Family therapy is an area of specialization in my practice.  In family therapy I work with several members of the family at once.  The entire family, or a subset of family members, may be present; for example, the parents and one of their children (young child or adult) may be present; or several siblings may be in the session together.  At times even extended family members come in.  We discuss the issues that are causing conflict, hurt, or psychological problems.  Such issues may be fueled by current or past events.  I create an atmosphere in which family members can speak their minds in a safe and non-judgmental manner.  The focus is not on finding who is right and who is wrong; instead, we focus on how impasses can be resolved so that the family can thrive and family members can grow and enjoy the gift that a family can be.  

While many families function well during certain stages of the family’s development, most families experience challenges during particular developmental cycles.  For example, some parents possess sufficient skills to raise their children when the children are young, but have difficulty managing adolescent years. 

There are positive and negative approaches to parenting. What we believe to be appropriate parenting is profoundly influenced by the way we were parented and by the environment and culture in which we were raised.  I often work with two types of parents: Those who believe that the way they were parented is the only correct way to parent, and those who wish to parent differently than they were raised.  Every parent and family experiences challenges regardless of parenting style. 

Commonly addressed concerns in family therapy include:

-         Attachment and bonding

-         Parenting styles, approaches and techniques

-         Fairness, justice and safety within the family

-         Mood, anxiety, or personality problems

-         Unhealthy efforts to fulfill unfulfilled emotional needs (such as abuse of alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, gambling, food, etc.)

-         Internet addiction

-         Sexual orientation of a child or a parent

-         Coping with chronic illness

-         Destructive rigidity and lack of healthy flexibility in the family

-         Traumas endured by a family member or by the entire family

-         Lifestyle transitions (births, deaths, retirements, empty nest, re-entries of children to the nest)

We work toward making conscious that which is unconscious and destructive.  We unveil camouflaged efforts for attachment and bonding, and come up with better ways to fulfill those emotional needs.  The ultimate goal is a healthier, more satisfying and nurturing family environment.