Can cutting ties with dysfunctional family members be therapeutic?

TikTok is coursing with first-person accounts from users who say cutoffs vastly improved their wellbeing, but whether or not mental health clinicians should encourage this practice is hotly debated

Social worker Patrick Teahan knows what parents say about him, because they sometimes contact him directly, accusing him of ripping families apart. Illustration: Lucy Jones
Social worker Patrick Teahan knows what parents say about him, because they sometimes contact him directly, accusing him of ripping families apart. Illustration: Lucy Jones