Family Therapy
Today’s families face so many challenges…
Is your family full of disconnections?
Do they refuse to listen to you… understand you… spend time with you… respect your point of view?
Maybe you don’t know what to do or what to say to get them to pay attention. There is constant fighting about activities, values, and priorities when you spend time together.
Thinking of adding a child to your family and want to prepare?
You want to be sure about this decision. You need to know what you should know about multiple options; birth, in-vitro, surrogacy, adoption. Deciding to have a child through one of the previous avenues is a considerable change in your life – you want to be prepared.
But you and your spouse disagree and need help navigating this decision. You want help preparing your kids for the event and want to talk to someone objective and knowledgeable outside of the adoption system in Connecticut.
I do not do Home Studies but can help you prepare for them.
Need to know how to make a marriage work under stress?
It’s not easy navigating the new normal – living and working at home. You struggle with new online education and business concerns. Are these challenges creating difficulties in your marriage?
Perhaps your spouse was in an accident and now is impossible to live with. You and your children want help from someone who understands what everyone is going through.
You and your spouse are struggling because of recent economic and employment changes. You both would like some support from someone neutral as you sort out your issues – someone to help you navigate the sticky topics and help with child-raising dilemmas.
If you are seeking marriage counseling because you want to keep your marriage together, I suggest that you see someone trained in this specialized area. But if you’re going to see me for other reasons, I’m happy to speak to you about them.
Has your child, parent, or loved one joined a cult?
Maybe you don’t know what to say to them. They no longer speak your language. Nothing makes sense, least of all why they decided to join.
Whenever you try to talk to them about it, they just shut you out. You don’t know how to feel heard. Your family members or friends seem to use language differently than they used to – and it no longer makes sense. The more concerns you raise, the less they seem to engage with you.
Do you know someone who’s seeing an unethical psychic?
Maybe they’ve given a psychic most of their property or are spending thousands of dollars on ‘phone psychics.’ They claim to have been healed of a major illness by a psychic, but they don’t seem any better. They seem addicted to psychics and can’t decide what to wear without consulting one.
Increasingly fearful and depressed about their future – they have continued to promise you that their problems are ‘about to change,’ but it never happens.
Silence or rejection meet any concerns or criticism. You don’t know how to connect.
You want to know if there are any options… and want help, too.
Are you having problems with your children?
You adopted your kids, and they have always been challenging. You want to know if their past has anything to do with this.
Your child is on the verge of flunking out of school because of poor grades. They’re suddenly acting out and being disrespectful. You are wondering if they are spending too much time with video games or screen time.
They seem to have hit a wall in their ability to handle reading or math or social skills. Do they fall asleep when they try to study?
They seem unusually anxious, and you wonder why.
All you do is fight about it. You are looking for a way to get everything back on track without losing your relationship with your child. Your child wants help, too.
Is a loved one hurting himself?
You know there is something wrong, but you are at a loss to explain it. You feel guilty for questioning your loved one’s participation with others, you worry about their mental or physical health.
You want to talk to someone who can help you and is respectful to your loved one.
You’ve come to the right place…
Family therapy is appropriate for all ages. It can be helpful for parents having problems with either young or adult children.
Family therapy is beneficial for families that want to adopt and families struggling with children or adolescents having trouble with school or behaviors.
Families with elderly family members also can be helped by therapy as well as friends concerned about one another.
Family therapy is a way of dealing with family conflict, addiction, and loss by improving communication and interactions among family members. In some cases, it also prepares families to receive a new family member (adoption, marriage).
In situations when people have lost family members, it assists with the process of grief and closure caused by that loss or, in some instances, the struggles caused by ‘missing’ family members when closure isn’t possible.
Family therapy also can include special situations. For example, I have worked with families whose children have joined cult-like groups for 40 years, and I currently work with families who are struggling with members involved with unethical psychics.
I also worked with multi-generational hoarders – a grandmother and daughter – whose own kids were adversely affected by their excessive hoarding. The hoarding had made it especially difficult for aunts and uncles to be supportive because of the anxiety it brought up in them when remembering what it was like growing up as the children of hoarders themselves.
You have a friend to guide you through this challenging time…
I pledge to work with all family members equally and fairly in each session. In exchange, I ask that all family members keep an open mind and do their best to listen to the views of others.
I will listen to everyone’s point-of-view, and, together, we will look at the thinking and behaviors that get in the way of communication.
We will explore new ways of looking at your family system… and see if there are different ways to explain everyone’s thoughts and behaviors that make sense to all members.
If you feel it’s difficult or impossible to express what you think in front of others…
Know that you will not be forced to say anything and will be allowed to go at your own pace. I will support you in saying what you feel needs to be said. I will be your ally and facilitator in every session.
Using a form of therapy called “psychoeducation,” I will show you how your situation is affected by trauma, group, and interpersonal dynamics. I also educate families about mind-brain issues as needed. This will help free you to explore other points of view and solutions for dealing with family conflicts. For example, a better understanding of the biology of dementia may help in the decision-making process in managing eldercare.
Connection (and reconnection) is possible!
Our sessions will be confidential. Whether we’re in the office or using telehealth (HIPAA-compliant audio/visual technology), your privacy is respected and protected.
You may feel shy, anxious, self-conscious, or hesitant about what this process might entail. I understand that beginnings can be difficult and that your feelings are real. Rest assured that whatever you are experiencing, the process of family therapy will help resolve those feelings, and you will begin to feel connected again soon!
Your family is incomplete… it’s time to become whole!
Don’t put this off. Call me for a free 20-minute consultation or an appointment: (860) 717-4400.