In New York, Extension program offers support for families dealing with estrangement
When a rift divides a family and relatives becomes estranged from one another, there’s limited guidance for how to handle these emotional situations and attempt to reconcile. Seeking to create resources and tools to help, Cornell University Extension professionals in New York developed an online course and website focused on this issue.
The online training targets professionals, including Extension educators, who work with families coping with estrangement. The website provides a platform where people with firsthand experience of family divisions can share their stories, advice and resources.
Thousands of people have logged on to the website, with hundreds posting personal stories of estrangement and reconciliation, and taken part in the training. The effort received extensive media coverage, including by national outlets, further helping raise awareness of strategies for dealing with estrangement and how to go about reconciling.
Online resources are important, as these situations carry a stigma that could discourage people from seeking help or talking with others about their problems. The Cornell projects aim to dismantle these barriers and offer practical solutions.
View the full statement on the NIDB.
