Debra Wesselmann, Trauma Therapist, on Why Children Reject a Protective Parent Under Emotional Pressure
Trauma therapist and author Debra Wesselmann explains that when children appear to reject a protective parent during high-conflict separations, it's often not a true choice but a survival response to emotional pressure within the family system. She discusses the "double bind" children face and why consistency and emotional availability from the protective parent are key to preserving the relationship over time.
Distributed by EIN Presswire
Coercive Control Can Create Hidden Psychological Conflict, Forcing Children Into Survival Mode, Debra Wesselmann Says Parents Should Stay Connected, Allow Space
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, June 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — In high-conflict separations, children may appear to “choose” one parent over another. Trauma therapist and author Debra Wesselmann says this is often not a true choice, but a survival response shaped by emotional pressure within the family system, rather than a lack of love. She is responding to recent clinical discussions, including a Psychology Today article on coercive control and attachment disruption.
Wesselmann advises protective parents to remain steady, open, and emotionally connected.
“Protective parents in these situations are often facing unimaginable emotional pain,” she says. “What is frequently misunderstood is that a child’s apparent rejection may be rooted in a powerful attachment bind, not a lack of love or connection.”
“In a situation involving coercive control by one parent to reject the safe parent, we are looking at an attachment injury, not just a disagreement or a phase,” Wesselmann says.
