I don’t want to invite my father to my wedding but feel coerced into doing so. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa My sister and I have always had a rather fraught relationship with my father. He failed to form bonds and took no interest in…
My parents moved to a new area after my mother retired and now she is really isolated. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa A year ago, once my siblings and I had left home, my parents moved to the other side of the country. They have made…
How can I cope with my manipulative mother? The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I am a woman in my 50s looking for advice on how to cope with my needy and manipulative mother, who is in her…
I’m worried that my elderly father is in an abusive marriage and is being isolated from me. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I am really concerned about my dad’s current relationship. After being widowed for some years, he met someone new and, within a short time,…
How do I explain to my children the rift with my mother, whose partner abused me? The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I have been estranged from my mother since I was 18. When my brother and I were very young, my mother left my father…
My sister helped me to escape our family – now she’s abandoned me. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I am the youngest of a brood of girls and left home at 17. My father was very strict and my mother lived abroad…
My estranged father wants to get in touch, but I don’t want to see him. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I’m a 29-year-old professional, engaged to a great man, living and working abroad, fit, healthy and happy. My estranged father has contacted me saying…
I’m 13 and worried about being fat. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I’m overweight for my age (I’m 13 and 60kg or 9.5 stone) and it’s consumed my life. I can’t go shopping with my friends…
My husband’s parents just don’t seem to care about family divisions. The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa My husband comes from a large family. There appears to be a hierarchy that exists within the family, where the older brother and sister,…
My dad is cross-dressing and Mum is bitter. What can I do to help? The Guardian.
Dear Annalisa I am in my 30s, an only child, married with one child and another on the way. I see my parents once or twice…
