New book argues therapy culture may be driving family estrangement

Psychology researcher Richard L. Blake says rising estrangement from parents and other close relatives is part of a broader family breakdown that therapy advice may be worsening. His new book, Cut Off, lands as surveys suggest millions of adults are cut off from at least one close family member.

Why it matters: - Family estrangement is affecting a large share of adults, turning private conflict into a widespread social issue. - Blake argues the advice meant to heal relationships may sometimes accelerate permanent cutoffs. - The debate matters to parents, adult children and therapists because it shapes how people interpret childhood, blame and repair.

What happened: - Richard L. Blake, a British psychology researcher and author based in Austin, Texas, published Cut Off: How therapy culture is fuelling the parental estrangement epidemic. - The book was published by The Book Shelf Press on 6 October 2026 and is available on Amazon. - Blake says parents began contacting him years ago with the same question: why had their adult child cut them off? - He said the reaction grew after he started posting about the topic on social media. - The book includes a foreword by Ulrika Jonsson.

The details: - A 2025 YouGov survey found 38% of US adults were estranged from at least one close family member. - The same survey found 16% of US adults were estranged from a parent. - Blake says the book is intended for “decent parents who have had their past rewritten by bad therapy.” - Blake says the book is not for parents who were genuinely abusive. - Blake also says the book is for adult children who may be reinterpreting their upbringing in a more negative light. - The book argues that therapy culture may shape how people remember childhood and assess their relationship with their parents. - Blake has a PhD in psychology, a postgraduate certificate in psychotherapy and personal experience of therapy. - Blake is Vice President of the ESMH Coalition. - Blake is working on a next book, The Anxiety Industry.

Between the lines: - Blake’s argument pushes against a common assumption that more therapy automatically means better outcomes for families. - The book’s framing suggests a clash between personal testimony, therapeutic language and disputed family history. - The YouGov figures give the issue scale, but the book’s central claim is interpretive rather than settled fact.

What's next: - The Book Shelf Press says review copies are available on request. - Blake is available for interviews. - The publisher says high-resolution author photographs and book cover images are available. - Additional commentary on AI leadership and relational intelligence is also available. - Cut Off is listed at £16.99 and is available from Amazon and major online retailers. - Blake’s website is cutoffbook.com. - Blake’s LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok profiles are listed in the release for readers seeking more information.

The bottom line: - Cut Off turns a private family rupture into a broader critique of therapy culture, arguing that some modern self-help language may be deepening the estrangement it aims to solve.