In this bonus episode of The Estranged Heart podcast, Kreed speaks with Kelly Rhyne, a social worker, minister, chaplain, and founder of the Center for Estrangement, about understanding estrangement as more than a cutoff. Kelly explains how unresolved harm and grief can spread across relationships and other parts of life, and why mourning, acknowledgment, and ongoing support matter even when reconciliation remains possible. Kelly describes the Center for Estrangement, a project built around understanding estrangement as a form of living loss and applying the essentials of mourning beyond family relationships. She and host Kreed discuss how disconnection shows up in caregiving, disability, workplaces, racism, self-relationship, and our connection to the Earth, then share a special announcement - a joint endeavor: the Questioning Estrangement podcast!
TAKEAWAYS
Estrangement is described as distance arising from misalignment, harm, or feeling unsafe, not simply a cutoff; even ending contact may leave unresolved estrangement within oneself.
We don't really have a framework for mourning estrangement.
Grief is energy and it wants to move.
Mourning is the act of moving the grief from the inside out.
If we never addressed the harm, if we're just keeping it in ourselves, that can cause an estrangement within ourselves, too.
Once you relate to something, you never stop relating.
Grief and mourning are not meant to be done in a silo.
“I don't think something is a trend if it's always been.” - Kelly Rhyne, LCSW, MDiv
“The beauty of humanity is the difference. It's not the enemy.” - Kelly Rhyne, LCSW, MDiv
TO FIND KELLY:
Private Therapy Practice: https://www.giveintolovetherapeutics.com/
All the socials: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram - The Center for Estrangement
All the socials: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook - QuestioningEstrangement
Chapters
00:00 The estrangement tumor: grief that grows when unaddressed
06:05 Why estrangement takes work beyond the cutoff
09:24 Kelly’s path from musical theater to ministry
13:31 Chaplaincy, caregiving, and disability advocacy
16:27 From personal practice to founding the Center for Estrangement
18:08 Grief is inside; mourning helps it move
19:58 Estrangement as harm, misalignment, and distance
22:04 How relationships span body, culture, and generations
26:19 The six needs of mourning and living loss
33:13 Why estrangement leaves room for a different relationship
33:54 Estrangement as a lens on connection and disconnection
35:20 Applying the essentials across caregiving, disability, and work
36:40 Misalignment, racism, and estrangement from the Earth
38:41 Why self-connection can be a starting point
40:22 The Center’s introductory course and experiential model
42:19 A holistic course that includes self-restoration
43:34 Working with protective parts instead of against them
44:37 Building a collaborative community for different forms of estrangement
46:36 Making space for discomfort, learning, and growth
49:14 Why estrangement is part of the human experience
52:01 How Kelly and Kreed connected and created a podcast
54:27 Questioning Estrangement: exploring questions from every side
58:20 Where to find the Center and Kelly’s therapy practice
🎧Listen wherever you get your podcasts (ie: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, etc.)
📱 Follow The Estranged Heart: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube
RESOURCES & SUPPORT
Facebook Support Group for Estranged Moms (facilitated by Kreed) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/estrangedmotherssupportgroup
One-on-One Services
Connect with Kreed:
Disclaimer: Kreed Revere is not a licensed therapist. Nothing in this podcast should be considered or taken as therapy. If you need therapeutic support, please seek out a therapist near you.
