Grandparent Alienation Abuse Support
Improving lives after narcissistic abuse
Being cut off from your grandchildren is one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. It is not talked about enough. In UK, you as a grandparent have no legal rights to spend time with your grandchild – it’s a loss beyond measure.
Do you recognise any of this?
- You have been suddenly stopped from seeing your grandchildren.
- Your grandchildren are being told that you are unsafe or of little value.
- Your own adult child is controlling your access as a way of punishing you.
- You’re not being told why — or the reasons keep changing.
- You’ve tried reaching out and been ignored or blocked.
- You’re watching your grandchildren grow up through social media.
- The grief is overwhelming and nobody around you understands it.
- You feel helpless and don’t know what to do.
Talk to someone who understands.
No forms. No waiting list. Just a conversation.
Email us any time
Sometimes writing it down is the first step. Say as little as you like, everything you share is confidential, unless we have a legal or safeguarding duty to act.
They matter. So do you.
Being separated from your grandchildren is a recognised, unique form of family abuse.
How we can help
- One-to-one coaching to recover from narcissistic abuse
- Somatic trauma support to help manage the grief
- In-person support groups — across the UK
- Zoom group support sessions with other survivors
- Signposting to other support for grandparents
Book a Clarity Call
Or call: 0333 242 5348
If you can’t book or call safely, email support@thepowerandcontrolwheel.co.uk
Understanding what’s happening to you
Grandparent alienation sits within the same pattern of narcissistic and coercive behaviour that drives parental alienation. A grandparent being denied access to their grandchildren is not a private family matter — it is a form of emotional abuse that harms both the grandparent and the child. Children have a recognised right to know their grandparents, and in the UK, grandparents can apply to the family court for a Child Arrangement Order, though this currently requires leave of the court first.
The psychological impact on grandparents is significant and largely invisible. Complicated grief — grieving someone who is still alive — affects sleep, physical health, and mental wellbeing in ways that are well documented but rarely addressed in standard bereavement or counselling support. Somatic, body-based approaches are particularly effective because the grief lives in the body, not just the mind.
Understanding the controlling behaviour behind the alienation — who is driving it and why — can help grandparents make sense of what is happening and decide on the most effective way to respond.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
PACW Support Line: 0333 242 5348 | National Domestic Abuse Helpline (women): 0808 2000 247 (free, 24 hours) | Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327 | Galop (LGBTQ+) 0800 999 5428 | Samaritans: 116 123 | NHS 111 | Victim Support 08 08 16 89 111
USA — 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline | National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233