The Estranged Heart

The Estranged Heart
  • 4.6 (10)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Support and community for navigating the emotional storms of parent and adult child estrangement and repairing and transforming relationships with one another in healthy and productive ways.

  1. 2D AGO

    EP254: Self of Mother (Mother's Day)

    In this deeply reflective Mother’s Day episode of The Estranged Heart podcast, Kreed explores motherhood not simply as a role, but as an evolving identity - one that changes across the lifespan in ways many women are never emotionally prepared for. From the intensity of early caregiving to the shifting terrain of adolescence, adult independence, estrangement, reconciliation, and everything in between, this conversation examines the often invisible grief that emerges when motherhood changes shape. Together, we explore the emotional complexity of developmental separation, ambiguous relational grief, the hidden challenges of reconciliation, and the ways identity disruption can quietly shape maternal behavior. Most importantly, this episode invites a deeper question: If motherhood is meant to evolve, what does it mean to remain connected to yourself as the role changes? This is a conversation about grief, identity, emotional maturity, and the woman who continues becoming beneath every version of mother she has ever been. Key Takeaways Motherhood is not a single transformation; it is a lifelong identity evolution. Grief can emerge not only from estrangement, but from healthy developmental transitions and changing family roles. Emotional pain does not automatically make our interpretations accurate or our behaviors relationally helpful. Reconciliation does not always restore emotional ease, certainty, or maternal confidence. Becoming more fully yourself is not abandoning motherhood - it may be one of its most mature invitations. Chapters 00:00 The Complexity of Mother's Day 06:50 The Evolution of Motherhood 10:01 The Invisible Labor of Motherhood 12:43 Navigating Developmental Changes 16:10 The Emotional Landscape of Estrangement 18:53 Reconciliation and Its Challenges 22:03 The Impact of Uncertainty 24:51 Grief and Its Many Forms 27:49 The Journey of Self-Discovery 30:46 Finding Balance in Motherhood 33:47 The Invitation to Evolve 37:09 Grief Support and Moving Forward Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    45 min

  2. MAY 3

    EP253: Grieving Lost Potential (for estranged parents)

    Estranged parents carry a grief that doesn't fit any of the containers we have for it. It's not the grief of death. It doesn't come with rituals or recognition. And much of the world around them doesn't know how to hold it or quietly questions whether they have a right to it at all. In this episode of The Estranged Heart podcast, Kreed names a specific and often unspoken layer of that grief: the grief for the potential. Not the relationship you had with your adult child - the one you always believed was coming. The closeness that was supposed to develop. The grandmother you expected to become. The years ahead that had your child fully in them. In This Episode Why estrangement grief doesn't fit our existing containers for loss and why that makes it harder to move through What "grieving the potential" means for estranged parents: the specific futures that were lost, not just the relationship that exists now The particular grief of estranged mothers - including the grandmother grief that is often the most acute and least witnessed Anticipatory grief in the estranged parent experience: what it means to live in sustained, unresolved loss when reconciliation is still theoretically possible The grief of not being chosen - one of the most tender and least-named layers of the estranged parent experience How the "they'll come back eventually" narrative can become a way of skipping grief rather than sustaining hope - and why that matters Practical guidance for how to actually grieve the potential, including why specific grief moves where vague grief stays stuck Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Estrangement Grief 06:36 Understanding Potential Grief 12:10 Anticipatory Grief and Its Impact 14:35 What This Grief Is Not 17:11 The Grief of Not Being Chosen 21:39 Navigating Grief and Hope 23:53 Practical Steps to Grieve Potential 26:14 Finding Wholeness Beyond Grief Resources & Support Facebook Support Group for Estranged Moms (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    30 min

  3. APR 30

    EP252: Grieving Lost Potential (for estranged adult children)

    There is a sentence that follows estranged adult children like a slow-moving storm - especially when a parent is aging, ill, or has died: You're going to regret this. It sounds like concern. It lands like a verdict. In this episode of The Estranged Heart podcast, Kreed unpacks the critical difference between regret and grief and why getting that distinction wrong does real harm to estranged adult children. Regret implies a wrong choice. Grief honors a real loss. And most estranged adult children aren't carrying regret. They're carrying grief for the potential - the relationship they always hoped was possible and they've often been grieving it long before the estrangement was ever named. In This Episode Why "you're going to regret this" is a verdict dressed as concern and what it gets fundamentally wrong The difference between regret and grief, and why that distinction matters more than it might seem What "grieving the potential" actually means for estranged adult children and why the loss of a hoped-for relationship is just as real as the loss of one that existed Anticipatory grief in the no-contact experience: why many estranged adult children have been grieving their parent long before the parent dies What the "you'll regret it" message is often actually doing and whose discomfort it's really managing What grief after a no-contact parent's death actually looks like, including the complicated presence of relief Why estranged adult children are so often denied permission to grieve and why that needs to change What estranged adult children, the people who love them, and the professionals who support them can each take from this episode Time Stamps 05:55 Understanding Regret vs. Grief 10:33 The Complexity of Anticipatory Grief 16:49 The Impact of Estrangement on Grief 22:12 Navigating Grief and Moving Forward Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    25 min

