
Receiving a wedding invitation from an estranged sibling can trigger a complex mix of emotions and questions. Attending a sibling wedding when estranged is more than a simple yes or no decision; it activates deep attachment wounds, grief, and threat responses. This article offers a trauma-informed framework to help driven women navigate the choice thoughtfully, balancing support for the sibling with personal safety and emotional boundaries in a charged family event.
Last reviewed: June 2026 by Annie Wright, LMFT
- The Invitation in Your Hand
- Why Sibling Weddings Are Different When You’re Estranged
- What Your Nervous System Is Doing While You Decide
- The Four Questions That Actually Help You Decide
- If You Go: A Tactical Survival Guide
- Both/And: Your Sibling Deserves Your Support AND You’re Not Required to Sacrifice Your Recovery
- The Systemic Lens: Why Weddings Are Used as Forced Reconciliation Events
- How to Communicate Your Decision Without Starting a War
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Invitation in Your Hand
Jordan stands at her kitchen counter, the thick, elegant envelope cradled in her hands. The paper feels heavier than its weight, like a small invitation carrying a world of unspoken history. Her eyes trace the embossed names, her estranged brother and his fiancée, each letter a reminder of the distance that’s grown between them. The silence of the room presses in as she hesitates, the choice unfolding before her: open it or set it aside.
Consider Nadia, preparing for her sibling’s wedding from the safety of a therapist’s office. Two weeks before the event, she rehearses exit strategies on a video call, anticipating the possible chaos her sociopathic parent might bring to the reception. The rehearsal feels surreal but necessary, a way to hold agency in a situation that threatens to overwhelm. Her experience highlights how attending a wedding when estranged isn’t just about presence; it’s about navigating relational minefields with care.
Receiving a family estrangement wedding invitation often surfaces conflicting feelings, hope, dread, obligation, and fear. It’s important to acknowledge that these emotions are valid and expected. The decision to attend or not carries no universal right answer, only what fits your unique context and capacity.
| Common Feelings When Receiving a Sibling’s Wedding Invitation While Estranged | Typical Internal Questions |
|---|---|
| Grief over lost connection | “Can I be in the same space with them without hurting?” |
| Pressure from family or social expectations | “Will I face judgment if I don’t attend?” |
| Fear of confrontation or emotional overwhelm | “How will I protect my boundaries if I go?” |
| Hope for reconciliation or closure | “Is this a chance to heal what’s broken?” |
There’s no shame in setting boundaries or choosing absence as a form of self-care. For more on managing no-contact boundaries in family events, see Going No Contact: The Complete Guide and Attending Family Weddings When You’re No Contact. These resources can help you clarify your limits and prepare for what’s ahead.
Why Sibling Weddings Are Different When You’re Estranged
Relational trauma is harm that occurs inside an attachment relationship, especially when the person expected to offer safety, protection, or care becomes a source of fear, control, neglect, or humiliation.
In plain terms: This is not ordinary family stress. It is the kind of history that makes your body scan family rooms for danger even during beautiful events.
Unlike routine family dinners or holidays, a wedding is a formal ritual that demands presence and participation. The invitation itself, sometimes elegant and heavy in your hands like Jordan’s, carries an unspoken question: “Will you show up despite the distance?” This question often triggers layers of unresolved grief, anger, and longing all at once. The stakes feel higher because weddings are supposed to symbolize connection, not estrangement.
Consider Nadia’s experience, rehearsing exit scripts with her therapist weeks before the ceremony. For her, the wedding isn’t just about the sibling getting married, it’s about managing the unpredictable presence of a sociopathic parent. This layered complexity, navigating multiple difficult family relationships simultaneously, adds a level of emotional labor that’s unique to weddings. It’s not just about your sibling; it’s about the entire family system showing up.
