Hi, I’m Brian Briscoe.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re in the thick of something most people don’t understand: estrangement from your child.
Whether it’s been a few months or several years since the break in your relationship, I want to acknowledge this:
Estrangement from your child hurts in ways that words can’t always reach.
It’s not just about silence or space—it’s about the grief of losing someone who is still alive. It’s about trying to make sense of what happened, of what didn’t happen, of how you could have arrived at this place despite doing your best.
It’s about love. And loss. And the maddening in-between.
That’s why I wrote my book,
📘 P.L.A.C.E.: For Parents Living After Child Estrangement
This isn’t a “fix it quick” book. It’s not about assigning blame or winning your child back with a few well-crafted texts. It’s about something deeper. It’s about you—the parent—finding your way again.
Why I Wrote PLACE
When my own estrangement journey began, I was a licensed therapist with years of experience helping people heal from trauma, addiction, and relational struggles. But nothing prepared me for the unique devastation of my own child pulling away.
Professionally, I knew the language: attachment wounds, enmeshment, boundaries, forgiveness, grief, inner child work. But personally?
I was stunned. Heartbroken. Confused. I was a father in pain.
What made it harder was how few resources existed for parents like me. What I found were:
- Clinical guides that felt cold and detached
- Books that blamed the parents entirely
- Advice columns that glossed over the complexity
- Forums full of despair but not direction
So I started writing. First just for myself. Then for clients. Eventually, for the community of estranged parents I began working with and building into what is now PLACE: Parents Living After Child Estrangement.
And one day, I knew this needed to be more than blog posts and therapy sessions. It needed to be a book. Something that could sit on a nightstand and say:
“You are not alone. And you’re not a monster.”
What This Book Is (and Isn’t)
Let me tell you right up front what this book isn’t:
- It’s not a guilt trip.
- It’s not a “how to win your child back” manual.
- It’s not about calling anyone toxic.
- It’s not a blueprint for reconciliation.
What it is, is a guide for parents who are trying to live through the aftermath of estrangement. A kind of compass. A companion. A flashlight in a very dark room.
It’s a place (yes, pun intended) where you can:
- Feel validated in your grief and anger
- Reconnect with who you are beyond the identity of “mom” or “dad”
- Learn healthy boundaries without shutting yourself off
- Reflect on what happened without drowning in guilt
- Hold space for possible reconnection—while also healing your life regardless
I don’t offer easy answers, because there aren’t any. But I do offer clarity, compassion, and honest strategies.
What’s Inside the Book
The chapters in PLACE follow a path I’ve seen in hundreds of parents I’ve worked with—and that I’ve walked myself.
✦ The Shock
You’ll hear how estrangement often blindsides us. Even when the relationship had challenges, most parents don’t expect this kind of cut-off. We explore the initial emotional fallout and how to ground yourself during those disorienting early days.
✦ The Story You Tell Yourself
When estrangement happens, we all start writing a private story about why. Some of us blame ourselves completely. Others see only betrayal. Most of us get stuck in loops of “what if” and “why didn’t I…”
This chapter unpacks those inner narratives and how to soften them.
✦ Understanding Ambiguous Grief
Estrangement isn’t the same as death, but in some ways, it’s harder. This grief is undefined, ongoing, and unrecognized by most of society. You’ll learn how to grieve what was lost—and what may never be.
✦ Boundaries, Shame, and Guilt
You’ll learn how to tell the difference between healthy accountability and corrosive shame. We talk about how to hold boundaries (even with your child) and how to live in self-respect without cutting yourself off from growth.
✦ You Still Get to Have a Life
This chapter is about rebuilding. Finding joy again. Connecting with people who see you fully. It’s where you get permission to make peace with what is, even if the dream of what could be remains unfulfilled.
And throughout the book, you’ll find:
- Guided questions for reflection
- Real stories from other estranged parents
- Practical tools for handling holidays, social events, and painful anniversaries
- Honest encouragement—none of the “just let it go” stuff
What Parents Are Saying
The feedback I’ve received has been deeply humbling. Here are a few reflections I’ve gotten from readers:
🗨️ “I finally felt seen. I kept thinking I was the only one who felt this ashamed and confused.”
🗨️ “The part about ambiguous grief hit me hard. I’ve never had the words for this until now.”
🗨️ “I’ve read other books that made me feel like everything was my fault. This book helped me take ownership without self-destruction.”
🗨️ “I now understand that even if my child never comes back, I can still live a meaningful life.”
Why This Book Matters Right Now
Estrangement is on the rise.
More adult children are cutting off parents, sometimes abruptly and with no explanation. Social media and “self-healing” culture has played a role in oversimplifying complex relational histories. There’s a lot of talk about “boundaries” and “toxicity”—but not enough about reconciliation, repair, or compassion.
As a therapist, I support adult children in their healing too. But I wrote this book because estranged parents are being left out of the conversation.
You are not a meme. You are not a label. You are not just someone’s mistake.
You are a full human being—with a story that deserves care.
Who This Book Is For
- Parents who were once close with their child and now feel abandoned
- Parents who’ve tried to repair the relationship, but met silence or resistance
- Parents who want to understand their role without losing their dignity
- Parents stuck between guilt and anger
- Parents looking for hope, even if reconciliation never comes
Whether you’re still reaching out to your child, or have stopped contact for your own wellbeing, this book is for you.
Whether your child wrote a scathing letter or just disappeared without explanation, this book is for you.
If you’ve been judged, labeled, ignored, or exhausted—this book is for you.
Where to Get the Book
📘 P.L.A.C.E.: For Parents Living After Child Estrangement is available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.
It’s also a great resource to bring to therapy, a support group, or to read with a trusted friend. Some parents have even shared it with spouses who didn’t quite understand their grief until they read it themselves.
Final Words—From Me to You
Writing this book was personal. Not because I’ve figured everything out (I haven’t), but because I know what it’s like to look at your phone and hope, “Maybe today they’ll reach out.”
I know the ache of remembering childhood birthdays, graduation speeches, family jokes—and wondering if it was all just one-sided.
But I also know that estrangement doesn’t get the final word on your life.
You still get to love. You still get to live. You still get to be whole.
And if this book can be one small part of your healing, I’m grateful.
Let’s walk this path together.
—Brian