  4. APR 26

    EP251: Rethinking Tough Love

    In this episode of The Estranged Heart podcast, Kreed explores the impact of tough love parenting, its roots in cultural beliefs, and its effects on attachment and estrangement. She advocates for a presence-based approach that fosters genuine connection and healing. Key Topics The origins of tough love in cultural and generational beliefs How tough love affects attachment and emotional regulation The long-term impact of estrangement and emotional withdrawal A presence-based approach to healthy relationships Chapters 02:33 The Impact of Tough Love on Children 06:58 Understanding the Child's Perspective 11:49 Estrangement and Performance in Relationships 15:49 The Defense of Tough Love 20:41 Alternatives to Tough Love 24:49 Conclusion: Rethinking Love and Connection Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    31 min

  5. APR 23

    EP250: It's a THEM Problem, Not a ME Problem!

    In this episode of The Estranged Heart, Kreed explores the complex emotional landscape of parental estrangement, focusing on the psychological impact of the phrase 'it's a them problem, not a me problem.' The episode offers insights into armor formation, the costs of defensiveness, and pathways toward genuine peace and self-integration. Key Topics The psychological impact of the phrase 'it's a them problem, not a me problem' The formation and function of emotional armor in parental estrangement The costs of defensiveness on relationships and self-knowledge The importance of curiosity and self-inquiry in healing Pathways to genuine peace and wholeness beyond blame Chapters 07:14 Understanding the Armor of Estrangement 16:44 The Complexity of Responsibility in Estrangement 21:16 Exploring What Lies Beneath the Armor 26:05 The Costs of Staying Defended 31:40 Curiosity as a Path to Healing 37:52 Conclusion and Call to Action Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    40 min

  6. APR 20

    EP249: Is Culture To Blame?

    In this episode of The Estranged Heart Podcast, Kreed discusses the dangerous oversimplification of family estrangement as solely caused by cultural programming, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual experiences and fostering genuine curiosity to heal relationships. Key Topics - Cultural programming and family estrangement - The importance of understanding individual experiences - The danger of oversimplified narratives in healing - The role of curiosity in reconciliation Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    39 min

  7. APR 15

    EP248: Worry Feels Productive. It Isn't.

    In this episode of The Estranged Heart, Kreed explores the emotional and physiological impacts of rumination and fear in the context of estrangement, offering practical insights on how to recognize, understand, and gently shift these patterns to foster healing. Key Topics Rumination vs Reflection The nervous system's role in fear and stress Patterns of mental looping in estrangement The physiological impact of chronic worry Practices for presence and healing Chapters 04:39 Understanding Rumination and Estrangement 08:29 Patterns of Rumination in Estrangement 10:49 The Physiological Impact of Rumination 14:13 Naming and Acknowledging Grief 16:07 Redirecting Energy Towards Healing Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    19 min

  8. APR 12

    EP247: The Wave Has Parts - sadness in estrangement

    Most estranged mothers are moving through their pain as one undifferentiated wave of awful - with no map, no language, and no way to name what's actually inside it. In this episode of The Estranged Heart podcast, Kreed breaks the wave apart. She walks through nine distinct layers that live inside estrangement pain and makes the case that naming each layer isn't wallowing. It's excavation. Because you cannot work with a pain you cannot see the parts of. You can only survive it. And surviving isn't the same as healing. Key Topics Why "estrangement" is a container - not a map - and what's actually inside it The critical difference between shame and guilt, and why it changes everything about the work The seven layers of fear and how they affect the future The role of hope and how to make it conscious Unseen grief and the importance of social witness Resources & Support Facebook Support Group (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup One-on-One Services Private coaching Consulting Mediation services Connect with Kreed: Website: theestrangedheart.com Email: hello@theestrangedheart.com Support the work: Buy Me a Coffee (donation platform) Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.

    38 min
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4.6
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About

Support and community for navigating the emotional storms of parent and adult child estrangement and repairing and transforming relationships with one another in healthy and productive ways.

Information

  • Creator
    The Estranged Heart
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    258
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Estranged Heart
  • Show Website
    The Estranged Heart

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