ODL 361: When Family Ties Unravel: Clinical Issues of Parental Estrangement and Adult Children

Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credit for an asynchronous course. Some state boards may place restrictions regarding the modality of training required for ethics credits to be awarded. If this training indicates ethics credits are available, please verify that your state allows them to be earned through an on-demand course format.

5 CREDIT HOURS APPROVED FOR:

Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 5 Clinical CE Credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 5 Contact Hours
Psychologists
APA – 5 CE Credits
Counselors
NBCC ACEP – 5 Contact Hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact Hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – This course is not approved for NAADAC Contact hours.
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 5 Contact Hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact Hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 5 Contact Hours

Created On:    10/16/25             

Target Audience:

This course is targeted for social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses and case managers.

Overview:

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.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the session, the participant will be able to:

• Define and understand the concept of parental estrangement and its distinguishing features as well as recognizable clinical signs and symptoms.
• List the emotional and psychological effects of estrangement on both parents and adult children.
• Identify 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.
• Demonstrate 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.
• Explain how to facilitate clinical sessions around reconciliation, development of realistic expectations, healthy boundaries, and coping mechanisms.

Presenters:

Stephanie Newberg, LCSW, MEd, is a licensed psychotherapist in Florida and Pennsylvania, 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. In addition, 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. In addition, 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 and her master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University, New York, 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.