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Going no contact is a decisive step taken to end physical, psychological, or emotional suffering at the hands of an abusive sibling or other family member. As a tactic to protect oneself from continual hurt, it is generally the last resort. Photo credit: Alex Green/Pexels  

This is the earliest photo I've seen of my mother, Edith Schumer nee Westerfeld. Taken in 1925 in Stockstadt am Rhein, Germany, Edith is pictured here when she was only months old. The second woman from the right is holding her, and that's her older sister, Betty, standing in front of their mother. Edith and Betty survived the Holocaust, as my grandparents had the foresight to send both of them ...

Researchers have identified many root causes of estrangement, but undiagnosed autism is not on that list. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brothers-sisters-strangers/202305/a-hidden-cause-of-troubled-family-relationships

Therapist Whitney Goodman praises Brothers, Sisters, Strangers on Tik Tok, and identifies her favorite quote from the book. https://www.tiktok.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft/video/7228216188944567598

My mother, Edith Schumer, was a Holocaust refugee who fled Nazi Germany as a 12-year-old unaccompanied minor. She never said a word about her past – even though the anguish and abandonment she felt in fleeing her village alone had defined her life. She lost everything in 1938: her home, her family, her language, her loyalties, her identity. The way she coped was to never speak of her early life, ...

Many abandon their true selves to hold onto relationships, even toxic ones.   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brothers-sisters-strangers/202305/choosing-between-authenticity-and-attachment

The illness or death of an estranged family member can present one of the most vexing moments for those cut off from that person and/or others in the family. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brothers-sisters-strangers/202304/grieving-the-death-of-an-estranged-family-member?error_code=1349037&error_message=User+opted+out+of+platform%3A+The+action+attempted+is+disallowed%2C+because+the+user+has+opted+out+of+Facebook+platform.#_=_

A guide to exploring your troubled sibling relationship through writing. Link to order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLLTT6SJ#SalesRank  

I have worked with many clients as they navigate the range of emotions of sibling estrangement – from anger to sadness to rumination. Often, those who are shunned are struggling with ongoing grief, as they mourn the living. I offer private, one-on-one sessions to discuss estrangement, reconciliation, and family relations in general. I draw upon my research for the books I’ve written on this topic, as well as my lived experience ...

Amazon is offering BROTHERS, SISTERS, STRANGERS at a 32% discount right now. The hardcover is only $18.99 -- $9 off the regular price.     https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Sisters-Strangers-Estrangement-Reconciliation/dp/0525561692/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=tYeS5&content-id=amzn1.sym.bc5f3394-3b4c-4031-8ac0-18107ac75816&pf_rd_p=bc5f3394-3b4c-4031-8ac0-18107ac75816&pf_rd_r=G74GB0FRCEPN6S45C1EP&pd_rd_wg=CWv9l&pd_rd_r=4cc3a036-cfdf-430f-b98b-85ae5588cef6&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m