The Healing Power of Two Stories

Earn 2 CEUS!*

Description

A 2020 national survey of adult Americans found that 27% reported being currently estranged from a relative, with 10% reporting an active estrangement from either a parent or an adult child. For many of these families one side of the cutoff is coming to therapy to reconcile, heal or confront this rift. These estrangements are often fueled by deeply held convictions and values and therefore not easily resolved. However, the core of these divisions is often due the family's inability to hold two very different stories about their family identity at the same time. This workshop will be presenting some critical factors that may explain this phenonmenon. In particular, why familial cutoff has become such a common "solution" of choice to family relational problems and why so many ousted family members are mystified why the rift even occurred. This workshop will offer serveral pragmatic insights and tools for reframing the family narrative and teaching families how to maintain relationships while also holding two conflicted stories about who we are at the same time. Finally, the workshop will provide suggestions on how to remove common blocks to healing, restoring trust, accountability and reconciliation that may be helpful to therapists thrust into the middle of this family crisis.

Objectives:

1. Understanding the powerful values that create and maintain family estrangement.

2. Recognize the role and responsibility of psychoeducation in family estrangement and family repair, recognizing strengths and deficiencies in our obligation to families.

3. Offer a pragmatic path forward for restoration and reconciliation in estranged families that clients can understand and apply.

4. Suggest various ways the paths of healing and restoration of family connection can be blocked and how to resolve those blocks in therapy.

* This CE activity offered by Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family is approved by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as an approved CE Provider (approval valid through July 25, 2026).

This CE activity is pending CE approval with Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Board of Marriage and Family Therapy.