Family & Adolescent Therapy...
I support parents, teens, and families in learning how to navigate individual and family challenges. It is common for families and adolescents to endure turbulence as teens are in the critical stage of developing independence, identity, and finding a sense of place and belonging with their peers and the world. Parents are also figuring out how to adapt to their adolescent's needs of individuation, responsibility, emotional regulation, and belonging. It is not uncommon for teens to experience anxiety, depression, and/or anger during these times and even turn to isolation, substances, and self harming behaviors to cope with intense emotions that that arise during this time. When teens act out it signifies something is happening in their larger environment or family system that they don't know how to process. Sometimes family therapy is needed and other times adolescents need their own therapist to process life challenges with.
In addition to supporting adolescents navigating their way to healthy and mature independence I also support families as a whole. Family therapy affords a unique and powerful opportunity to look at the family system as a whole and understand ways in which the system is not working and needs some maintenance and repair. When something is off in the family ecosystem, everyone has to adapt and take on more stress on than necessary. This can lead to acting out and destructive coping behaviors. I help families identify these imbalances and work towards creating a balanced system that serves as a resource for everyone rather than a source of stress.
I have an integrative approach to working with families that draws from a systems approach, attachment theory, developmental psychology, mindfulness, internal family systems, and emotional focused therapy. Family sessions promote healthy communication, emotional regulation skills, establishing clear and healthy boundaries, and family members becoming resources rather than stressors. Family session are usually 1.5 hours.