“Why family therapy… because it deals with family pain.” - Virginia Satir

As much of a cliche as it is, it has been my experience that family pain caused early in life has deep, long-lasting effects on us. Our families have a lot of influence on us, for better or worse. Family is where most of us learn how to communicate, it is where we receive the earliest ideas about ourselves and the roles we play in this world. Family is where we find love and support before we even know that other humans exist. Family is who takes care of us when we are either too young or too old and at the most vulnerable parts of lives. Family is what most influences our values, our habits, our beliefs, and ultimately, how we see the world.

Study after study has shown the importance of being surrounded by loving relationships, especially during the early years, for mental wellbeing. While this sounds easy and is always the intention, life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. Marital problems arise, job loss happens, shifting family dynamics outside of the primary family, abuse, divorce, mental illness, unforeseen tragedies… all of these things affect families every day. The personal struggles of each individual family member affect the other family members and how could it not? Families are systems designed to work together toward common goals.

But what happens when the family system isn’t working toward a common goal? What happens when that system isn’t functioning or communicating well?

This is where I come in. This is the work that I live for and why I love working with families. I love seeing family members come together and start having more productive conversations that lead to everyone’s increased wellbeing. My role as a counselor in a family session is one of a facilitator, a referee at times, an advocate, and a mediator. I can be very involved in family counseling making sure each person gets to say what they want and feels heard. I believe each opinion matters just as much as the next. I believe young people thrive on structure, though oddly enough they fight this structure. However, I believe that deep down, a lot of young people see structure as a form of love and support, a harbor of sorts. I believe trust, respect, and patience go both ways.

I believe young people, like a lot of adults, have a hard time talking about how they feel and asking for what they want or need. The result of this is a lack of communication or poor communication that is often misinterpreted. I believe adolescence is the most difficult period of life. As if hormones and puberty weren’t enough, there’s social pressure, social media, learning who we are, learning who to trust while simultaneously learning how to trust, budding romantic interests and that entire rollercoaster ride, family dynamics, a shift from dependence on family to more personal independence, and all the while, trying to keep the grades up. Young people and their families have their work cut out for them and I’m here to help.

We can help your family:

• Communicate Better

• Manage Conflict Between Parents and Children

• Fight Less

• Spend More Time Together

• Get Along

• Manage Conflict Between Children

• Work Through Loss or Major Transitions

• Resolve Past Conflict

• Learn to Work Together on Problems

• Communicate Rules and Consequences