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.