Can Family Estrangement Be Repaired? Therapist Roberta Wasserman Explains

Can family estrangement be healed? And what should parents do when they've apologized, owned their mistakes, and still hear nothing?

In this episode of Estranged & Rearranged, Candi Morris sits down with Roberta Wasserman, LCSW-C, a licensed certified clinical social worker, certified family estrangement coach, grief educator, and author of The 12-Step Workbook: Living in the Land of Estrangement. Together, they explore one of the most misunderstood issues affecting families today.

Roberta shares both her professional expertise and her personal journey, offering practical guidance for estranged parents and grandparents while emphasizing accountability, healing, grief, and hope. The conversation also addresses therapy culture, ambiguous grief, reconciliation, grandparent alienation, and why family estrangement has become an increasingly common issue across generations.

• What family estrangement really is and what it isn't
• Family estrangement vs. parental and grandparent alienation
• The difference between grief after death and ambiguous grief after estrangement
• When therapy helps families and when therapy language can cause harm
• What parents should own and what they should let go of
• Is reconciliation possible?
• Supporting grandchildren affected by estrangement
• How to begin rebuilding your own life while leaving the door open for hope
• Roberta's 12-Step Workbook for estranged parents and grandparents
• The mission of the ESMH Coalition

If you're an estranged parent, grandparent, therapist, or someone trying to understand the growing epidemic of family estrangement, this conversation offers compassion, practical wisdom, and encouragement that healing is possible, even when reconciliation isn't guaranteed.

🤝 ESMH Coalition
https://www.esmhcoalition.org/

👤 Roberta Wasserman, LCSW-C
https://www.robertawassermanlcsw-c.com/

📖 The 12-Step Workbook: Living in the Land of Estrangement
https://amzn.to/4eQfnrt

📚 Rules of Estrangement by Dr. Joshua Coleman
https://amzn.to/4vWkFb8

📘 When Parents Hurt by Dr. Joshua Coleman
https://amzn.to/4fpU7sN

💙 David Kessler
https://grief.com

📖 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation
https://www.ekrfoundation.org

🌐 Website & Resources
https://www.estrangedandrearranged.com/resources

🛍️ When They Walk Away: A Healing & Reflection Book for Estranged Parents
https://candicentral.etsy.com/listing/4372740625

📘 Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CuD1nHeS8/

👥 Join the When They Walk Away Support Group
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1SU79VBP4o/

🎵 TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@estranged.and.rea?_r=1&_t=ZT-95tKbPyH3mA

💬 Help spread the message

If this conversation encouraged you, please like, subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who may need it. Every share helps another parent or grandparent realize they are not alone.

In this episode:🔗 Resources Mentioned in This Episode🔗 Connect & Support