Thanks, Dave. In her case, she has tried honest communication multiple times, but she is dealing with an abusive, narcissistic mother who is incapable of feeling any empathy and who refuses to accept any blame for abuses that she committed or that occurred on her watch. Her mother won't validate any of the childhood abuses; instead, she will downplay them. It's really unhealthy for my friend's emothional well-being to continue to be dismissed in this way.