Family Counselling Services in Mill Bay, BC.

Dr Sloat’s counselling approach re: Family Therapy includes emphases on identifying individual needs both within and outside of family relationships, and on learning how we can best negotiate and reconcile these needs with the needs of others. Included will be skills and strategies that will help you to better communicate, set boundaries, resolve conflicts, and understand relationship dynamics.

Olivia finds great fulfillment in helping families thrive in a variety of contexts, including parents and children of all ages, single-parent households, and step-families. She has worked with parents and young children, offering tailored insights and practical strategies to strengthen their connection and address challenges. Olivia also supports teens and adult children in navigating family dynamics, fostering understanding and communication across generations. Olivia’s holistic approach ensures every family member feels heard and supported, promoting growth, harmony, and resilience.

The narcissism-co-dependency (or self-love deficit as described by Ross Rosenberg) pattern begins for many of us in the family unit. Relationships we form early in life shape our templates for relationships later in life. Learning to understand our own patterns of problem behaviours helps us develop self-awareness and opens the door to change. Is there a pattern of power imbalances, control issues, manipulation or even abuse in your family? Learn to see where things are going wrong and develop new coping techniques that help you navigate troubling relationships and build healthy new relationships.

I guide families using the information and insights from extensive studies and my own experience. If your family is hurting and whatever you have been trying doesn’t help, if it feels like you can’t win, respect has disappeared, understanding and patience are gone; your family will benefit from bringing in a professional outsider. A family is a dynamic system. Being busy with our day to day struggles, it is easy to miss what another person needs. Timing and taking into account each members' experience is crucial to reconnect. With patience and tenacity, and taking the time to clarify and learn, you can resolve what may seem a hopeless situation.

Each of us are born into a unique family system with its own rules, roles, personalities and ways of dealing (or not dealing) with conflict. When a disruption (e.g., death, divorce, health issues, addiction, etc.) occurs, the family system is also disrupted. My approach to family therapy is to provide a safe, compassionate space free of shame and blame where family members can learn to connect with themselves better and allow their true selves to be witnessed by their family. This requires building empathy and communication skills as well as developing the courage to enter into new types of relationship with each other. Ready to improve your family relationships? Let’s get started.

Every family is unique but every family I have ever worked with has difficulty balancing togetherness and separateness. Blended families have an even greater challenge. I will help you identify patterns and practices that limit closeness and intimacy and I will assist all members to better differentiate in order to realize authentic togetherness while respecting personal boundaries and the need for self.

Families face many challenges together that can include grief and loss, addictions, separation and divorce, life transitions and communication. Each member and your family as a whole, already has strength and insight into these challenges. Each member also has hopes and ideas for creating more connection to one another. It is important to begin the therapy process by understanding these unique strengths, insights and needs, in order to develop the direction forward. As we work together, we may meet individually, in pairs and/or as a group throughout the process. My extensive experience working with children and youth in the school system, creates inclusivity with younger family members.

Family counselling can assist you to better understand your personal challenges, enhance your self awareness and these lead to improved relationships. Laurie believes that how you make sense of your childhood experiences has a profound effect on how you parent your own children. Therefore, having a deeper understanding of yourself can help you to create more effective and pleasurable relationships with your children, partner and with yourself.

Gravitate Counselling Inc.'s supportive counselling staff can help families find new ways to communicate, improve long-standing patterns, address conflicts and enhance connection with one another. You can expect your counsellor to offer a safe space to talk about family challenges, rebuild relationships, establish new boundaries and build skills that can be used outside of the counselling setting. Family relationships can be complex, and we are here to help. Andee Dale and Linda Duarte both offer family counselling by video session, and Andee Dale is available for in person counselling in Duncan, BC.

Family means different things to each of us. In therapy, we’ll explore what family means to you, how your family of origin has shaped your beliefs and behaviors, and how family patterns continue to influence your life. This work offers a deeper understanding of your relationships and helps you develop healthier ways of connecting, healing, and creating the family experience you want moving forward. Whether you're exploring family through therapy on your own, or with other members of your family involved, a deeper understanding of who you are and how you move through the world is a goal.

Do you feel like your young adult children are pushing you away? Are you in an amazing relationship but living as a blended family is the ultimate test of your love? Are your children acting needy, demanding, or struggling to sleep at night? Are you finding that one, or both, of you are getting short with the children? I use Emotionally Focused Family Therapy to help families experience new ways of being together. The idea is that children become calmer, more independent, and less demanding as the security in your relationship increases. Parent’s also report increased confidence in the way they parent individually, and as a couple. Contact today to schedule a free 15 minute consultation.

As children or adults it can be really challenging to just plain get along with brothers, sisters, children and parents! Who else knows how to push our buttons better? Conflict in families is to some extent normal and necessary. Find out how to have healthy conflict management skills to be able to elicit the love and care you need from your family to offer it in return. Families of all types of configurations will learn about being an ally for each other as we work towards respect, love, collaborative problem solving and mutual understanding.

The troubles of individuals and couples can affect whole families. Though I do not invite families in as a group I often work one-on-one with the children, parents and siblings of clients. Also, I might meet with combinations such as a mother and daughter or maybe brothers and sisters. Parenting and blending families are big challenges for many. Some people are upset by financial or trust issues or want to improve communication skills. Counseling helps you gain insight and understanding into how families function. You will learn new skills and increase in self esteem and confidence. You can achieve the goal of making the changes you need to make your family life more satisfying.