Psychologists like Karl Pillemer, PhD, highlight how family estrangement is often invisible until events like weddings expose it publicly. Joshua Coleman, PhD, points out that weddings carry cultural pressure to reconcile, which can feel coercive rather than supportive. This pressure doesn’t just affect the estranged sibling, it ripples through the entire family dynamic, creating a charged emotional atmosphere that’s difficult to navigate.
| Aspect | Typical Family Event | Sibling Wedding When Estranged |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Stakes | Moderate; often routine or celebratory | High; symbolic of family unity and personal history |
| Visibility of Estrangement | Low; can often be avoided or minimized | High; estrangement becomes public and noticeable |
| Social Pressure | Variable; usually low to moderate | Intense; cultural expectations to attend and reconcile |
| Potential Triggers | Present but manageable | Multiple; including grief, shame, and enforced proximity |
| Family System Dynamics | Less activated | Fully activated; family roles and histories resurface |
If you want to explore how to manage attendance when you’re also navigating no-contact boundaries, the article Attending a Family Wedding When You’re No Contact offers practical strategies. For a deeper dive into wedding trauma, see Your Own Wedding When Your Family Is the Source of Your Trauma.
Remember, your decision is valid whether you attend or not. The cultural scripts around weddings don’t always reflect the complexities of estranged relationships. Prioritizing your emotional safety and well-being is not only acceptable, it’s necessary. For support in making these difficult decisions, consider professional guidance through therapy with Annie Wright, LMFT.
What Your Nervous System Is Doing While You Decide
Attachment threat describes the nervous system response that arises when a key relationship feels unsafe, unpredictable, or at risk. Allan Schore, PhD, neuropsychologist at the University of California Los Angeles and right-brain affect regulation theorist, has written extensively about early relational experience and affect regulation.
In plain terms: Your adult mind may know you are at a wedding. Your body may still prepare for the old family role.
A family system is the pattern of roles, rules, alliances, and emotional bargains that organize how a family keeps itself stable. Family events often reveal the system because everyone expects the old roles to reappear on cue.
In plain terms: If you are always the peacekeeper, scapegoat, fixer, or invisible one, the event may pressure you to become that person again.
When you hold that wedding invitation in your hands, your nervous system is already working overtime. The question of whether to attend an estranged sibling’s wedding doesn’t just live in your thoughts, it triggers deep-seated emotional and physiological responses that bypass rational decision-making.
Dr. Karl Pillemer, professor of human development at Cornell University and author of Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them, highlights that family estrangement activates complex feelings of attachment and loss. These feelings don’t switch off simply because you’ve chosen distance. Instead, they simmer beneath the surface, ready to surge when confronted with a symbolic event like a wedding.
Joshua Coleman, PhD, psychologist and senior fellow at the Council on Contemporary Families, explains that estrangement is a family-systems challenge where safety and identity are at stake. The nervous system detects relational threat before the conscious mind can fully process it. This means that even the most logical woman finds herself caught between wanting connection and protecting herself from harm.
Stephen Porges, PhD, neuroscientist, psychologist, and originator of Polyvagal Theory at Indiana University, offers insight into how your autonomic nervous system reacts in these moments. Your body senses “danger” through subtle cues, tone of voice, body language, even the presence of certain family members, before your brain consciously registers the threat. This triggers a cascade of physiological responses: increased heart rate, muscle tension, and heightened vigilance.
Take Jordan, for example. She stands in her kitchen, the thick, elegant wedding invitation resting on the counter. Her body tightens as she imagines the room full of relatives she’s distanced herself from. The decision to attend feels like a negotiation between her attachment system craving belonging and her threat system screaming for safety.
At the same time, grief intertwines with these reactions. Dr. Kenneth Doka, PhD, professor emeritus at the College of New Rochelle and Senior VP of Grief Programs at Hospice Foundation of America, describes this as disenfranchised grief, loss that isn’t openly mourned or socially recognized. You’re grieving a relationship that’s fractured or absent, but the cultural script around weddings insists you celebrate family unity. This mismatch deepens internal conflict.
In Nadia’s video call with her therapist, she rehearses exit scripts for the reception. This preparation isn’t just practical, it’s a way to soothe her nervous system, offering a sense of control in an unpredictable emotional landscape. Rehearsing helps her stay grounded amid the swirling grief and threat cues.
Here’s a simple table to illustrate how these overlapping systems can influence your decision-making process:
| System | What It Does | How It Feels | Impact on Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attachment | Drives longing for connection and belonging | Yearning, hope, vulnerability | Pulls you toward attending the wedding |
| Threat | Detects danger, activates fight/flight/freeze responses | Anxiety, dread, physical tension | Pushes you away from attending |
| Grief | Processes loss and ambiguous endings | Sadness, confusion, loneliness | Creates emotional heaviness around the decision |
This internal tug-of-war explains why the question “Should I go to my sibling’s wedding?” often feels impossible to answer by willpower alone. Your nervous system isn’t just reacting to the event itself but to years of relational history, unspoken expectations, and unresolved pain.
