Family Counseling Services in Orange, CA.

Family therapy is often the treatment of choice for families who are confronted with specific crisis situations, (such as death, divorce, illness, or child/adolescent issues). When the family is the client, I assess the way members interact and work to improve communication and problem-solving skills, as well as resolve the current life stressors. Each family member plays a role in the way the family interacts and is seen as a vital participant in both the healthy and dysfunctional styles of interaction. Therefore, in family counseling the goal is to assist each member to work together more effectively to create a more functional family unit.

Raising our children is one of the most important things that we will ever do in life. How they turn out, how life goes for them, whether they experience joy and happiness because of their inner strength and resources, or struggle with life because of inadequate coping skills is largely in our hands. Many adults have had hundreds, if not thousands of hours of training for their profession, yet when we become parents there is virtually no training available for what most people agree is one of the most important jobs on the planet: being a parent.

All of our counselors practice Family Psychology. We understand and treat symptoms from a systems perspective. This means that many factors contribute to an problem behavior. Symptoms don't happen in a vacuum. Frequently, we invite the spouse or family members to participate in sessions. Using therapy as a safe place, we work collaboratively together to create effective solutions. Using proven methods such as behavioral contracting and family experiments, family members learn to communicate and offer mutual support through experiences. Many families are toxic. We can help you to establish strong boundaries and new behaviors that will disrupt the dominant patterns of conflict and reactions.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist, my education, training, and experience has had an emphasis on the family system. When working with families, a focus on the structure of the family, roles, rules, boundaries, and communication are areas included in our work together. Families of origin, extended families, and blended families can participate in family therapy and I find it beneficial when we can include all involved so everyone has a voice.

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.

I have been happily married over 30 years and raised 2 wonderful children one of which had special needs. Today both my children live happy successful normal lives and my husband and I are still in love. In working with families I show how communication Technics can improve relationships with both parents and children. I consult with parents and children and teach play therapy.

I offer family therapy for families who have young children and/or adolescents. This is a speciality! I have three therapists who have different specialtes with family therapy! One is a teen and teen parenting specialists, another specializes in families with young children and another specializes in difficult families, families and trauma and another still with single parent families or blended families (families coming together with other families). I specifically work with families and parents of teens and alterative families (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families - either parents are GLBT or families who have a GLBT child). Call me and one of us will be the perfect match!

Families are the fundamental unit of our society. Healthy families make our world better. I try to balance the needs of the individual with the need for a stable and happy family. It is critical that all voices be heard, including children who do not have the authority of a parent, but whose voice, feelings and behaviors are always some kind of barometer about what is going on in the family. Finding ways to support multiple needs while preserving the family's stability is what I specialize in. While compromise can be important, I feel it is important to help families find ways where all basic needs can be met. You will learn to be open and communicate more in your family work with me.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I believe in Systems Theory - which regards family relationships as an important factor in psychological health. I believe that regardless of the origin of the problem, clients benefit when the whole family participates in therapy. This school of thought adheres to the idea that no individual in the family is the "problem" - although he/she can often be viewed as the scapegoat in the family. "Fixing" an individual without addressing the dynamics and rules of the wider family system is not helpful for the long term well-being of the individual or the familial relationships.

Our struggles are not formed, nor do they persist, in a vacuum. Particularly when working with young children, it is often important to work with the family as a unit to create systemic changes which will support lasting change. This make take the shape of helping to facilitate difficult parent - teen communication, change interaction patterns between parents and children to support changes in all family members, or involving the family in supporting one member's recovery from a traumatic experience. Whatever your goal is for your family, please call to discuss how family therapy with me may benefit you.

Problematic behaviors in a child or teen are usually rooted in some disturbance of the emotional connections within the family. I can help your family reconnect with each other using an approach called Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). EFFT rebuilds connections by helping you to understand and change the repetitive and self-reinforcing negative interactions that create distance and conflict within your family. People are empowered when they feel a secure sense of being loved. They naturally become stronger, more resilient, and more autonomous – not weak or needy. Once your child or teen feels securely connected, he or she will have a foundation on which to build positive behaviors.

Being part of any size group is challenging because we are called upon to deal with temperaments, personalities, and perspectives that differ from our own. And in families especially, we often wonder “WHY can’t they all be more like ME?!” as we struggle to also deal with different age groups and outside influences, such as peer pressures and various scheduling demands. Good, respectful communication and establishing (and maintaining) proper boundaries are key. We look to the family to provide us with a stable base… a safe haven from the world, and when it fails to do that, we are often heartbroken. Whether you have a child going through a rough transition, a teen that is trying to individuate, the challenge of blending two families, a desire to reunite...(view profile to read more)

Every family has some sort of dysfunction since individuals are not perfect. I have worked for over ten years with youth and their families. I believe family therapy is essential when working with youth since children and adolescents have limited insight and need structure, guidance, and discipline from parents/caregivers. I begin the initial session meeting with the parents/caregivers to identify and discuss problems and confidentiality. I then meet with the youth/children with the parents to work on agreed treatment goals. The ultimate goal of family therapy is to increase open and respectful communication and improve parent/child relationships.

