Parent–child estrangement is becoming a quiet epidemic, and honestly, it’s happening far more often than most people realize. In this episode of the Peak Human Labs podcast, Dr. Sanjeev Goel sits down with Tania Khazaal, widely known as Tania the Herbalist, for a conversation that reshapes how we understand family estrangement, emotional health, and communication. Tania opens up about her journey of going no-contact with her mother and later rebuilding that relationship, revealing how unspoken hurts and generational patterns often surface as stress, fatigue, or physical illness.   We explore why nearly 30% of families experience estrangement, how “protect your peace” culture has unintentionally encouraged emotional avoidance, and why walking away rarely leads to real healing. Tania explains the impact of societal messages from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the role of technology and social media in widening generational gaps, and the importance of the identity-formation window between ages 18 and 27, where many young adults decide whether to reconnect or pull further away.   Tania also discusses the emotional and psychological toll of parental alienation, offering grounded, compassionate strategies for biological parents and stepparents navigating blended families. Through nervous-system regulation, emotional awareness, open-ended questions, and calm communication, she outlines a practical path to rebuilding trust without overwhelm.   Whether you’re a parent worried about a distant child, someone navigating divorce or step-parenting, or a person carrying old hurts from childhood, this episode offers a hopeful and practical pathway back to connection and to yourself. Our Guest: Annie Yatch   Tania Khazaal is a family-reconnection coach and emotional-healing guide who helps parents, adult children and blended families rebuild trust, bring peace back into relationships, and heal invisible emotional distance. Once the daughter who walked away, she learned the hard way how unresolved wounds and silent withdrawal can shape a life. Through her own journey of reconciling with her mother, Tania discovered the deeper link between emotional safety and relational health and made it her life’s work to share those discoveries.   Her signature frameworks ,  including The Repair Map, 100 Scripts & Prompts, and The Renewal Collective™ – provide step-by-step, grounded tools for reconnecting from calm rather than fear. With compassion, clarity and real-world experience, Tania empowers individuals and families to move from estrangement into renewal one courageous conversation at a time.   Key Takeaways Suppressed emotions often turn into physical symptoms when unresolved. Many parent–child disconnections stem from miscommunication, not malice. “Protect your peace” culture can unintentionally encourage cutting off family instead of healing. Estrangement is often a compounded effect of misunderstood childhood moments. Effective communication begins with listening, not defending. Short, simple outreach messages help regulate a child’s nervous system. Specific, acknowledgment-based apologies reconnect far better than long explanations. Step-parents must approach children with compassion and patience, not pressure. Children naturally withdraw during identity formation (ages 18–26). Parents who stay steady, calm, and consistent eventually outlast alienating influences. In This Episode: [00:12] Introduction to the podcast and guest [01:58] Tania’s background and journey [02:09] The impact of avoiding critical conversations [03:06] Personal experiences with family estrangement [05:09] The silent epidemic of family estrangement [06:05] Why parent–child disconnection happens [08:41] The role of communication and accountability [09:29] Tania’s personal story with her mother [10:57] Rewriting the parent’s story and compassion [12:16] The foundation of effective communication [12:41] Strategies for better communication [14:00] Nervous system reg