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LIVE Continuing Education

When Family Ties Unravel: Clinical Issues of Parental Estrangement and Adult Children

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Continuing Education

About The Live CE Event

Date and Time: Friday, 11/14/25, 10am – 2pm EST

Learning Method: Synchronous distance (interactive). Attendees will also get access to a recorded video and the presented resources.

Amount of CE Credit Offered: 4 credits for both ASWB ACE and NBCC.

Fees: This live event is available to subscribers of our annual unlimited continuing education subscription, available for $99/year, which includes 6+ live events per year and 150+ CE courses!

Certificate of Completion: To receive a certificate of completion, you must attend the entire live event.

Course Description: Parental estrangement is a growing and complex phenomenon affecting many families, particularly in the context of adult children distancing themselves from their parents or parents needing to disconnect from their children. This course is designed for mental health clinicians seeking to deepen their understanding of estrangement and its profound impact on both parents and adult children. Through this course, clinicians will gain insights into the emotional, psychological, and relational implications of estrangement. They will also learn how to identify the contributing factors, assess clients’ needs, and understand techniques and clinical interventions. Clinicians will be equipped to support clients struggling with estrangement, whether they are seeking reconciliation or processing the loss of the relationship.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define and understand the concept of parental estrangement, distinguishing features as well as recognizable clinical signs and symptoms.
  2. Understand the emotional and psychological effects of estrangement on both parents and adult children, including anger, grief, guilt, and shame, as well as the long-term impacts family dynamics and relationships.
  3. Explore the common factors that contribute to parental estrangement, including relational dynamics, past trauma, personality disorders, parental alienation, family pressure, as well as societal/political or cultural influences.
  4. Understand the implications for boundary setting that may lead to parental/ adult child estrangement.
  5. Develop the ability to assess the dynamics of estrangement during clinical sessions, including the level of emotional distress, patterns of behavior, boundary setting and underlying causes from a trauma-informed perspective.
  6. Learn how to Implement various clinical/therapeutic techniques utilizing interventions such as grief counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, EMDR, Brainspotting, psychodynamic and IFS to help clients process emotions and navigate the complexities around ongoing estrangement.
  7. Understand how to facilitate clinical sessions around reconciliation, development of realistic expectations, healthy boundaries, and coping mechanisms.

Instructor Bio(s):

Stephanie Newberg, LCSW, M.Ed

Stephanie is a licensed psychotherapist in FL and PA, working with individuals, couples and families. She has been in practice for more than 25 years specializing in: family and couples therapy, conflict resolution, grief and loss, parenting support and the implications of divorce on children and families.

Stephanie is a trained family and divorce mediator/ co-parent counselor and has received intensive training in sand tray play therapy for adolescents and children. Stephanie has led numerous workshops and presentations for adults and adolescents on relationship and communication skills, dealing with the effects of divorce on families, diversity issues, cyberbullying/effects of technology on development, nutrition and mental health, and conflict resolution skills.

Stephanie has numerous publications and has been on two podcasts. Stephanie is a certified counselor for first responders, trained in neuro- emotional techniques, served as a consultant for the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia, PA and works at the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social work as an adjunct professor, supervisor, and field work liaison for social work students

Alyse November, PhD, LCSW obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University, N.Y., and her PhD in Clinical Sexology from IICS. She is credentialed by the Academy of Certified Social Workers.

Alyse is the founder of Different Like Me, a company with a staff of over 30 professionals providing psychotherapy, psychoeducational testing and cognitive rehabilitation. As a licensed clinical social worker, Alyse provides psychotherapy to individuals across the lifespan. A substantial portion of her practice has focused on addressing challenges faced by children, adults, seniors, and families ranging from trauma, narcissistic and borderline family recovery, aging, chronic illness, divorce, trans-care, relationships, parenting, and special needs, end of life issues, dementia, caregiving, educational challenges, anxiety, and depression. Her PhD dissertation focused on the assessment of sexual challenges and dementia. Alyse also created DLMU which is an educational platform that provides seminars for both professional and personal development.

Alyse is:

  • Certified in EMDR, Brainspotting and transgender care
  • A published author and a national speaker and presenter
  • Awarded 2022 Social Worker of the Year: National Association of Social Workers
  • A Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, parenting coordinator and a collaboratively trained divorce facilitator
  • Palm Beach Chapter Past President/Chair for the National Association of Social Workers
  • A past board member of Florida’s Voice on Developmental Disabilities and National Association of Divorce Professionals

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Specific Skills Taught

  • Understand the principles and dynamics of parental estrangement and adult children.
  • Understand and identify the unique emotional and psychological needs of estranged adult children and parents. 
  • Apply therapeutic interventions tailored to the stages of estrangement and its impact on both parents and adult children.
  • Learn how to help estranged family members create structures around effective communication, decision making, and boundaries should reconciliation be possible or if estrangement continues. 
  • Understand the ethical issues involved in working with estranged families, including confidentiality, bias, and autonomy.
  • Learn how to support one parent or child in navigating estrangement when the other party is unwilling or uncooperative.
  • Adapt interventions to meet the unique cultural needs of diverse families, including LGBTQ+ individuals and families facing estrangement.
  • Apply trauma-informed care principles to understand and address the potential trauma experienced by both adult children and parents during estrangement.
  • Develop self-care strategies to manage the emotional demands of working with estranged families.
  • Empower clients to navigate the challenges of estrangement and build resilience, regardless of the outcome.
  • Understand the dynamics of parental alienation and how this can lead to estranged parents and adult children.

Teaching Methods:

 This course will be taught with a combination of methods including didactic lecture and interactive activities which will:

  • Offer participants the opportunity to practice the skills, techniques and strategies that prepare them for working with adult children and families as related to estrangement.
  • Engage participants in experiencing the client perspective through hands-on experiential exercises.
  • Discussion of how to apply clinical skills relating to estrangement, as well as provide case examples throughout.

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Target Audience: 

Mental health professionals (Therapists, Counselors, and Social Workers).

Content Level:

Both beginning and intermediate-level content are included in this live event.

Requesting Accessibility Accommodations:

Please email [email protected] to request accessibility accommodations.

System Requirements:

  • The most recent version of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge browser
  • Javascript enabled
  • PDF plugin
  • Graphic and audio output capability
  • Broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 5Mbps (recommended)
  • TLS 1.2 supported by your web browser

Refund Policy: In general, refunds will not be provided. However, if you do have any concerns or grievances, please contact us at the email address below. The Agents of Change Grievance Policy can be viewed here.

Cancellation Policy: If an Agents of Change Continuing Education event is canceled, a full refund will be provided to all participants.

Please email [email protected] with any questions about the live event. 

Agents of Change is Approved by ACE

Agents of Change, #1919, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 7/26/2023 – 7/26/2027.

Agents of Change is Approved by NBCC

Agents of Change has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7620. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Agents of Change is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

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