Behind every family estrangement is a story of love, hurt, and boundaries

Dr. Ann Kelley is joined LIVE from Psychotherapy Networker with Dafna Lender, to explore the complex dynamics of parent-child estrangement. Focusing on the emotional and psychological impacts of cutting off family relationships, together they highlight the cultural influences that contribute to these estrangements, the therapeutic perspectives on navigating such situations, and the importance of empathy and boundaries in managing family dynamics. This conversation is about learning to hold both empathy and boundaries – understanding why someone might step away, and how to stay grounded and compassionate in the process. It’s an honest look at the heartbreak, the healing, and the hope that can emerge when families face difficult truths.

Time Stamps for Navigating Family Estrangement: The Space Between Love & Self-Protection with Dafna Lender (284)

03:06 Understanding the impact of estrangement

05:58 Cultural influences on family cutoffs

09:14 Therapeutic perspectives on estrangement

17:54 Boundaries and the spectrum of estrangement

32:52 Navigating boundaries and self-protection

46:31 Finding meaning in senselessness

52:21 Exploring values in relationships

About our Guest – Dafna Lender 

Dafna is a family therapy expert and attachment specialist. Dafna is an international trainer and supervisor for practitioners who work with children and families. She is a certified trainer and supervisor/consultant in both Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), as well as an EMDR therapist. Dafna’s expertise is drawn from 28 years of working with families in many settings: at-risk after school programs, therapeutic foster care, in-home crisis stabilization, residential care and private practice. Dafna is author of Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (2023) and the co-author of Theraplay the Practitioner’s Guide (2020). She teaches and supervises clinicians in 15 countries in 4 languages: English, Hebrew, French and Spanish.

Resources for Navigating Family Estrangement: The Space Between Love & Self-Protection with Dafna Lender (284)

Dafna’s website – Resources, courses & additional information

Integrative Attachment Family Therapy: A Clinical Guide to Heal and Strengthen the Parent-Child Relationship through Play, Co-regulation, and Meaning-Making – Get your copy of her paperback

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