Family Therapy

Family therapy is for everyone.

You may think (like most) that family therapy is just that – family.

You may envision bringing your whole family in for support, or you may envision the horror show that would occur if you had all of your family members in session at the same time (yes, even as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I can totally relate to that feeling).

Although it can be super helpful to have family members join the therapeutic process, that’s not your only option!

Family therapy isn’t only for families in crisis…

… it can be for you – as an individual – without your family even being directly involved.

That’s the coolest thing about doing family systems work. You don’t actually need to have your family in session in order to work on relationships.

Systemic change only requires ONE person to break to cycle. You can be the one to make healthy changes to not only repair your connections those most important to you, but also with yourself.

The truth is, whether we like it or not, our family is with us wherever we go…

Whether they are literally with you (I’m talking to you teens out there with hovering parents), if you live far away from your family, if your family members are no longer with you in the physical world, or even if you don’t know who your family is.

In all cases, your family is still there – deeply ingrained into your sense of self, your identity, your worth, your values, the way you argue, the ways in which you show love, and in your most painful emotional triggers.

Helping your family HEAL… mending one broken crack at a time.

So, what does family therapy look like?

That’s where I do the work. Our first three sessions will be the most important to completing a full assessment of your family system, evaluating past generational patterns, present concerns, and holding space for each family member to share an equal voice and engage in an important role in the therapeutic process.

Session structure may include a combination of individual sessions, full family sessions, or parent sessions – depending on you and/or your family’s needs.

In sessions, we will establish a clear set of session rules and structure so that our time together is spent in a safe and supportive space, and so we can utilize each session’s time most effectively.

I will take time to hear each member’s needs and concerns, teach skills to promote effective communication with all members, and plan out and practice the structure and skill development for family meetings at home to further build on your skillset.

Family therapy does require a serious commitment to the process.

The work does not end when you leave my office.

It is crucial that you stay committed and consistent to the work – which can be long-term. There are plenty of services out there that will do an excellent job at putting a band-aid on your family’s broken pieces.

The only problem is that this does not actually reconnect those pieces and mend those cracks. It just keeps it barely holding together – to seem like it works – when really it’s not working.

I like to relate this to that one broken glass we’ve all come across before…

Mine is my favorite mug. It looks great on the outside, and it’s from someone special in my life, so it means a lot to me – I can’t just throw it away.

I keep it in the cabinet, and every once in a while I fill it up with my favorite warm beverage, raise it up to take a sip, only to get burned with a slow but steady trickle of hot liquid. Then I remember, “Shit, it has a crack in it…” an almost invisible one that no one would ever know is there. So invisible that even I forget. I even sometimes think: “Maybe it’s not that bad?” “Maybe I can still use it?”

But it’s broken. I mean, I could still use it, but at what cost? Does it actually meet my need of having a nice cup of tea or coffee? No, not really. Not like I’d want it to – without burning me – which is totally reasonable to want.

So, what do I do about this mug? Well, do what most of us do, I take a few quick sips to at least get something out of it, I clean it up, dry it off, and put it back in the cabinet saying I’ll fix it next time.

This is too often how the family system works. It’s really hard to see the crack sometimes, and it’s even harder to remember to fix it, until it’s burning us. That’s often why families begin therapy in crisis – in a sense of urgency.

That’s also why families end therapy prematurely – once some of the tension is relieved and the system gets a false feeling of being healed. That is until it gets filled up again with stress, and tension, or past/new trauma or loss, and we have to begin the process all over again… continuing the cycle and patterns of family distress and your unmet needs.

You are deserving…

You deserve healthy relationships. You deserve a family that meets your needs and supports you. And your family deserves the best you that you can be.

Let me help you take the next steps in healing family wounds and strengthening your family system for generations to come. Whether you’re doing it on your own or with others, family therapy can be tough – but it can also be life-changing.

If you’re wondering if I could be the right therapist for you and your family, let’s connect today and see if I could be the right fit: (267) 989-9113.