Family Therapy
What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on improving the relationships and interactions between family members. It views the family as a system, where each member's actions and well-being are interconnected. The goal is to identify patterns of behavior, communication styles, and dynamics within the family that contribute to problems and to help the family develop healthier and more effective ways of functioning together.
Therapeutic Approach:
When working with families, I may utilize or integrate:
- Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
- Systematic Family Therapy
- Strategic Family Therapy
What to Expect
Initial Sessions:
- Joint Session(s): All members of the family will be invited the to share their family history, the current challenges they are facing, and how these issues impact each member. This will include observing your interactions and communication patterns. You'll likely be asked about your individual perspectives on the problems and what you hope to achieve in therapy.
- Individual or Break Out Session(s) It is common for me to next meet with individual family members, particularly parents or specific parent-child dyads, to gain a deeper understanding of their individual experiences and perspectives.
- Joint Session for Treatment Planning: Collaboratively, I will work with the family to define their goals for therapy and outline the general approach and stages. This may include working with specific family dyads before bringing the entire family back together again.
- My goal in these initial sessions is to actively work to connect with each family member, taking their individual perspectives and experiences seriously. This includes children and adolescents and adapting communication styles to their developmental level. For progress to occur in family therapy, it is necessary for me to build trust, safety and a therapeutic alliance with each member of the family.
Duration of Therapy:
The duration of family therapy is highly variable and depends on a multitude of factors. There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Families with a specific or immediate concern may see a benefit with shorter-term therapy (4-12 sessions), whereas longer-term therapy may be more appropriate when dealing with more complex, chronic issues or significant mental health conditions impacting the family system.
Session and Fees:
- 50 minute session - $200
- 90 minute session - $275
Please note: I am an out-of-network provider. I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Payment is collected on the morning of your appointment.