Family Counselling Services in Discovery Ridge, Calgary, AB.

Gerard has many years of diverse experience as a psychologist and leader in social services, schools, university, workplaces, and his private practice. Using a theoretical foundation of social learning and cognitive-behavioural training, he is well-versed in various kinds of formal and informal assessment and solution-focussed approaches. He listens carefully to understand your needs and relies on his extensive experience to help you find solutions.

Despite the best intentions of ourselves and our family members, we are often tangled in patterns of invalidation, rejection, frustration and blame. It can feel so messy that we operate in a constant state of fear and a crippling sense of unworthiness. In 2008 I started my counselling career as a family therapist. A combination of individual and joint sessions will take place to allow the space for all voices to be respectfully heard, while helping to identify bigger ‘systems’ patterns that keep you stuck in pain and finger-pointing. I will help to smooth out communication, make room for wants and needs and to heal the old wounds holding you back from having a healthier relationship.

Every family has their own way of doing things and although there can be moments of harmony, sometimes bonds can be disrupted and people require help to become reconnected. In family therapy, clients will learn to explore their own needs while strengthening and maintaining connections to family members. Much of this work includes acceptance, release, listening and awareness.

Family therapy with me focuses on improving communication, repairing disconnection, and creating a sense of balance and respect among all family members. Unlike couples counseling, family therapy considers the full system—each person’s role, patterns that have developed over time, and how individual needs and dynamics impact the whole. I work collaboratively with families to untangle misunderstandings, strengthen bonds, and build healthier ways of relating. Whether you're navigating a life transition, parenting challenges, or generational tension, we'll create space for each voice to be heard and supported.

Shift family therapy or family counseling is designed to address specific trauma or issues affecting the health and functioning of a family and individuals within it. It can be used to help the family through a difficult period of time, a major transition, or mental or behavioral health problems in family members. We often break family members up into individual sessions to target are beliefs that we hold about ourselves and the world that become part of our identity.

People exist in relation and within relationships; change affects everyone and can sometimes be uncomfortable. Where appropriate, I welcome and invite families in to avoid common pitfalls and create better environments of success for therapy. I create a non-judging atmosphere where each persons view is respected and heard. Family members often have great insight and perspective on the problem.

Healthy communication and regulation skills foster positive and healthy family relationships. In session, we can explore and build on a family's communication skills, ability to navigate conflict or family crisis, and improve family coping styles. Together, we can build positive practices to provide a safe and supportive environment for you and your family.

I help families practice communication skills and build strong relationships while helping them address individual and family issues with skills from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a research based approach in which I am certified. I combine individual meetings with sessions involving more than one family member at different points in my work with a family.

Keystone Child and Family Therapy provides a systems approach to counseling, which includes marital and family therapy. Each family is unique in their strengths as well as their needs and Keystone aims to highlight these in the road to wellbeing. This type of therapy focuses on the interaction between family members to increase healthy attachment and positive relationships. Family therapy is offered in combination with play therapy for children to help strengthen parent-child relationships as well as support a child through their own counseling process.

Most family therapists inadvertently create more chaos through their well-intentioned efforts to assist a family move through a change process. Why? Brains are inherently deregulated (all of us, may I add) and most talking and dialoguing misses brain-centric problems that need more intensive help. Many times the emotional trauma created by years of solving problems ineffectively can wreak havoc on the brain's parasympathetic nervous system, not ever giving the family a break from flight or fight thinking. Contact us for an innovative neuroscience solution to family dysfunction. Kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

Goals in my approach to Family Therapy are to open communication between parents and children, reduce conflict at home, foster understanding between family members, develop effective coping strategies for life transitions. Family Therapy may address, step-parenting, blended Families, coping with teenagers, difficulties with communication, family, conflict and parent­-child relationships.

Family life can be both rewarding and challenging, and sometimes it helps to have a safe space where everyone can be heard and understood. In my trauma-informed approach to Family Counseling, I support families in exploring patterns, resolving conflicts, and strengthening connections while honoring each member’s unique perspective. Using person-centered, somatic, and evidence-based methods, we work together to improve communication, build empathy, and create collaborative solutions. Families leave sessions feeling more connected, supported, and equipped to navigate life’s challenges together with greater resilience and understanding.

My job as a family therapist is to help families to get along and resolve conflicts. This allows for clarity in communication and closer relationships. My work is grounded in many family therapy methods such as Systems theory, Bowen therapy, Narrative family therapy and EMDR for families. We all need to feel safe and loving by the people we love. If you have tried to solve it by yourselves that are getting nowhere give us a call. We can help you navigate these difficult conversations.