Family Therapy or Family Counseling is a therapeutic tool to help a family to resolve the many problems that are causing the family to hurt. Sometimes this is just an adjustment to a big life change, such as, a career change, a new baby, a move, a death in the family, launching young adults, or the sad event of the loss of a loved one. This can also involve unhealthy patterns of behavior, addictions, or abuse. With each of these family challenges I utilize a Christian model of counseling to help your family be restored to the healthy loving one you envisioned.

Are you having difficulty navigating family dynamics or challenges? Seeking professional help can be the key to finding the support and clarity your family needs to improve relationships or communication. Maybe you are having difficulty with parenting skills of your young (or not so young) children. Maybe you are having difficulty with your adult siblings or adult children. Whatever the relationship, if something doesn't feel good or relationships are strained, it will take a told on you and those around. I hope you reach out for support to find the therapist you feel comfortable and safe with. I look forward to speaking to you to see if we would be able to face your challenge as a team.

Family Therapy is often the most beneficial when there is a family conflict or crises. Examples of family conflict are a recent divorce or separation, sibling rivalry, arguments over a living trust or will and discussing end-of-life issues. One of the most difficult situations for families to adjust to is blending families. If you have been married before and going into a second marriage with your own children, it brings a whole new set of problems . Examples of a family crises is death of a loved one, a family member of loved one getting a serious illness, or a family member going through a trauma like physical or sexual abuse, being severely bullied, victim of a crime or the like.

If you are at your wits end trying to balance the confusing and demanding needs of one or all family members you may benefit from my ability to help you sort it all out. With me you will find someone capable to help listen compassionately to all and give you and your family the relief of having an experienced coach. I can help improve communication and prescribe learning experiences that give you confidence in better problem solving.

When our relationship becomes unhappy, it always affects and impacts the entire family. Working with couples to improve the relationship is important but we cannot overlook the impact to the family. In family therapy we explore problems that have negatively impacted the family from wherever it has come. We will help each member of the family to understand what is happening, how it has impacted them and explore methods of adjustment and remediation. We will identify problems and work to resolve them.

In my ten years of experience, I have been fortunate to work with many families in treatment. Studies have shown that a supportive adult in a child/teens life can make a huge difference in the outcomes of treatment. When I work with minors (11 and below) having the parent(s) involved in treatment is a necessity. When I work with a teen or someone who is 12 years and up, I work closely with parent(s) but ensure confidentiality,safety, and trust between the therapist and teen. If teen deems appropriate my aim is to always include parent in treatment as much as possible. I also offer individual session to teen parents and this can be a supportive parenting service without teen present.

Raised in a family of seven siblings, I understand the challenges of families and the unique dynamics involved. If your family is experiencing trauma, loss from a recent death, or just has a hard time getting along, family counseling is the answer. I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a proven method of improving family relationships and breaking out of the negative cycles of pain and anger.

Problems within family relationships can be difficult ones to work out. These relationships we do not choose but are born into have can have a great deal of impact and influence over so much of our lives. Sometimes having an unbiased perspective to discuss family issues can allow for awareness and positive change to occur. Learning about how patterns were established and passed down can bring understanding. Family therapy is an opportunity for each member of the family to be heard and for the family as a whole to develop healthier relationships.

Therapy focuses on the patterns of interaction between family members, and emphasizes improved communication and connection as an important factor to create change. Involving various family members in treatment helps to benefit so that everyone has a similar understanding of the issues within the relationships, and expectations of others. The most important factor within those connections is personal accountability so that each member is taking responsibility for any actions they cause to the system, versus being focused on how other members may have hurt them.

In the beginning family teaches us who we are and how to relate to others. Our family can enhance our self esteem, provide a nurturing environment for our well-being and influence our outlook on life. Parenting skills and increased understanding of child developmental stages are emphasized in younger families. As a family matures, the focus may change to accommodate life transitions. Complications may arise related to expectations, autonomy, and issues of inter-relatedness. Each family member has the ability to positively or negatively affect the lives of the other members. A healthy, resilient, family structure values both individuality and group cohesiveness. They are able to accept the na....

Each person in a family has a voice and each person in a family has an impact. I am careful to make certain that the family looks at all the members and how they all interact as a family unit. It is important that each member is respected. We look at how the family is not in a state of health due to choices that the family is making. We work together toward connection, understanding, and growth for all memebers. Unhealthy alliances and interactions are acknowledged.

Sometimes getting along at home can be difficult. Perhaps there is someone in your family making bad choices and it is hurting your heart. Or maybe it is the day-to-day miscommunications and conflict that causes so much stress. On one hand, family squabbles are a normal part of living together. On the other hand, they can be very difficult and painful. Please don't wait one more day. Family therapy or family counseling can help. And you can even if you come in by yourself if your family won't come in with you. We'd like to see if we can help you make it better. Please visit http://OCRelationshipCenter.com to learn more and talk to one of our licensed, and caring counselors in Fullerton, CA.