Family Therapy

In family therapy, we look at the family as a system that is more than the sum of its parts. That's to say, families can develop ways of functioning, communicating, coping with stress, and relating to one another that take on a life of their own. These kinds of family dynamics may more easily change in family therapy than in individual therapy. Even though we tend to think of families as pretty fixed, families are actually in constant flux - new members arrive, people get older and need different things, and sometimes the family composition itself can change drastically. We can run into trouble when things change too quickly, too often, or when things that need to change get stuck.

I have done training on and frequently use aspects of systemic and structural family therapy, attachment-based family therapy, as well as the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) framework for families dealing with childhood trauma and adversity. Family therapy may include a combination of sessions with the whole family, some members of the family, parent/couples, and may occasionally include individual sessions.

I have experience and training to work with...

conflict, communication break down, and disconnection
families with children & teens, and families wanting to improve relationships between parents and adult children
families that are struggling to adapt after a major transition, diagnosis, or loss
specific issues related to "mixed bank" adoption ("foster-to-adopt" programs)
issues related to how mental health diagnoses and challenges impact families

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