Recognizing these neurobiological responses helps normalize the experience. You’re not “overreacting” or “being difficult.” Your body is doing exactly what it’s designed to do: protect you from harm while navigating complex emotional terrain.
For more on managing no-contact boundaries at family events, see Going No Contact: The Complete Guide. If you anticipate difficult family dynamics at the wedding, strategies like the Grey Rock Method can help you maintain emotional safety.
Understanding what your nervous system is doing while you decide lays the groundwork for the next step: a practical decision framework that respects both your needs and your sibling’s. For a deeper dive into family trauma and weddings, visit Your Wedding & Family Trauma.
The Four Questions That Actually Help You Decide
Jordan stands at her kitchen counter, the thick, elegant wedding invitation held firmly in her hands. The names of her estranged brother and his fiancée are embossed in gold, a stark reminder of the distance between them. Outside her professional life, where she commands meetings and leads projects with confidence, this moment feels like a quiet battlefield. The question “Should I go?” weighs heavily, stirring a mix of loyalty, grief, and apprehension.
To cut through the swirl of emotions, it helps to anchor your decision in four concrete questions. These aren’t abstract musings, they’re practical checkpoints that clarify your safety, boundaries, and emotional costs. They help you hold your own truth amid the family’s expectations and unspoken rules.
| Question | Purpose | Reflection Prompts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is my relationship with the sibling getting married, separate from the family system? | Clarify the direct connection, independent of family dynamics. | Do I feel any genuine warmth, curiosity, or closure toward them? Is this relationship worth engaging with now? |
| 2. Who else will be there, and what is my level of safety? | Assess the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of the event. | Are there people present who trigger trauma or boundary violations? Can I realistically maintain no contact with them? |
| 3. What would attending cost me physically, emotionally, professionally? | Weigh the tangible and intangible tolls. | Will attending drain my energy, disrupt my work, or cause emotional upheaval I can’t manage? |
| 4. What would not attending cost me? | Consider potential regret, loss, or relational consequences. | Will skipping this event deepen alienation, or will it protect my recovery and boundaries? |
These questions help you separate the sibling’s wedding from the larger, often toxic, family system. For example, Jordan recognizes that her estranged brother has made choices she can’t control, yet she’s curious about who he is now. That curiosity doesn’t obligate attendance but opens the door to honest self-assessment.
Safety is paramount. If you anticipate that key family members who caused harm will be there, or that your boundaries will be tested relentlessly, that’s a red flag. Nadia, preparing for her estranged parent’s possible outburst on a video call with her therapist, rehearses exit strategies and boundary phrases. This level of preparation acknowledges the real risks rather than denying them.
Physical and emotional costs often go unacknowledged. Weddings can be exhausting even without added trauma. Consider your resilience and whether you have support on-site. If attending compromises your professional commitments or self-care routines, it’s valid to prioritize those needs.
Finally, weigh what skipping the wedding might cost you. Some women fear missing a chance for reconciliation or closure. Others recognize that absence can be a form of self-protection and that healing doesn’t require presence. Both are true, and neither demands guilt.
For those navigating no-contact boundaries, resources like the Complete Guide to Going No Contact and Surviving Holidays with a Narcissistic Family offer strategies to maintain your limits. If you decide to attend, planning ahead with a trusted support person and clear exit plans can make the difference. More on this is available in the next section and at Attending Family Weddings When No Contact.
Ultimately, this decision framework centers your experience and safety, rather than family pressure or societal expectations. It respects the complexity of estranged relationships without forcing a one-size-fits-all answer. You get to define what support looks like, on your terms.
If You Go: A Tactical Survival Guide
A ritual boundary is a clear decision about access, roles, contact, seating, speeches, photos, or participation during a major family ceremony.
In plain terms: It is how you protect the meaning of the event when the family system wants to use the ritual for its own agenda.
