It’s common for trauma therapy and chosen family estrangement to go hand-in-hand. Some trauma survivors begin therapy already estranged from family; others choose estrangement during or after treatment. Estrangement may be brief, longer term, or permanent. Regardless of duration, trauma therapists often work with survivors who choose estrangement so frequently that anti-estrangement advocates often claim therapy causes estrangement.

This allegation isn’t true, as the goal of trauma therapy is to treat trauma, not to initiate family estrangement. Yet, trauma therapy also does not seek to end estrangements or prevent them from occurring. In fact, several aspects of trauma treatment naturally support survivors in making decisions, including family estrangement, that prioritize their safety and well-being.

Here are three common reasons trauma therapy may welcome, rather than discourage, family estrangement.

Trauma survivors often feel unsafe, even when no immediate danger exists. One of the most vital aspects of trauma therapy is helping survivors to assess their safety in the present, recognize when safety is threatened, and respond in ways that promote their safety. When survivors progress in trauma therapy, they are more likely to be able to distinguish between safe and unsafe relationships.

Not all family relationships are safe. Some family members caused, enabled, or failed to protect survivors, which has caused significant harm,........

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