Family Counselling Services in Forest Lawn, AB.

Relationships in general are complex. We experience family in different ways depending on the relationship and connection we have. Family may be described as a family of origin, blended family, found family, or estranged. Regardless of what it means for you, we can work to address the concerns that are distressing you. If you are seeking support with understanding communication, hobbies, trauma, influence, or even ways to strengthen your family system, give us a call and we can help you out. We do not just focus on one relationship, we look at how roles, expectations and history influence all members of the family system.

I help mothers and fathers to parent children to be physically and emotionally healthy, do well academically, have good social skills and self-esteem, be well behaved, and grow up to have healthy relationships. The focus in counselling is on the parent-child relationship. Issues that make parenting challenging are also addressed such as a parent’s own unmet emotional needs, stress, fatigue, feelings of guilt, a difficult birth experience, mental health issues, relationship difficulties, conflicts with extended family, or history of abuse. Whether your child is a newborn or a teenager, I offer help that is practical and respectful of the needs of the parent and child.

My family therapy practice centers around helping teens be understood by their parents and family and with couples and parents who have lost their connection to their children. I often find that the best way to help teens is by helping them to be understood by their parents and so I often work with teens doing some sessions individually and regularly incorporate a session with the parent(s). With couples work, one parent might not approve of how the other parent's parenting style, so helping the children, and both parents be heard and understood can go a long way towards repairing relationships that have become strained.

Parenting is hard. Co-parenting? Often harder. Parenting while separating? That’s a whole different level of emotional gymnastics. We support parents who are trying to raise healthy, emotionally safe kids in the middle of some seriously complicated dynamics—whether that’s co-parenting after a breakup, trying to stay connected through conflict, or just figuring out how to not lose yourself in the chaos of parenting. You’re not failing. You’re doing something incredibly hard. Whether you're parenting together, apart, or somewhere in between, our goal is simple: Support the adults so the kids don’t have to carry the weight.

[I ONLY OFFER VIDEO SESSIONS THROUGHOUT ALBERTA FOR FAMILY THERAPY - NOT ONTARIO]. None of us took degrees on how to be great parents, yet despite our best efforts, things can go amuck quickly. I have a son and a daughter of my own… I know how challenging raising children and making families work can be. I have been a psychologist since 1986. Let’s not waste time but instead get down to the issues that are affecting your family right now. Book an appointment by going to https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

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.

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.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a diagnosed mental health condition such as anxiety, bi-polar disorder or depression, it is probably putting the whole family under pressure. Dr Mervin (Paraklesis Counselling) can come alongside and help families understand and cope as a unit. Often family members are unsure how to deal with their family member’s treatment needs; sometimes they place pressure on them to stop or start medication; other times they struggle to keep their loved one compliant in taking the medication. A family session with Dr Mervin will not only inform on these matters, but will also help you manage the family dynamics surrounding it.

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.

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.

Being a young person is hard, being the parent to a young person can be even harder – if your family is overwhelmed with conflict or if you believe that your family would benefit from extra support, family counselling services in Calgary are available. Conflict and stress are common within the home. When this happens many adolescents and parents tend to run away from each other. However, this can be a confusing time for both parents and their children. We can assist by encouraging open communication with each other.

Creating healthy patterns of communication and setting effective boundaries within a family structure (biological family, blended family, extended family) can greatly reduce conflict and create a stronger connection between members. I work as an impartial observer and can assist families with the tools to reduce unhealthy conflict and increase respectful dialogue.

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.