Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents

Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in adult psychotherapy and has written several books on the subject of emotionally immature parents. Gibson’s professional journey as a psychologist profoundly shapes her approach to writing about emotional immaturity. Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, she has maintained a private practice focused specifically on working with adult children of emotionally immature parents, providing her with direct clinical insights into the patterns and challenges these individuals face. This specialized clinical focus distinguishes her work from more generalized approaches to family psychology or self-help literature.

Gibson earned her doctorate of psychology (PsyD) from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, following her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Central Michigan University. This rigorous educational background provides a solid foundation in psychological theory, assessment, and therapeutic techniques that inform her analytical approach to emotional development. Throughout her career, she has balanced clinical practice with academic contributions, serving as an adjunct assistant professor at both the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion University.

What makes Gibson’s perspective particularly valuable in Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents is her more than three decades of professional experience observing the recurring patterns of how emotional immaturity manifests across different families and relationships. This longitudinal clinical exposure has allowed her to identify subtle dimensions of emotional immaturity that might escape notice in shorter-term therapeutic relationships or more generalized psychological practices.

Gibson’s writing style reflects her clinical approach—methodical, observant, and oriented toward practical solutions rather than abstract theorizing. Throughout Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, she grounds psychological concepts in concrete examples drawn from therapeutic sessions, making complex dynamics accessible to non-specialist readers while maintaining clinical accuracy. This balanced approach between accessibility and psychological depth characterizes her authorial voice and explains much of the book’s broad appeal.

Before gaining widespread recognition with Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, Gibson authored Who You Were Meant to Be: A Guide to Rediscovering Your Life’s Purpose (2002), where she began exploring how early experiences and relationship patterns influence adult development and self-actualization. This earlier work demonstrates her longstanding interest in how individuals can overcome developmental obstacles to realize their authentic potential.

The publication of Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents in 2015 marked a significant shift in Gibson’s career, as the book’s reception catapulted her framework into wider cultural discussion. Its New York Times bestseller status and translation into 37 languages established Gibson as a leading authority on emotional immaturity and its intergenerational effects. This success prompted Gibson to develop what would become a comprehensive series addressing different aspects of emotional immaturity.

Following the initial book’s success, Gibson has systematically expanded her exploration of emotional immaturity through subsequent works, including Recovering from Emotionally Immature Parents (focusing on establishing boundaries), Self-Care for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents (addressing internalized patterns), and most recently, Disentangling from Emotionally Immature People (2023), which extends her framework beyond parent-child relationships to other interpersonal contexts.

While maintaining her clinical practice, Gibson continues to refine and expand her work on emotional immaturity, developing new resources to address specific aspects of recovery and growth. Her ongoing clinical engagement ensures that her writing remains grounded in therapeutic reality rather than drifting toward abstract theorizing, maintaining the practical utility that characterizes Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents and its companion volumes.