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When Love Is There, But Not Quite Present: Ambiguous Loss & Emotional Neglect
Many of us grew up with parents who were physically present but emotionally absent—leaving us with a quiet, unspoken grief. This is known as ambiguous loss, a term coined by Dr. Pauline Boss. When emotional needs go unmet, it can shape how we see ourselves and our relationships. In this post, we explore how emotional neglect impacts us and what it means to be a "good-enough" parent. Healing starts with naming the loss and learning to reparent ourselves.

Odile McKenzie, LCSW
Jul 29, 20253 min read
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