Source: Fox News
Summary
A 2025 YouGov poll found that nearly 40% of Americans are estranged from a close family member, with 24% estranged from a sibling, 16% from a parent, and 10% from a child. Two surveys of 5,200 U.S. parents who were estranged from adult children found that 1,014 reported their children began therapy within a year before the estrangement. Some parents said their children’s therapy influenced their decision to cut ties. Researchers like Richard Blake, PhD, suggest therapy may contribute to an “overcorrection” in family relationships, particularly when it emphasizes one person’s experience over the broader context. Others, like Lucy Blake, Ph.D., argue therapy can be helpful when therapists understand the complexity of estrangement.
Our Reading
The advice sounds familiar.
Therapy is both a solution and a potential cause of family rifts.
Some parents say therapists encouraged their children to cut them off.
Experts debate whether emotional abuse is being overdiagnosed in family conflicts.
There’s a growing belief that therapy has raised the bar for what counts as good enough parenting.
Author: Evan Null
Parent-Child Estrangements Rise
A 2025 YouGov poll found that nearly 40% of Americans are estranged from a close family member, with 24% estranged from a sibling, 16% from a parent, and 10% from a child. This trend has sparked questions about the role of therapy in family fractures.
Therapy and Estrangement
Two surveys of 5,200 U.S. parents who were estranged from adult children found that 1,014 reported their children began therapy within a year before the estrangement. Some parents said their children’s therapy influenced their decision to cut ties.
Therapy as a Double-Edged Sword
Richard Blake, PhD, a psychology researcher, refers to the trend as an “overcorrection” in society. He suggests therapy may be contributing to family estrangement when it focuses too narrowly on one person’s experience.
Debates Over Emotional Abuse
Blake also notes that the term “emotional abuse” is sometimes applied broadly in therapy, especially in conflicts over politics, religion, and language. He argues that therapy has raised the bar for what is considered good enough parenting.
Varied Experiences With Therapy
While some find therapy helpful, others say it can be unhelpful, particularly when therapists lack warmth or fail to understand the impact of estrangement. Experts agree that bringing in a neutral third party, like a mediator, may be beneficial in some cases.