Plan your arrival and departure carefully. Arrive close to the ceremony time to avoid long waits in the reception area where family members might approach you unexpectedly. Identify the nearest exits and parking spots so you can leave smoothly if needed. Nadia, on a video call with her therapist two weeks before the wedding, rehearses exit scripts to prepare for moments when she might feel overwhelmed or triggered. Practicing these scripts can help you respond calmly rather than react impulsively.
Here are a few practical exit scripts you can adapt:
- “I’m sorry, I need some fresh air right now.”
- “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and need to step outside for a moment.”
- “I have an early morning tomorrow and need to head out.”
- “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m going to leave now.”
Keep these phrases simple and non-negotiable. They don’t invite debate or explanation. Your priority is self-care, not justification.
Managing contact with estranged relatives requires clear boundaries and emotional self-awareness. If you decide to engage, keep conversations brief and neutral. Use the grey rock method,respond with minimal detail, avoid emotional topics, and steer clear of past conflicts. For example, if someone asks, “Why did you stop talking to the family?” a grey rock response might be, “I’m focusing on what’s best for me right now.”
| Situation | Sample Script | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpected approach by estranged sibling | “I’m glad to see you. I’m keeping things light today.” | Set tone and limit depth of interaction |
| Family member pressures for reconciliation | “I’m focusing on my healing journey and can’t engage in that conversation now.” | Maintain boundary without confrontation |
| Triggering comment or behavior | “I’m going to step away for a moment.” | De-escalate and self-regulate |
| Support person checks in | “I’m managing okay, thank you. I might need your help later.” | Keep support connection open |
If you anticipate that certain family members will be present who you’re in no contact with, consider reading this guide on attending family weddings while maintaining no-contact boundaries. It offers specific strategies for navigating encounters with relatives who trigger trauma or conflict.
Keep in mind that your presence at the wedding doesn’t obligate you to engage beyond your comfort. You can show support for your sibling without sacrificing your well-being. If the environment becomes unsafe or intolerable, leaving early isn’t a failure, it’s an act of self-respect and preservation.
After the event, allow yourself time to process. You might journal your experience, reach out to your support person, or schedule a session with a therapist to unpack any difficult emotions. For more on managing family-related trauma during significant life events, see Your Wedding & Family Trauma and Betrayal Trauma Complete Guide.
Finally, if this experience brings up unresolved feelings or questions about your family dynamics, consider exploring professional support. Therapy can provide a confidential space to navigate these complex emotions at your own pace. You can learn more about working with me at Therapy with Annie or explore executive coaching and foundational healing services at Executive Coaching and Fixing the Foundations™.
Both/And: Your Sibling Deserves Your Support AND You’re Not Required to Sacrifice Your Recovery
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?”
Mary Oliver, poet, from “The Summer Day”
Take Nadia’s experience, for example. She’s on a video call with her therapist two weeks before her estranged sibling’s wedding, rehearsing exit scripts in case a toxic family member causes a scene. Nadia’s preparing because she honors her sibling’s day but refuses to put herself in harm’s way. This is the kind of clear-eyed boundary-setting that protects your nervous system while still acknowledging the importance of the event.
Remember, attending doesn’t guarantee reconciliation or emotional repair. As Joshua Coleman, PhD, notes in Rules of Estrangement, estrangement often involves complex family dynamics that a single event can’t resolve. Your presence at the wedding isn’t a promise to fix the past or repair the entire family system.
Equally, not attending isn’t a betrayal or abandonment. Karl Pillemer, PhD, author of Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them, emphasizes that estrangement is often a necessary survival strategy. Choosing self-preservation over social pressure is valid and sometimes essential. Your sibling’s wedding invitation is not a summons to sacrifice your wellbeing.
| Both/And Mindset | What It Looks Like in Practice |
|---|---|
| Your sibling’s wedding is important. | Sending a heartfelt card or gift when you can’t attend. |
| Your emotional safety comes first. | Declining attendance without guilt or over-explaining. |
| You can support without sacrificing boundaries. | Attending with a clear exit plan and a trusted ally. |
| You’re allowed to say no without apology. | Practicing scripts like, “I’m sending my love but can’t be there in person.” |
Here are some practical scripts to hold in your back pocket, whether you attend or not:
- If you’re attending: “I’m here to celebrate you today, and I’m also prioritizing my own wellbeing. I may step away if I need to.”
- If you’re not attending: “I’m sending you my love and support from afar. I hope your day is meaningful.”
- If pressured to reconcile: “Right now, I’m focusing on healing and can’t engage in family dynamics beyond this.”
For those facing no-contact challenges at the wedding, the guide on going no contact offers strategies to maintain your boundaries firmly and kindly. If you anticipate toxic family members, consider the survival tactics for narcissistic relatives, they translate well to weddings.
To deepen your preparation, explore the tactical advice in attending family weddings when no contact is in place and the emotional frameworks in your wedding and family trauma. These resources can help you navigate the event with clarity and strength.
The Systemic Lens: Why Weddings Are Used as Forced Reconciliation Events
Consider Jordan, holding the thick, elegant invitation at her kitchen counter. That card isn’t just a piece of paper; it’s a cultural demand to perform family harmony. In many societies, weddings symbolize a fresh start, a public declaration of togetherness. This symbolism can overshadow the reality of fractured relationships. Family members, and even the couple themselves, may unconsciously expect estranged relatives to “show up and make peace,” as if attendance alone can erase years of hurt.
This expectation is deeply gendered and ritualized. Women, in particular, often bear the brunt of these pressures, expected to be the emotional caretakers and peacekeepers. The wedding becomes a stage where unresolved family conflicts are spotlighted and where absence can be interpreted as defiance or rejection. Joshua Coleman, PhD, points out that estrangement is frequently treated as a “wedding emergency” by everyone except the person who set the boundary. This systemic misalignment leaves estranged siblings like you caught between your need for safety and the family’s demand for reconciliation.
| Systemic Pressure | Impact on Estranged Sibling |
|---|---|
| Cultural Ritual of Family Unity | Creates expectation to attend and reconcile publicly, minimizing personal boundaries |
| Gendered Emotional Labor | Disproportionate pressure on women to be peacekeepers and caretakers |
| Legal and Financial Stakes | Attendance linked to inheritance, family alliances, or social capital, complicating choice |
| Family System Dynamics | Estrangement seen as a problem to fix, often ignoring safety and trauma needs |
Nadia’s video call with her therapist illustrates this vividly. She’s rehearsing exit scripts not just because of personal discomfort but because the wedding is a systemic high-stakes container. The ritual demands emotional labor and public performance of unity that may not be safe or genuine. This is why it’s crucial to recognize that your decision about attending isn’t just about family feelings, it’s about navigating a complex system designed to enforce connection at any cost.
Understanding these systemic forces can help you reclaim agency. You don’t have to accept the role of the “estranged problem” the family wants to fix. Instead, you can frame your attendance or absence through the lens of your own safety and healing. If you want to explore navigating no-contact boundaries with family members at weddings, the guide on attending family weddings with no contact offers practical strategies. For deeper insight into managing family trauma in your own wedding or important events, see Your Wedding and Family Trauma.
How to Communicate Your Decision Without Starting a War
Family members often try to override your choice, especially around weddings, because they interpret estrangement as a crisis needing urgent repair. This pressure can feel like an attack on your autonomy. Prepare yourself by rehearsing responses that redirect or disengage, such as “I understand this is hard for you, but my decision is firm,” or “I’m focusing on what keeps me safe and whole.” Using the grey rock method can also help minimize conflict by offering neutral, non-engaging replies to persistent questioning.
Support is crucial in this phase. Engage with a therapist or trusted confidant who understands family estrangement and can help you process the emotions stirred by your decision. Nadia’s vignette, rehearsing exit strategies with her therapist before the wedding, highlights the value of preparation and having a safe person to debrief with afterward. This kind of support buffers the emotional toll and reinforces your boundaries.
After communicating your decision, give yourself time and space to decompress. Family events, especially weddings, can reopen old wounds and trigger complex grief. Recognize these feelings as valid, even if you chose not to attend. Resources like betrayal trauma guides and holiday survival strategies provide practical tools for managing this emotional aftermath.
| Scenario | Suggested Communication | Key Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Attending the wedding | “Thank you for inviting me. I’m looking forward to celebrating with you while taking care of myself throughout the day.” | Respectful, brief interaction; self-care prioritized |
| Declining the invitation | “I appreciate the invitation, but I won’t be attending. I wish you all the best on your special day.” | Firm, no debate; decision based on personal well-being |
| Family pressure to attend or reconcile | “I understand your feelings, but my decision is final. I’m focused on what’s healthiest for me.” | Maintaining autonomy and safety |
For ongoing support navigating these complex family dynamics, consider exploring therapeutic resources like therapy with Annie Wright or executive coaching tailored for women managing relational trauma. If you find yourself facing no-contact boundaries with other family members at the wedding, the article Attending a Family Wedding When You’re No Contact offers specific strategies to maintain your safety.
