Peacemaking in Estranged Relationships

On this edition of Peace Talks Radio, we explore the incredibly common yet largely undiscussed topic of estrangement. In a national survey, almost 30 percent of American adults reported cutting off contact with a family member. And 1 in 10 reported they’d cut off contact with either a parent or a child. Yet, despite how common it is, people who are estranged from friends or family often experience profound feelings of grief, loneliness and uncertainty. Estrangement can be both voluntary and involuntary, with some making the decision to end a relationship and protect themselves, and others feeling blindsided but someone else's choice. There are many roads to estrangement and just as many to reconciliation, yet neither are ever guaranteed, and that’s okay. Individuals who find themselves on a journey of estrangement should first pause to accept their true feelings, ground themselves in their core values and desires, and then begin to seek out empathic and open communication first with self and then with the people and communities they may find themselves estranged from. Julia Joubert speaks to American voiceover artist and comedian, Tina Marie, an adult child estranged from her father, and to Seattle-based podcaster, and estrangement and reconciliation coach, Kreed Revere, who was once estranged from her two daughters. And she speaks to Dr Aileen Fullchange, a licensed psychologist, certified school psychologist, and speaker.