Whitney reviews anonymous letters written by estranged parents to their adult children. She identifies patterns of spiritual bypassing disguised as kindness, conditional accountability, minimization of harm, defensive anger masked as concern, and comparison used as manipulation. This isn't about shaming anyone; it's about naming what's happening beneath the surface so you can better understand your own experience with estrangement.
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex
family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co
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Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
00:00 Introduction: Reviewing real letters from estranged parents
02:01 Letter 1
13:20 Letter 2
19:40 Letter 3
25:56 Letter 4
35:21 Conclusion
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