Miscellaneous
We’ve received a substantial number of questions from our listeners regarding familial estrangement: when one family member distances themselves from the others, or chooses not to interact with them at all. It’s a common and extremely challenging situation, and the pain related to it can be particularly intense during the holidays.Today on Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss family estrangement, particularly between parents and children, and how the questions we engage in this territory apply more broadly to how we balance our own boundaries with the responsibilities we have toward other people.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Key Topics:0:00: Introduction3:05: Our framework for discussing estrangement in this episode6:10: Joining and distancing9:40: Duties in relationship between children and aging parents15:35: Parents’ behavior then vs. now19:00: Distinguishing family systems from parents as individuals24:10: Functional forgiveness when someone doesn’t show remorse26:45: Choosing the kind of relationship we want to have31:45: Parents’ pain when children distance33:40: How parents can consider the child’s perspective39:40: Grieving an estranged relationship internally45:30: Approaches to interacting with estranged children52:30: How to decide whether or not to engage in a relationship55:10: Awareness of cultural influences57:20: Ownership and what parents can do to repair1:03:00: The wide range of variables influencing family relationships1:07:00: Wishing well regardless of circumstances1:09:30: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors:Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show:Subscribe on iTunesFollow Forrest on YouTubeFollow us on InstagramFollow Forrest on InstagramFollow Rick on FacebookFollow Forrest on FacebookVisit Forrest's website