Today, my guest Michelle Rohlf, and I talk about the pain suffered when children estrange themselves from their parents. She wants us to know that this is not a unique situation, and we are not alone if we are in this place.
Talking from her own experience that is chronicled in her book, "Losing Her, Finding me: A Mother's Story of Estrangement and Self-Discovery," she shares a story that is all too familiar to many parents. Her journey includes the ups and downs of trying to reconcile with her daughter, counseling for the two of them, recognizing her own character deficits that contributed to the overall situation.
During her journey she found a Christian-based, twelve-step program to help her cope with and recover from codependency. She defines codependency as putting your identity in something or someone outside yourself and being dependent upon whatever they do to complete you and define your purpose. She tells us we are important apart from others.
Feeling she wished to just die, she turned to an honest assessment of who she is, whose she is, and finding her own worth by God's lens while letting go of the need to please people while sacrificing her own self-worth and God-given purpose. Calling upon her faith she continues to inventory her feelings, reactions and actions in order to maintain emotional balance. Through inventorying her own contribution to problems, making amends, offering and granting grace and forgiveness she and her daughter have managed to reconcile.
She also emphasizes respect and boundaries for yourself and practicing respect and observation of boundaries of others. The tool of detachment has helped her maintain this balance and her emotional sobriety she has achieved in her recovery journey from codependency.
Her advice to other parents in this situation? Honor your need to grieve. Honor boundaries. Be gentle with yourself and know you did the best you could."
To learn more about Michelle, her book, her work with helping parents who are estranged from their children, look for her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Amazon by typing her name, Michelle Rohlf. Where she is available on these sites will come up. Or you can go to Michellewrites@gmailcom.
To check out some work on codependency, find books by Melody Beattie on Amazon.
To hear more music by Christine Marie, she is available on iTunes. Her email is CMarie127@outlook.com
If you have an interest in the group Celebrate Recovery, this is their website https://www.celebraterecovery.com/
To connect with Laura, go to https://lauralpadgett.com/
Today, my guest Michelle Rohlf, and I talk about the pain suffered when children estrange themselves from their parents. She wants us to know that this is not a unique situation, and we are not alone if we are in this place.
Talking from her own experience that is chronicled in her book, "Losing Her, Finding me: A Mother's Story of Estrangement and Self-Discovery," she shares a story that is all too familiar to many parents. Her journey includes the ups and downs of trying to reconcile with her daughter, counseling for the two of them, recognizing her own character deficits that contributed to the overall situation.
During her journey she found a Christian-based, twelve-step program to help her cope with and recover from codependency. She defines codependency as putting your identity in something or someone outside yourself and being dependent upon whatever they do to complete you and define your purpose. She tells us we are important apart from others.
Feeling she wished to just die, she turned to an honest assessment of who she is, whose she is, and finding her own worth by God's lens while letting go of the need to please people while sacrificing her own self-worth and God-given purpose. Calling upon her faith she continues to inventory her feelings, reactions and actions in order to maintain emotional balance. Through inventorying her own contribution to problems, making amends, offering and granting grace and forgiveness she and her daughter have managed to reconcile.
She also emphasizes respect and boundaries for yourself and practicing respect and observation of boundaries of others. The tool of detachment has helped her maintain this balance and her emotional sobriety she has achieved in her recovery journey from codependency.
Her advice to other parents in this situation? Honor your need to grieve. Honor boundaries. Be gentle with yourself and know you did the best you could."
To learn more about Michelle, her book, her work with helping parents who are estranged from their children, look for her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Amazon by typing her name, Michelle Rohlf. Where she is available on these sites will come up. Or you can go to Michellewrites@gmailcom.
To check out some work on codependency, find books by Melody Beattie on Amazon.
To hear more music by Christine Marie, she is available on iTunes. Her email is CMarie127@outlook.com
If you have an interest in the group Celebrate Recovery, this is their website https://www.celebraterecovery.com/
To connect with Laura, go to https://lauralpadgett.com/