Written For GOOP
Being estranged from family can be really difficult. And even when, remarkably, it is not as difficult—when we know our boundaries, have made our choices, and have formed our chosen families—we come up against the narrow cultural expectations that bubble up around, say, holidays like Christmas or Mother’s Day.
We asked Santa Monica–based family therapist Ashley Graber how she helps clients navigate boundaries, loss, and the holidays. “Every day of work, I’m helping people fight against some societal norm that has them really fighting against their own inner core and their own beliefs,” she says. “When it comes to estrangement, clients tell me sometimes the shame is worse than the loss of the person.”
