Grieving Estrangement

About this event

The holiday season often amplifies the grief and pain of estrangement. While the world around us focuses on family gatherings and traditions, many of us are carrying the heavy, unspoken weight of relational losses from family or loved ones we once held close.

Estrangement grief is rarely simple. Cutoffs seldom happen overnight; it is often a long, painful unraveling over years or decades. When the final cord is cut, it may seem like closure or relief on the surface, but inside, we often carry a quiet mix of sadness, anger, and disappointment over what was, alongside a longing for what could have or should have been.

Whether you are fully no-contact, navigating low-contact, or still grappling with where things stand, you do not have to carry this heavy weight alone.

What to Expect

This group strives to create a compassionate, empathetic space that is safe enough to share your authentic self with others and begin to:

Mourn the Loss of Ourselves: Managing the grief of pushing away the parts of ourselves that we don't agree with or that were causing harm.

Mourn the Loss of Others: Navigating the pain of relational losses with others due to disagreements, identity changes, or harm caused.

Mourn the Loss of the World Around Us: Processing the collateral losses that come with estrangement as your connection to community, traditions, and the broader world changes.

Attendance at every meeting isn’t required—come to as many sessions as your schedule and emotional energy allow. Whatever point you are at in your journey, you are welcome here.

Led by Kelly Rhyne

Kelly Rhyne (they, she) — As a clinically trained social worker, chaplain, and educator, Kelly focuses on the multidimensional landscape of estrangement trauma and grief — the profound distancing that occurs when significant ruptures shift our relationships from aligned and attached to disconnected and unsafe. Kelly supports folks in moving their grief from the inside out in order to begin mourning the estrangements that have grown within themselves, with others, and with the world at large. In addition to teaching, speaking, and writing, Kelly offers unique therapy intensives — extended, deep-dive sessions designed to support those living with estrangements. Grounded in holistic, integrative care, Kelly collaborates with grievers to create "safe enough" spaces to hold their deepest and darkest griefs, acknowledge the most complicated parts of themselves, and navigate the competing truths found both inside and outside of them. www.giveintolovetherapeutics.com