Going no contact with your parents is brave. The average age at which an adult chooses estrangement from a parent is 26. Typically, this decision comes only after many attempts to repair, manage, or maintain the relationship.

Whitney Goodman, LMFT, founder of Calling Home, explains:

“In my experience, estranged adults make several attempts to repair things with their parents throughout their lifetime at a minimum. Unfortunately, what is often overlooked are the methods by which those attempts are made. We often don’t recognize those attempts as attempts because of the child’s age at the time of the repair.”

“This is likely why many adults feel like they do not want to explain to their parents why they’re upset with them and what needs to be fixed—because they have already done so, so many times throughout their life. I find that many adults I have spoken with did make additional and final attempts to explain to their parents or to go to therapy with them before becoming estranged.”

Estrangement isn’t just about TRAUMA, in capital letters.

While childhood abuse is one of the most commonly cited reasons for estrangement, it’s important to acknowledge the broader spectrum of harm. Even if you didn’t experience........

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