Dr Joshua Coleman: Family Estrangement

The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

Estrangement from adult children can be one of the most disorienting and painful experiences of a parent's life.

This week, Andrew talks to Dr Joshua Coleman, the author of Rules of Estrangement. They discuss:

• Why estrangement has become so common
• Why estrangement isn’t a one-sided story of parents who got what they deserved or overly entitled adult children.
• Approaches parents can take to achieve reconciliation with children and grandchildren.
• Techniques for starting a conversation.
• Dr Coleman’s own experience of estrangement from his daughter.

Dr Joshua Coleman is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area and a Senior Fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families. He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today. He has been a frequent guest on The Today Show and NPR, and has even been featured on Sesame Street.

Follow Up

Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things

Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools

Buy Dr Joshua Coleman’s new book, Rules of Estrangement

Visit Dr Joshua Coleman’s website

You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with Celia Dodd on how to Navigate Your Relationship with Your Adult Children

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Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall