Family Estrangement in Clinical Practice
Tools for Supporting Clients Going Low Contact, No Contact or Considering Reconciliation
- Speaker:
- Sherrie Campbell, PhD
- Duration:
- Full Day
- Product Code:
- LWC151084
- Brochure Code:
- PWZ96892
- Media Type:
- Live Webinar - Also available: Digital Seminar
Description
- Assess safety, initiation, and power dynamics in estranged family systems
- Avoid clinical harm caused by mislabeling all estrangement as ‘no contact”
- Why “low effort” families can be just as toxic as high-conflict ones
- Apply trauma-informed interventions tailored to estrangement type
- Support ethical decision-making around reconciliation and boundaries
Torn between loyalty and self protection, grief and relief, clarity and self doubt …
… these clients are asking you what to do –
Should I stay in contact? Am I doing the right thing cutting ties? How do I live with this?
But this isn’t a low-stakes decision. And it’s probably one you’ve never had training on.
That’s why we created this program.
Join Dr. Sherrie Campbell, nationally recognized expert on family estrangement, TEDx speaker and bestselling author of But It’s Your Family.
In just one day, she’ll show you how to distinguish protective estrangement from abandonment, manipulation, scapegoating, and neglect…
… PLUS how to use structured assessment tools, trauma-informed interventions, and ethical frameworks to confidently support clients who are going low contact, no contact, or considering reconciliation.
You’ll discover:
- How to help clients differentiate flawed parents from emotionally abusive parents
- Why “low effort” families can be just as toxic as high-conflict ones
- How clients are retraumatized by cultural “but it’s your family” pressure
- How to provide ethical validation without over simplified “go no contact” advice
- How to treat shame, grief, and identity collapse after cutting ties
So many clients are dealing with estrangement decisions or fallout.
This training will help make sure you’re ready to support them.
Reserve your spot today!
Credit
Speaker
Sherrie Campbell, PhD Related seminars and products
Sherrie Campbell, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping healthy people cut ties with the toxic people in their lives. She is a nationally recognized expert on family estrangement, a best-selling author, TEDx speaker with over 500k views, top 1% podcast host of the Sherapy Sessions: The How’s of Hidden Family Trauma, a well-known social media influencer and a regularly featured media expert. Her books include But It’s Your Family…Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath and You are Home: Heal From Family Trauma, Establish Boundaries, and Find a Place of Peace and Safety.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Sherrie Campbell maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Sherrie Campbell has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Additional Info
Access Period for Live WebcastYou will have access for 90 days after the program for review. For live CE credit, you must watch the live webcast in its entirety at its scheduled time and complete the CE quiz and evaluation within one week. Please note that this requirement may vary by credit type. Please see detailed credit information for specific requirements for each credit type.
Webcast Schedule
Please note: There will be a 70-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lunch and break times will be announced by the speaker and at their discretion. A more detailed schedule is available upon request.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info
Objectives
- Differentiate between clinically distinct forms of family estrangement.
- Evaluate initiation, power distribution, and safety factors within estranged family systems.
- Identify indicators that differentiate self-protective estrangement from abandonment.
- Apply trauma-informed interventions based on estrangement types.
- Use self-compassion strategies to reduce shame and self-blame in scapegoated clients.
- Examine ethical risks related to reconciliation and therapist bias.
Outline
Why “No Contact” Is an Incomplete Clinical Concept
- Cultural oversimplification of estrangement
- Clinical risks of mislabeling
- Psychological consequences of conceptual collapse
- Overview of estrangement typologies and power dynamics
- Why precision prevents clinical harm
Clinically Distinct Types of Family Estrangement
- Protective no contact
- Scapegoating estrangement
- Parent-led estrangement
- Cancel-culture estrangement
- Parental alienation dynamics
- Low-effort family estrangement
- Mutual vs unilateral estrangement
- Chronic intermittent contact patterns
Assessment: Identifying Initiation, Power, Safety, and Clinical Risk
- Mapping power and initiation
- Evaluate trauma, grief, and shame presentations
- Identify red flags for misdiagnosis
- Structured assessment frameworks
Treatment Planning and Clinical Interventions
- Stabilization and psychoeducation
- Shame reduction and self-compassion interventions
- Attachment repair and corrective therapeutic experience
- Emotion regulation and distress tolerance
- Boundary development and implementation
- Grief processing interventions
- Matching intervention to estrangement type
- Research, risks and limitations
Ethics, Clinical Bias, and Limitations
- Reconsolidation bias
- Therapist discomfort with rupture
- Cultural and generational pressures
- APA ethics considerations
Post-Estrangement Integration
- Clinical markers of integration
- Differentiate unresolved vs integrated estrangement
- Identity consolidation
- Integration as outcome marker
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Psychologists
- Registered Psychotherapists
- Addiction Counselors
Reviews
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