
Families with addiction often experience strained relationships. This program offers support to focus on healing and reconnecting with ourselves and develop new strategies to improve our relationship with our loved ones.
"To heal the Fruit, we must heal the Root "
Are you a parent impacted by a loved one’s substance use and struggling in your relationship with an adult child? Fall-out from the effects of the family disease of addiction can cause stress and strain on other important family relationships.
This program is offered as a support and resource to help parents develop new strategies to heal and rebuild troubled relationships with adult children. The format will include various options throughout the year including multi-media and book studies, professionally led workshops, and guided discussions within a support group framework.
To learn more about this program to see if it's a good fit for you, contact rhonda@oasisbethlehem.org
New Series begins Sept 2026. Limited space; advance registration required!

Estrangement isn't always an all or nothing experience. In fact, there are many levels in-between, and even different types of estrangement:
Being on "good terms" with someone at family events and gatherings but noticing a slight change in how one feels. Communication is respectful and functional. You may not be especially close, but conversations are civil and cooperative. There’s room for everyday exchanges and occasional warmth.
Greater awareness of unhappiness in relationship; slowing down communication, not visiting as often. Communication becomes limited or one-sided. Texts or calls might go
unanswered or receive short, detached replies. Contact may occur only for holidays, major events, or practical reasons, with little emotional connection.
There is still communication, but it often feels tense, unpredictable, or painful. Interactions may include petty accusations, defensiveness, or intentional misunderstandings. The adult child or their spouse may react with hostility or refuse to take responsibility for hurtful behavior. Conversations tend to go in circles or end in conflict, leaving
the parent emotionally drained.
Proactively cutting attempts to communicate - could last for X amount of time. The adult child clearly expresses a wish for no communication—or completely ignores messages and attempts to reconnect. There is no ongoing dialogue, though one or both parties may still hold hope for future reconciliation.
Loss of relationship, no communication or efforts being made; living life without this person. All contact has ended, and the relationship is fully cut off. There is no communication, no mutual expectation of change, and often a deep grieving process for the loss of the relationship as it once was.

As modern society faces an epidemic of "cut-off" culture, there is now a plethora of books, podcasts, articles, and professionals getting on the bandwagon to help both adult children and their parents navigate this painful new trend.
Below is a short list of some of today's leading voices in the Estrangement Movement: therapists, coaches, and authors that provide resources for parental estrangement. Most offer free content however some are subscription-based.
*Dr. Joshua Coleman, formerly estranged parent/author
*Mathias J. Barker, LMHC, formerly estranged adult child- free webinar “Navigating the Divide”
*Rachel Haack, LMFT
*Roberta Wasserman, LCSW, estranged parent/author of 12 step workbook
*Peter H. Anderson, LMFT
*Kathy Sinsheimer, MFT
*Dr. Karl Pillemer, Cornell University, author
*Dr. Kristina Scharp, Rutgers University
Tania Khazaal, formerly estranged adult child/coach
*Mending Spaces Retreats for estranged parents
PODCASTS:
'Family Troubles' with Dr. Joshua Coleman
'The Reconnection Club' with Tina Gilbertson
'The Estranged Mom Coach' with Jenny Good
'The Terri Cole Show'
'The Reconciled Relationships' with Sally Harris
'The Estranged Heart' with Kreed Revere
'When Our Adult Children Walk Away' with Dr. Janet Steinkamp
'Family Disappeared' with Lawrence Joss [parental alienation]
'Surviving Narcissism' with Dr. Les Carter
* Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child: Practical Tips & Tools to Heal Your Relationship, by Tina Gilbertson, LPC
* Constructive Wallowing, by Tina Gilbertson, LPC
* Helping Parents Heal support group curriculum, by Dr. Joshua Coleman
* Done with the Crying: Help & Healing for Estranged Mothers, by Sherri McGregor, M.A.
Additionally, we have offered several experiential workshops for support.
OASIS Community Center
3410 Bath Pike Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017 US