There are many reasons to seek family counseling services and each family has its own unique needs. Although every family has unique circumstances even the happiest of families will have times when it makes sense to get help. Sometimes we just need help to talk to each other, to shine a light.
These are common reasons to seek family counseling.
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Parent child conflict
- Sibling conflict
- Financial stress
- Illness
- Death
- Anger
- Academic struggle
- Issues with extended family
- Separation or divorce
- Special needs
- Aging parent
- Life transitions
- Self harm
- Blended families
- Adoption
- Stress Management
- Alcohol and drug use
- Addiction
Family therapy is a delicate process that requires the utmost care and understanding. There are many reasons why someone would come in for counseling and one of these could be parents and adolescent conflicts. We will explore what this type of conflict entails, how it manifests within families, and what can be done about it.
As Pope Francis said, “There is no such thing as a perfect family. Only by the daily exercises of forgiveness can a family grow.”
Parenting is the hardest job out there. There is no manual or universal right and wrong to every situation. My goal is to help make this job less stressful and more rewarding. I can help both children and parents learn to manage their reactions better, establish boundaries, and learn personal and social responsibility.
Parents who find themselves struggling with these problems might be feeling like they’re unappreciated by their children, while teens will feel like they need space away from their “demanding parent”.
Parents may not be the only person needing help. Often, children do not know how to tell a family member how they feel or are afraid to hurt their feelings. Children are still learning how to identify and express their needs. This is why having a third party can help make sure their needs are heard and help everyone get better results.
I use many different methods for solving problems together with the family but always emphasize that one needs to consider the total context (e.g., home, school) when considering any change strategies. It is important to manage the stress of everyone in the family.
Family therapy in any scenario is more than just listening and talking. We will devise an action plan together so everyone has actionable tasks that will help deliver real results.
The steps to family therapy sessions are as follows:
- Gathering information in the first session with a comprehensive intake.
- Evaluating these findings for thoughts, feelings, or beliefs that could be contributing to the problem(s).
- Getting agreement from all members on goals specific to each person’s needs.
- “Doing” therapy by facilitating discussions and practicing new behaviors together during subsequent visits until they become natural habits.
Family therapy is not defined by the number of people in the room. It simply means an understanding of who you are working with, and their relationships to one another. Thus, “family counseling” can be done with one or many members of a family. It’s about joining someone in front of the therapist but also about understanding everyone else involved in this system where that person relates.
Family members do not have to be part of our problem if we’re having difficulty, but they often are part of the solution too! I believe it takes all parts to function for any relationship to work well.
Co-Parenting Therapy
when you keep criticizing your kids, they don’t stop loving you they stop loving themselves
