Still Waiting for Your Parent to Change?

Intellectually, many adult children recognize that their parent is unlikely to become the nurturing, emotionally available, validating person they have longed for. What they are grieving isn't simply a difficult parent; they are grieving the relationship they always believed was still possible. Although often well-intentioned, these responses can unintentionally minimize a profound emotional loss. Healing often begins when we recognize that we aren't grieving the loss of a parent, we're grieving the loss of the parent we needed. What Healing Looks LikeHealing often begins with grief, not grieving the loss of your parent, but grieving the loss of the parent you deserved.