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Birds can start plucking for a huge variety of reasons. Sometimes the reasons are psychological, and sometimes they are physical. It tends to become a compulsive habit, which is why it's hard to get the birds to stop. If the feather picking started around the same time as your friend's wife and other birds moved out, that's probably the reason. It could be that Sasha misses the rest of her flock (both human and bird) and is depressed herself, and it could also be that she's feeding off your friend's emotions as Victor suggested. It could also be a combination of both.
The fact that Sasha is a rescue could also be relevant, actually. She may have abandonment issues, which would tie into her being upset about losing part of her family.
There are quite a few medical reasons a bird might pick, such as allergies, skin infections, thyroid problems, endocrine problems, exposure to toxins, vitamin deficiencies, and so on. A checkup with the veterinarian might be a good idea to rule those things out, just in case.
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