College drop-off brought a wave of emotion you weren’t fully prepared for. Now the house is quiet, the routines are gone, and you're left sitting in a new kind of stillness. The silence isn’t just around you, it’s inside, too.

If you’re like many empty nest moms, you’re feeling the weight of a major shift. The old parenting roles you knew so well don’t seem to fit anymore, and the new ones? Still unclear. You were their manager, their problem-solver, their steady hand. Now you're learning how to show up differently in a parenting stage where love has to stretch, not lead.

In this conversation, I open up about the raw truth of empty nest syndrome, the loss no one prepares you for and how I fumbled through that grief despite decades as a life coach. From letting go of control to reshaping the parenting dynamics with my adult kids, I share what it looked like to be cracked open by transition and still find something sacred on the other side.

We talk about the invisible shift in parenting a young adult, the pain of distance, and the surprising relief that came with loosening my grip. I walk through four communication rules that helped me reconnect and the humbling lesson of learning to simply listen instead of fix.

Here’s what we explored:

• Why parenting roles and identity often feel fused and how to begin separating the two
• The emotional toll of empty nest syndrome, letting go of control, and honoring grief without rushing healing
• 4 communication rules that support connection without overstepping
• How trusting the process can lead to growth in your relationship with your young adult and help you rediscover yourself
• Why this new parenting stage might be the invitation you’ve been waiting for to find purpose again

If you're standing in the doorway of a dorm room, or just starting to ask “now what?”, this episode is for you.

Here’s to finding purpose, even in the quiet.

Allison

Want to be a guest on the show? Apply to share your story.

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.lifecoachallisongoldberg.com

Email: navigatingthelaunch@gmail.com

Have your adult children pulled away, not just emotionally, but completely? Do holidays pass without a single call or message? Are you living in the silence of family estrangement and wondering how things ended up here?

You might be one of the estranged parents quietly carrying the weight of silence, questioning how something so natural, like parenting, could lead to such a painful distance. What once felt like care and involvement may now look like codependent parenting, tangled in fear, guilt, and a deep longing to stay connected.

In this conversation, Lori Albright opens up about her real-life journey through parenting mistakes, silence from her adult children, and the hard truth of letting go as a parent. She shares how joining support groups for parents and working through the 12 steps for codependency helped her shift from heartbreak to hope.

We talk about the grief that doesn’t come with a funeral, the kind of grief rooted in empty nest grief and the ache of family estrangement. Lori reflects on her decision to break long-standing generational patterns and how therapy for estranged parents gave her language, perspective, and the strength to keep showing up.

You’ll hear how the pressure of perfection and overgiving led to patterns of codependent parenting, and how redefining boundaries became a step toward emotional healing. Lori’s journey reminds us that no matter the silence, there's still room to heal, reflect, and begin again.

We also unpack why motherhood and identity often feel fused and what it takes to untangle them in the aftermath of estrangement and disconnection.

Here’s what we explored:

• Why motherhood and identity often feel fused and how to untangle the two
• The role of reflection and humility in emotional healing
• When silence becomes the signal to begin again
• How to honor boundaries while holding space for future connection
• What it really means to be brave after breaking generational cycles

If you’ve ever felt invisible inside your own story, this episode is for you. It’s not a how-to manual. It’s a hand on your shoulder, saying “You’re not alone and there’s still purpose for you here.”

Here’s to healing forward,

Allison

Want to be a guest on the show? Apply to share your story.

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.lifecoachallisongoldberg.com

Email: navigatingthelaunch@gmail.com

In this episode, I share my own experience with empty nest loneliness, how it impacted my relationship, and the small but powerful steps I took to reconnect with myself and rebuild my self identity. We talk about how shame can keep us stuck, why pretending everything is fine only deepens the disconnection, and the moment I decided to face the truth out loud.

I open up about the role therapy played in helping me unravel years of overgiving, how honest conversations brought my husband and I closer, and why reaching out to old friends became a lifeline. You’ll hear how I shifted from feeling invisible to creating meaningful connections in both my marriage and everyday life.

Here’s what we unpacked:

• Why empty nest life can trigger unexpected signs of loneliness
• How to recognize emotional distance in relationships before it grows
• Practical ways to rediscover yourself after years of prioritizing everyone else
• The first step to relationship renewal in a long-term marriage
• Why naming your feelings is the starting point for coping with change
• How to take one small, intentional step toward connection every day
• Ways to rebuild a deeper emotional connection with your partner
• The importance of seeking community and not waiting for someone else to “rescue” you

If you’re in the season of redefining who you are after the kids have left, this conversation offers grounded support, honest reflection, and actionable steps to help you feel seen again — in your marriage, in your relationships, and most importantly, in yourself.

Here’s to finding your way back to you, one honest step at a time.

Allison

Want to be a guest on the show? Apply to share your story.

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.lifecoachallisongoldberg.com

Email: navigatingthelaunch@gmail.com