Counselling for Family Estrangement, Conflict and Dysfunction, Online and in Chepstow
I offer online counselling for family estrangement, family conflict and dysfunctional family dynamics, for adults anywhere in the UK, and face-to-face in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. I’m Catriona Standingford, a counsellor and therapist MBACP, MNCPS (Acc.), and I work with parents, adult children, siblings and grandparents.
How can counselling and therapy help with family estrangement, conflict or dysfunction?
Are you feeling the weight of family estrangement or wondering whether going no contact is the only way to protect yourself? Perhaps you’re on the other side of it, as the parent whose adult child has stopped answering or the grandparent who hasn’t seen the grandchildren since last summer. Do you find yourself caught in cycles of conflict, criticism, or emotional distance with parents, siblings, children, or partners? You might be carrying the ache of abandonment, the insecurity of not feeling chosen, or the pressure to keep the peace through people pleasing.
Counselling and therapy with me gives you room to explore these questions without judgment. As someone with lived experience and specialised training, here you can talk openly about the hurt, the confusion, the anger, and the longing. Together, we can look at how attachment wounds, abandonment fears, insecurity, and people pleasing patterns have shaped your relationships—and how you can begin to move forward with more clarity and self trust.
You may be looking for support with:
- Making sense of estrangement, low contact or no contact decisions
- Being cut off by an adult child, sibling or parent
- Grandparent estrangement and losing contact with grandchildren
- Relationships with siblings, parents, partners or others
- Coping with long-standing conflict, criticism, or family dysfunction
- Healing attachment wounds and feelings of abandonment
- Understanding insecurity and how it affects your relationships and situationships
- Recognising and shifting people pleasing patterns
- Building boundaries that protect your wellbeing
- Processing guilt, shame, grief, anger and loyalty conflicts
- Strengthening your sense of identity outside family expectations
You might be questioning your next steps, or feeling torn between what you need and what others expect. You might simply be trying to get through the fallout from one week to the next. I’m not here to tell you to reconcile, and I’m also not here to tell you to stay away. It’s about working together so that you can find the best way forward for you, on your own terms.
What is family estrangement?
Family estrangement is when a relationship with a family member breaks down to the point where there may be little or no contact. It might be low contact, which can mean a text at Christmas or a polite phone call, or it might be no contact, which can mean no calls, no texts, no birthday card. Sometimes you made that decision. Sometimes it was made for you. And sometimes it happened so slowly that you can’t quite be sure when it started.
Can counselling help with family conflict or a dysfunctional family?
Yes. Not every difficult family ends in estrangement. Plenty of people are still in contact and still come away from every visit feeling drained. Some families argue every time they’re together, and others never argue at all but carry years of tension under the surface. There’s the sibling who always gets the last word, or the parent whose mood decides how the whole day goes. And there’s the role you slip back into the minute you walk through the front door.
People often describe their family as ‘dysfunctional’ with a slightly embarrassed laugh. But growing up with criticism, favouritism or unpredictability can shape how you see yourself years after you’ve left your childhood home. Counselling and therapy gives you room to look at those patterns, understand where they came from and decide what you want to do with them now.
How does online counselling work?
How does online counselling work?
Online sessions work in a similar way as sessions in a room. All you need is a private space where you won’t be overheard. I see individuals online anywhere in the UK.
I also see clients face-to-face in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, which is easy to reach from Monmouth, Caldicot, the Forest of Dean, Newport and Bristol.
Sessions are £60 for 50 minutes, online or in Chepstow. You can read more about fees in my FAQs.
Frequently asked questions
Can counselling help with family estrangement?
Yes, it can. Counselling can help you understand what led to the estrangement and work through the grief, guilt, shame, anger or relief it brings. It can also help you decide what you want next, whether or not that includes contact.
Can I have counselling for family estrangement or conflict online?
Yes. I offer online counselling for family estrangement, conflict and dysfunction to adults anywhere in the UK, by video with your camera on or off. It works in the same way as meeting in person.
Can counselling help with ongoing family conflict?
Yes. Counselling can help you understand the patterns behind the arguments or the tension, notice your own part in them without blame, and find ways to set boundaries or respond differently. I work with you as an individual, so you can make changes whatever the rest of your family does.
Will a counsellor tell me to reconcile with my family?
No. A counsellor won’t push you towards reconciling or towards cutting contact. My role is to help you think clearly about your situation so the decision is genuinely yours.
My adult child has cut contact with me. Can you help?
Yes. Being stepped back from by an adult child can bring a grief that’s hard to explain to friends. Counselling can help you make sense of what’s happened and look after yourself, whatever happens next.
I’m a grandparent and I can’t see my grandchildren. Can counselling help?
Yes. Grandparent estrangement often comes with very little say in the decision, and with a lot of loss. Counselling can give you space to grieve and to think through what, if anything, you’d like to try.
Can counselling help if I grew up in a dysfunctional family?
Yes. Criticism, favouritism or unpredictability at home can shape how you see yourself and your relationships long after you’ve left. Counselling can help you understand those patterns and decide what you want to change.
Do I need to be fully no contact to come to counselling?
No. Many people I work with are still in contact but finding it painful, and some are somewhere in between. Low contact, no contact and “it’s complicated” are all welcome.
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Why choose me?
Free 15 minute chat
I offer a free 15 minute chat so we can discuss what you’d like help with and whether I’d be the right therapist for you.
Qualified and Registered
I’m a registered counsellor/therapist with BACP and NCPS, two of the main professional bodies in the UK
I offer flexibility
Online (camera on or off) or in person sessions. No commitment to the amount of sessions you have. Discounts available.
Free 15 minute chat
Let's have a chat!
If you’re ready to talk, explore what’s going on, or simply take the first small step, I offer a free 15 minute phone or video call so you can get a feel for me, ask any questions, and see whether counselling / therapy with me feels like the right fit for you. This includes:
- Talking about what you’re looking for in counselling / therapy
- Giving you time to ask me anything you need such as who I am, my experience, how I work whether online or face-to-face in Chepstow, South East Wales (close to Newport, Bristol and South Gloucestershire)
- No pressure to continue afterwards
- If you are ready, we can discuss my availability to book your first session. My working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday daytime.
- Referring you to someone else if I am not a good fit for you
To book your free 15 minute chat, you can fill in the form below, email me at cs@catrionastandingford.co.uk, or send me a WhatsApp message or text message on 07564 069711. I will then contact you to arrange.
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