Family Estrangement is a hugely prevalent phenomenon, affecting potentially 1 in 5 families in the UK, and 1 in 4 adults in America.
And yet, despite this, there is a lack of training and resources for not only estranged adults but also the professionals working with them. Considering the stigma and shame associated with family struggles and eventual estrangement, therapists, psychologists, etc. are in a unique position to validate client experiences and the complex family dynamics that led to the estrangement. They can also offer emotional and practical support, by resourcing them through the various psychological, relational, and social challenges they face being estranged in contemporary society.
This workshop acts as an introduction to the topic and offers eight key points to consider when working with adults who are estranged from one or more family members.
Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event
- Provide clarity on what exactly Family Estrangement is and why it happens.
- Establish the layered and complex impact an estrangement can have.
- Discuss the role professionals, such as therapists, can play in supporting estranged adults.
Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?
- Psychotherapists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Mediators, etc.
How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?
- Participants will be able to identify if a client is estranged and have a better understanding of the challenges they might be facing.
Course Content
Presenter
Karl Melvin is an Irish Psychotherapist, accrediated with the IACP and has a Masters degree in Counseling and Psychotherapy.
He has spent 13 years working with estranged adults from various perspectives. His approach involves helping clients to understand their complex family history and dynamics, as well navigating the equally complex challenges of being estranged in contemporary society.
He provides training global to estranged adults as well as professionals working with estrangement, such as Psychotherapists and Psychologists. He has also contributed to estrangement articles in the media in both Ireland and the US.
He has one family estrangement published in the Family Journal, entitled “The Changing Impact and Challenges of Family Estrangement”.
His first book “Navigating Family Estrangement” is published by Routledge and is available for pre-order on Amazon.
