The experiences of reconciliation with destructive parents through imagery communication group psychotherapy

ABSTRACT Abusive or negligent parenting can negatively impact a child’s psycho-social functioning well into adulthood. Self-healing through forgiveness of dysfunctional parents can yield intergenerational benefits, yet the process of reconciliation between children and parents through psychotherapy is rarely studied. This study aims to identify patterns and processes of reconciliation in clinical contexts. We conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Chinese adult children raised through destructive parenting who forgave and reconciled with their parents through long-term group imagery communication psychotherapy. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Our findings identify a series of themes relevant to the process of reconciliation: increased differentiation of self, psychological reconciliation with forgiveness and connectedness, and relationship restoration in actual family interactions. Our findings provide implications for the development of interventions for adult children, and indicate that healing childhood trauma and achieving differentiation from families-of-origin should be prioritised to ensure successful reconciliation.