I talked to 68 adults who went no-contact with their families — and they all had one thing in common

Luna, a 26-year-old woman, has severed ties with her father due to his insistence on obedience and dominance. He believed that "I'm the father, you're the daughters, we do things my way," and refused to accept her terms for contact, which required him to understand that she was a person with her own autonomy. This common experience of family estrangement is explored in the author's new book, "Families We Lose."

The media often frames estrangement as an epidemic caused by therapy culture, but the author's research suggests otherwise. In-depth interviews with 68 adults who went no-contact with a parent, sibling, grandparent, or other relative reveal that estrangement is more about a clash between expectations of loyalty, duty, and forgiveness versus the desire for respect, emotional safety, and personal growth.