Why Teen Mom Star Farrah Abraham Cut Contact With Her Parents

Former ‘Teen Mom’ star Farrah Abraham has detailed a deeply personal future gift for her 16-year-old daughter, Sophia. Abraham plans to send Sophia to a trauma treatment center when she turns 18. She revealed this in an exclusive interview with E! News.

Abraham described her own 2022 stay at a trauma center as a life-saving experience. She believes this gift will provide her daughter with the same powerful tools for emotional health.

Healing a “Mother Wound” Through Intensive Therapy

Abraham’s decision is rooted in her own therapeutic journey. She worked through significant personal trauma, including the death of Sophia’s father, Derek Underwood, before her birth. She also addressed a deeply fraught relationship with her mother, Debra Danielsen.

“I had a really bad mother wound,” Abraham explained on A&E’s Secrets of Celebrity Sex Tapes. Her therapy involved a rigorous 12-step relationship program. This included a detailed inventory of past relationships to identify harmful patterns.

The process revealed she often gave love in exchange for protection she never received. Abraham stated this clarity helped her remove people from her life who did not provide a safe space. This includes her parents, with whom she no longer speaks.

Fostering Independence and a New Approach to Motherhood

Abraham sees the estrangement from her parents as a step toward independence, not a sad event. She believes everyone fights for their own identity, and some never achieve it. Her own difficult experiences directly shaped her parenting philosophy.

She decided to homeschool Sophia after witnessing her struggle in elementary school. Abraham said her daughter was being exposed to bullying and other negative influences. She could not bear to repeat the woundedness she felt during her own school years.

Their homeschooling is fully online and automated. This flexible system allows them to travel and enjoy experiences like music festivals together. Abraham is also supporting Sophia’s own ventures, including a potential biopic and a book.

Abraham’s journey underscores a commitment to breaking generational cycles. Her unique 18th birthday gift for Sophia aims to provide a foundation of emotional wellness that she herself had to fight to find.

Info at your fingertips

What is Farrah Abraham’s relationship with her parents?

Farrah Abraham is currently estranged from both her mother, Debra Danielsen, and her father, Michael Abraham. She has stated that she no longer speaks to them as they did not provide the safe space she needed.

Why did Farrah Abraham choose to homeschool her daughter?

Abraham began homeschooling Sophia after she started struggling in elementary school. She felt her daughter was being introduced to bullying and abuse, and she wanted to avoid repeating her own negative school experiences.

What does Sophia Abraham do now?

Sophia Abraham is 16 years old and is homeschooled by her mother. She is also pursuing her own projects, which may include a biopic and a book, with her mother’s support.

How does Farrah Abraham describe her own therapy?

Abraham has described her time in a trauma center in 2022 as a “saving grace.” She underwent a 12-step program that helped her understand patterns in her relationships and the importance of creating a safe environment for herself.

What was the cause of Farrah Abraham’s initial family strife?

A significant point of conflict was her parents’ reaction to the death of Sophia’s father, Derek Underwood. Abraham felt a deep anger that they were not supportive or involved in acknowledging the tragedy.