Joshua Coleman, PhD is an author and psychologist in private practice, a senior fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families, and a psychology consultant for Harvard University, department of psychology. His advice has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, and many other publications. He has lectured at University of California at Berkeley, University of London, and the Cornell Weill Medical School and he has appeared on Sesame Street, 20/20, the Today show, NPR, the BBC, Good Morning America and many other media outlets.
“Finally, here’s a hopeful, comprehensive, and compassionate guide
to navigating one of the most painful experiences for parents and
their adult children alike. Rules of
Estrangement candidly addresses parental estrangement from
every conceivable angle, steering readers away from shame and blame
to a place of newfound understanding and empowerment. I’ve seen
many parents and adult children grappling with these issues, and
this is exactly the book they have all been waiting for. I will be
recommending it widely.”—Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist
and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should
Talk to Someone
“A very thoughtful book filled with great wisdom and care. Over Dr.
Coleman’s years of practice, as well as his own personal journey,
he has developed a deep appreciation for how to help parents see
their relationship with their children through the child’s eyes. It
is through that process of compassionate perspective taking that a
healing conversation can begin.”—Amy J. L. Baker, PhD, author
of Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome
“Coleman addresses what historians see as a strange paradox: Even
as more adult children view their parents as friends rather than
mere obligations, psychologists report seeing a wave of parents who
have been rejected by their adult children. Coleman explores the
socioeconomic and cultural changes that inflate both our
expectations and our disappointments in family life, offering
calming advice on ways that estranged families can recover or move
on.”—Stephanie Coontz, author of The Way We Never Were: American
Families and the Nostalgia Trap
“With the authority and wisdom that comes from both a firm
grounding in history, sociology, and, especially, clinical
practice, Joshua Coleman provides compassionate and useful advice
to parents and their adult children as they try to navigate the
minefield of past family experience. His work with families
is engaging, informative, exceedingly helpful.”—Frank Furstenberg,
Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology, emeritus, University of
Pennsylvania
“Rules of Estrangement is a must-read guide for any parent in a
troubled relationship with their adult child. But it is also
so much more—a sharp social and philosophical analysis of what it
means to be part of a family in our strange cultural moment and a
road map for parents everywhere to strengthen and future-proof
their relationships with their children.”—Ruth Whippman, author of
America the Anxious
“Joshua Coleman has provided a beautifully written book that
describes painful disruptions in relationships between parents and
their adult children. His wise and authoritative strategies and
specific tips will prove to be essential for both younger and older
generations and for clinicians who attempt to foster hope and
relationship repair.”—Carolyn and Philip Cowan, emeritus psychology
professors at UC Berkeley
“I have, for many years, recommended people to go see Dr. Coleman,
but until I read this book, I don't think I ever knew the
extraordinary range of his gifts. Yes, there are many sad
stories in this book—but there are also fantastic stories of
reconciliation and personal renewal. It's inspirational.”—Pepper
Schwartz, PhD, sociologist and psychology expert on Married at
First Sight
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