Family Counseling Services in Chico, CA.

Are you worried about one of the people that is dearest to you: your child? Puzzled by his or her behavior and at a loss about how to respond to it? Are problems persisting, and struggles getting worse despite all your good efforts and intentions? This might leave you exhausted, hurt and frustrated. Please know that there is help available. Talking with an unbiased professional in a non judgmental environment about your child can be a proactive step: Towards helping your child and family get unstuck and move forward! Towards more joy and satisfaction in your family life.

Families engaging in therapy with me will find a compassionate and strong leader who understands the profound stress that family conflicts and perpetual problems can create. My approach is centered on guiding families through their tensions and difficulties, providing a structured and supportive environment where each member feels heard and valued. By focusing on your family's unique dynamics and challenges, I facilitate open communication and collaboration, leading to practical and lasting solutions. Clients will leave with a renewed sense of connection and the tools to foster a more harmonious family life, turning seemingly insurmountable problems into opportunities for growth.

When working with children and youth, the therapist cannot ignore the family system in which the child lives. I work with parents in multiple ways to help support youth in treatment, which may include separate parent sessions, co-parenting sessions, systemic family therapy, or Filial Therapy, a play therapy practice that coaches and guides parents in special play sessions with their child to decrease unwanted behaviors, improve relationships and communication, increase the child's emotional vocabulary, and increase the child's self-esteem.

Imagine a family as a tree with branches, roots, trunk representing parts of the immediate and extended family. When working with families, all elements are considered. Usually there is a request for family therapy due to one of it's members in crisis, often a child. However, when an analysis of need is done it becomes apparent that more than one member of the family needs help in adjusting, growing and learning new behaviours. Clients contact me for a variety of reasons: to improve communications, solve family problems, support in special situations such as death, divorce, marriage, illness, child or adolescent issues.

I use a family systems approach in my therapy, so having family members in the room, in my opinion, is the most efficient route towards healing and growth in individuals. I encourage clients to address relationships that are causing distress in their lives and work towards healthy differentiation of self. This can be done in individual therapy as well, but is more effective when all members of the relationship are present.

Mental health challenges like ADHD, OCD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression don’t just affect one person, they impact the entire family system. That’s why family therapy can be so powerful. I create a safe, nonjudgmental space where everyone can share their perspective and feel heard. Often, a family member can identify patterns the struggling individual may not see, offering vital insight that accelerates understanding and healing. Through a blend of Solution-Focused and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I help families improve communication, reduce conflict, and work together as a supportive team. You don’t have to navigate this alone, family therapy can be the bridge to connection.