Family Therapy

I really enjoy working with families in conflict, and the reason is, we’ve all been there!  The truth is, even the happiest of families don’t always get along.  So many “normal” families sometimes get themselves stuck in a rut and develop patterns of behavior that over time turn into vicious cycles that can be very unpleasant.  Whether working with parent-child conflict, or conflict between spouses, I use therapy techniques to help get families unstuck and on to healthier patterns of interaction as quickly as possible.

Family therapy is a natural choice when parenting is the primary issue.  At one point or another, many parents find themselves battling their kids or teens over behavioral expectations.  Frequently, parents disagree about the best way to troubleshoot misbehavior, which leads to even more tension and conflict in the family.

To make matters worse, many times kids sense this lack of solidarity between parents and use it to their advantage. Reading a great parenting book can be helpful, but sometimes that can lead to more frustration or self-doubt in your parenting skills when the seemingly clear-cut techniques are not as effective as you expected them to be.

Family therapy can be quite helpful at defusing tense interactions and allowing everyone in the family to feel like they have a voice, can be heard, and can have their needs met. Family therapy is often short-term and the goal is to treat the problem and get you back to a happier and more peaceful home life as quickly as possible.

I typically meet with the whole family during the first session to get to know each member, see how you interact with each other, and to get a sense of each person’s perspective of the problem.  In subsequent sessions, I will meet with family members in smaller groups.

For example, during the second session I may meet with everyone together to check in, then spend some time with just the parents, then spend some time with just the kids, and then wrap up the session by bringing everyone back together.  This allows me to really get to understand everyone’s perspective in a safe environment, and is a helpful strategy for the family to learn to communicate more clearly.

Family counseling can be helpful whether parents are living together or are separated, and when kids are being raised by a single parent or in a multi-generational home.  It is very common for difficulties to arise when step-parents enter the picture and this is another typical reason for seeking out family therapy services.

I will often recommend family therapy even when the child is initially identified as the one with the problem.  I work from a systemic perspective, meaning that I view individual people and their problems in the context of their relationships.

For example, if a child comes to the office for anxiety treatment, it can often be even more effective to involve a parent in the session to help better meet the needs of the child.  And frequently, parents themselves may benefit from support in how to cope with their own worries about their child’s anxiety.  If a teen is struggling with depression, strengthening communication with parents can help cultivate their sense of self-worth and build a stronger support system.

If you can’t tell by now, working with families is my special interest!  My particular training in marriage and family therapy helps me to conceptualize problems and solutions in the context of relationships between people.   I’d love to work with you and your family.  To get started, book your first appointment or contact me for more information.