short Childhood Story My brother glanced at me as we “read” the emotional temperature of the room. What was tonight going to be like? My mother already had one of those frowns on...
