Dr. Kenneth M. Adams - Psychologist/Author

Frank, earnest, and direct, Dr. Kenneth M. Adams, addiction and trauma expert, speaks about an age-old problem: Enmeshment. This occurs when a parent leans on a child to become a surrogate intimate partner, making the child feel responsible for the parent’s emotional and physical well-being. Examples of enmeshment can range from meal preparation to becoming the sounding board for the parent’s most personal issues. While there is no sexual contact in this age-old, pervasive problem, it is damaging to the child. It’s regarded as child abuse. Adams, one of the world’s leading experts on this complex addiction, shares highlights from his three books, When He’s Married to Mom; Silently Seduced; and A Light in the Dark and explains that this addiction is not restricted exclusively to mothers and sons: it can also occur in any parent-child combination. Adams gives examples of this dysfunctional family dynamic, explains where and how it originates, and offers advice on what to do about it. Glass digs deep with this longer-than-usual interview, making sure viewers gain a clear understanding of appropriate behaviors and boundaries between divorced parents and their children. This episode is a head-spinner!

Biography

Kenneth M. Adams, Ph.D., CSAT-S Kenneth M. Adams, Ph.D., CSAT-S, has been a licensed psychologist since1981, a faculty member with the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP), and the clinical director and founder of Kenneth M. Adams and Associates in suburban Detroit as well as the popular Overcoming Enmeshment workshops. Dr. Adams is a national lecturer, workshop leader, and consultant in the areas of child abuse, dysfunctional family systems, and sex addiction. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and Silently Seduced, When He’s Married to Mom, and A Light in the Dark as well as co-editor of Clinical Management of Sex Addiction-Revised. He was the co-recipient of the 2001 “Readers Choice Award” for his paper on Shame Reduction and Affect Regulation. In 2011, Dr. Adams received the “Carnes Award” for “outstanding work in the field of sexual addiction and compulsivity and in 2016 received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from IITAP for his work with trauma and addiction. He is a certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), a CSAT supervisor, and CSAT training facilitator as well as an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) practitioner. For more on Dr Adams visit www.drkenadams.com or www.overcomingenmeshment.com.