Working therapeutically with family estrangement

This 2-part webinar series seeks to offer practitioners an insider view into the inner lived experience of family estrangement by drawing on research, clinical experiences, and narratives of estrangement. Delve into a comprehensive understanding of family estrangement, not only by grasping its definition but also by examining the multifaceted forms it can manifest and gaining insights into its prevalence within diverse societal contexts.

This webinar is primarily designed for psychotherapeutic practitioners, but it can also be advantageous for professionals in related healthcare fields who work with individuals or families affected by estrangement.

Read more and book your place here: https://icinstitute.co.uk/services/professional-services/training-courses/family-estrangement-webinar-series/

Estrangement – An introduction:

Research shows that family estrangement can be a devastating experience. The distress associated with estrangement can manifest on various levels, stemming from past instances of neglect or abuse, or emerging from challenging circumstances like divorce or poverty [1].

The process of becoming estranged from a family member or being the rejected party can also be a highly traumatic experience. However, given its fundamentally relational nature, estrangement is often intricately connected to early relational trauma[2].

The prevailing silence and shame surrounding estrangement, particularly within parent-child relationships, obscure the true extent of its prevalence, with research indicating that it occurs more frequently than commonly perceived [3].

Family estrangement is a complex relational issue that leaves those amidst an estrangement struggling to find those with whom they can feel genuinely understood. Recent studies have shown that even within psychotherapeutic practice, a lack of understanding can have important implications for treatment[4].

Consequently, knowledge of estrangement as a lived experience can help psychotherapists make interpersonal contact with their estranged clients to alleviate their suffering and to help them heal relationally.

The understanding displayed by practitioners therefore plays a crucial role in developing the kind of interpersonal connection that allows for establishing an environment that promotes self-acceptance, growth and change with clients who are experiencing estrangement.

Speaker: Dr Samantha Barcham

Samantha is a BPS Chartered Counselling Psychologist and integrative psychotherapist. She possesses a particular depth of knowledge and experience in working with family estrangement, which was the topic of her research. She has a deep passion for shedding light on the often overlooked and misunderstood impact of family estrangement on individuals and families.

Drawing from her own personal journey of estrangement and enriched by her extensive research, Samantha seeks to engage in heartfelt conversations and offer valuable insights, particularly through narratives and stories of estrangement.