Family Therapy

“The family is link to our past, bridge to our future.” – Alex Haley

Often times a problem is part of a larger issue in the family and needs to be evaluated and addressed with a trained family therapist. Families are indeed complicated. Deep relationships can carry lots of baggage and hurt as well. Treatment is usually short-term with a goal of return to improved functioning and reduced conflict.

Families all go through normal life stages and changes like a marriage, arrival of a new baby, member leaving home, divorce, job loss, re-location, retirement. Change affects not only individual members but impacts the family structure or system, often in unhealthy ways.

Together we can explore family roles, rules and behavior patterns to identify the issues that may contribute to conflict. We look at the strengths of the members and how they offer support while also examining the weaknesses including trust. Here are examples of presenting issues in my office:

• Deviant, acting out school behaviors, drug arrest
• Disabled child
• Cancer, Alzheimer’s, illness, death of a member
• Children reacting to divorce
• Member leaving home, grandparent entering a nursing residence
• Extended family; In-Laws
• Financial, cultural, ethical issues

Your family is thrown into temporary chaos and crisis. We look at family as a social system interacting and communicating. Let me help you mobilize and reorganize providing you with an opportunity for relief, wholeness, and safety.