Are issues between family members causing distress, anger, mutual recriminations, and distancing?

 

Marital and family therapy can help you restore family harmony. Processing these issues results in better relationships. Processing underlying feelings increases the empathy felt for one another.

 

An adolescent’s striving for independence may create conflict within a family. You and he/she may benefit hearing each other in a neutral, empathic way. Establishing acceptable rules decreases stress and restores a degree of family harmony.

 

Conflicts between two or more members of your family may be resolved in therapy.

 

My therapeutic models for marital and family therapy include:

        -   verbalizing feelings without blaming;

        -   cognitive behavior family therapy;

        -   guided imagery;

        -   setting appropriate limits on behaviors;

        -   encouraging mutual support;

        -   encouraging ongoing expressions of feelings.

 

When Welfare Authorities have threatened to remove a child from the home or have actually removed the child, Family Therapy may help get the child returned.

 

Are the welfare authorities involved in your family? Have they removed a child under court order? Have they threatened to ask the court to remove a child? Have they found deficiencies in your running of the home?

 

A treatment plan needs to be developed that resolves all issues deemed deficient by the welfare authorities. This plan almost always includes parenting skills, family therapy, limit-setting which includes setting rules and discipline, maintaining an appropriate family routine, strengthening parental authority if lax, and making certain that all basic needs are being met (meals, laundry, cleaning, shopping, etc.). Parental authority without corporal punishment is vital. All parents want for the children to be returned home or to remain at home.

 

Our work together would also include:

        -   Setting rules for the home;

        -   Helping you with limit-setting skills.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

The psychotherapeutic intervention may include the following components:

        -   Developing a treatment plan; 

        -   Learning to listen to each other; 

        -   Writing reports for the welfare authorities;

        -   Writing reports for the courts;

        -   Participating in meetings of the welfare authorities;

        -   Appearing in court;

        -   Ongoing therapy sessions implementing the treatment plan until the authorities are satisfied and the threat is lifted;

        -   Preventative therapy to maintain appropriate family functioning.

 

The therapeutic models used include:

        -   parenting skills training;

        -   family therapy;

        -   training in limit-setting, rules-setting, and enforcement;

        -   guided imagery;

        -   developing better ways to positively reframe and interpret behaviors and interactions;

        -   learning consistency;

        -   ​​​​​​​Behavior therapy.