Whitney Goodman teams up with therapist Kate Gray (@codependencykate) to analyze a viral YouTube video from an estranged parent with over 1.2 million views. They break down common patterns of defensiveness, emotional neglect, and deflection that prevent reconciliation, offering insights for both estranged adult children and estranged parents on how these dynamics play out and what healthier approaches might look like.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co or leave a voicemail to 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

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Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimers About Analyzing Real People

05:24 The Politics Defense and Minimizing the Daughter’s Letter

13:53 Empty Gestures vs. Real Connection

26:45 The Birthday Martyrdom and Drama Triangle

34:06 Public Betrayal

42:43 Ghosting vs. Setting Boundaries

53:54 Spiritual Bypassing and Avoiding Real Accountability

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