Psychology Today | 01.05.2026 21:37
Jarelle was in her senior year when she started dating someone outside the family faith. At first, her parents tried to get her to end the relationship, but she refused. She slowly started to draw boundaries with her parents, such as when they could visit and how long they could stay. Over time, they deflected responsibility, blaming everyone but themselves—her partner, her therapist, anyone they believed had “influenced” her. They started distancing themselves and stopped contacting her altogether.
