178. How to Process a Letter From Your Estranged Adult Child

If you’ve received a letter from your estranged adult child, this week’s episode of the Reconnection Club Podcast, along with the one preceding it (Episode 177), is a must-listen. Because however hopeless, hurt or angry you might feel when you read it, it could actually contain the blueprint for future reconciliation and peace.
Many parents fail to decode the message that’s usually there between the lines - the one about what went wrong in the relationship, and how to help heal it.
That’s more valuable than any other information the parent could obtain about how to end estrangement. And yet most parents overlook it at first.
Before responding to a letter from your estranged adult child, use this two-part episode to process what they wrote. Be sure to start with Part 1!
Remember there’s no need to rush a reply; points are not given for quick responses, only effective ones. Set a boundary around your own process, and take the time you need.
For plenty of ideas on how to repair troubled relationships with adult children, read Tina’s book, Reconnecting With Your Estranged Adult Child.
Reconnection Club members can discuss this and every episode in the General Discussion forum inside the Reconnection Club.
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EPISODE SERIES RESOURCES:
Criticism As a Form of Connection Constructive Wallowing: How to Beat Bad Feelings By Letting Yourself Have Them RC Podcast Episode 139: Emotions of Estrangement (Part 1) RC Podcast Episode 140: Emotions of Estrangement (Part 2) Reconnection Club Podcast Ep. 168: Emotional Pain: A Field Guide