Why do adult children walk away from their parents—and can families ever truly heal after the silence?
Family estrangement is one of the most painful and least understood realities of modern life. Parents are left heartbroken and searching for answers. Adult children carry guilt, fear, and unresolved emotional wounds. Both sides suffer. Both sides wonder what went wrong.
In Estranged: Why Adult Children Walk Away and How Parents and Families Can Heal, attorney and educator Aisha Othman offers a deeply compassionate, research-based guide to understanding this growing family crisis. Drawing from the work of leading experts including Dr. Joshua Coleman, Dr. Lindsay Gibson, Nedra Glover Tawwab, and sociologist Allison Pugh, this book blends psychology, real-life stories, and practical tools to illuminate why estrangement happens—and what healing can realistically look like.
Inside, you will discover:
- The most common reasons adult children distance themselves
- How emotional immaturity, trauma, control, and boundaries fracture family bonds
- What parents often do with good intentions that unknowingly causes more harm
- How adult children can protect their emotional well-being without drowning in guilt
- When reconciliation is possible—and when distance may be necessary for healing
- Communication tools, reflection exercises, and pathways forward for both sides
This is not a book of blame. It is a book of clarity, accountability, and hope—written for parents longing for answers, adult children seeking peace, therapists supporting families, and anyone navigating complex family relationships.
Whether your path leads toward reconnection, reinvention, or peaceful distance, Estranged offers insight, compassion, and a grounded way forward.