Therapists' Role in Family Estrangement Under Scrutiny Amid Rising 'No Contact' Trend
A growing trend of adult children initiating 'no contact' with family members, often with the involvement of therapists, is raising questions about the role of mental health professionals. Elizabeth Bernstein, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, highlights that while individual therapists are trained to support their clients, they may not always consider the broader family system. This can lead to situations where therapists, sometimes lacking extensive training in family systems, may encourage estrangement without a full understanding of the family dynamics. The phenomenon is particularly prevalent among young adults, who are often the ones initiating the cutoff. The discussion also touches on the broadening definitions of terms like 'trauma' and 'toxic,' which some psychologists refer to as 'concept creep,' potentially contributing to more frequent decisions to sever family ties.