Finally, if your own wedding is on the horizon and family trauma shadows the planning, the piece Your Own Wedding When Your Family Is the Source of Your Trauma provides a compassionate guide to creating space for healing within celebration.
Q: Do I have to attend my sibling’s wedding if we’re estranged?
A: No, you don’t have to attend. Weddings are often framed as moments that demand family unity, but estrangement is a boundary, not a suggestion. Your presence should never come at the cost of your emotional or physical safety. Weigh what attending means for you personally, consider the impact on your mental health, your sense of self, and your recovery journey. Choosing not to go can be an act of self-preservation, not disloyalty.
Q: What do I say to my sibling if I decide not to come to the wedding?
A: Keep your message clear, honest, and boundary-respecting. You might say something like, “I appreciate the invitation, but I won’t be attending. I wish you well on your wedding day.” Avoid detailed explanations or justifications that invite debate or pressure. Your choice is valid without needing approval or negotiation. If you want, offer a different way to connect on your own terms, but only if that feels safe and authentic.
Q: My estranged parent will be at my sibling’s wedding. How do I handle this?
A: Prepare a plan that prioritizes your safety and emotional well-being. Identify supportive people you can stay close to and set clear exit strategies if interactions become overwhelming. Use grounding techniques to manage stress in the moment. Remember, you’re not obligated to engage with anyone who threatens your boundaries. Maintaining no contact or limited contact is your right, even in shared spaces.
Q: My sibling is pressuring me to reconcile with the family in exchange for being at the wedding. What should I do?
A: Reconciliation is a process, not a bargaining chip. You’re not required to trade your healing or boundaries for attendance. Pressuring you to reconcile ignores the complexity of trauma and recovery. You can acknowledge your sibling’s feelings while holding firm: “I’m not ready to reconcile, and I need to prioritize my well-being.” Your autonomy matters more than fulfilling others’ expectations.
Q: How do I protect my no-contact boundary at a wedding where the person I’m no-contact with will be present?
A: Establish clear boundaries before the event and communicate them to your support system. Have a trusted ally who understands your no-contact needs and can intervene if necessary. Plan your arrival and departure to minimize overlap with the person you’re avoiding. Use neutral responses and avoid engaging in conversation or eye contact. Prioritize your emotional safety over social expectations, your boundaries are valid and deserve respect.
Related Reading
- Pillemer, Karl. Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them. New York: Avery, 2020.
- Coleman, Joshua. Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict. New York: Harmony, 2021.
- van der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York: Viking, 2014.
- Fosha, Diana. The Transforming Power of Affect: A Model for Accelerated Change. New York: Basic Books, 2000.
- Wright, Annie. Betrayal Trauma: The Complete Guide.
References
Peer-Reviewed Research (Vancouver)
- Porges SW. Polyvagal Theory: Current Status, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions. Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2025;22(3):169-184. doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20250301. PMID: 40735382.
- Schore AN. The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Intersubjectivity. Front Psychol. 2021;12:648616. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648616. PMID: 33959077.
Books & Cultural Sources (Chicago Author-Date)
- Oliver, Mary. Devotions. Little, Brown Book Group Limited, 2017.
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Annie Wright is a licensed psychotherapist (LMFT #95719) and trauma-informed executive coach with over 15,000 clinical hours. She works with driven, ambitious women. Including Silicon Valley leaders, physicians, and entrepreneurs. In repairing the psychological foundations beneath their impressive lives. Annie is the founder and former CEO of Evergreen Counseling, a multimillion-dollar trauma-informed therapy center she built, scaled, and successfully exited. A regular contributor to Psychology Today, her expert commentary has appeared in Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., NBC, and The Information. She is currently writing her first book with W.W. Norton.
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