WFMZ Sunrise: Family Estrangement & Building Bridges

Parental estrangement is a unique kind of grief that can be ambiguous, ongoing, and hard to talk about. But you are NOT alone. 

Research from Psychology Today estimates that 27% of Americans are estranged from a family member, with nearly half experiencing periods of disconnection from close relatives. These separations can affect entire families — parents, children, siblings — yet the topic often remains hidden under a painful stigma. 

Determined to break the silence, Nan Berrian was one of two moms who got together and created Building Bridges, a support group for those in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania affected by family estrangement.