Family Counseling Services in Playa Del Rey, CA.

I specialize in working with families through a process of designing the family you've always wanted. When each family member is given the opportunity to describe what they need or like that helps them feel valued in family it becomes the beginning of lasting change. I help families design their system in such a way that produces happiness. I will take your family through a 6 step process of design which gives shape to the kind of family you would like to be in.

Although most therapists in California have a license in Marriage and Family Counseling, most of those therapists don’t actually do family counseling. Because we have over 25 therapists at the La Vie Counseling Center we have a wide range of specialties, and one of them is family counseling. We have therapists who are equipped to work with your entire family to open lines of communication, set better boundaries and restructure relationships that have needed change for years. If your family needs help, give us a call and one of our family therapists will start the process of change that is long overdue.

Family therapy is a unique opportunity to be in the room with a very important system that holds power in people's lives. Often, problems loom over family units, making the unique values, gifts, and strengths of that unit recede into the background. Having family members all together can be a chance to create space for voices to be heard and revisit the importance that each person plays in the lives of the family.

We do not exist in a vacuum. Our family and significant relationships always influence how we feel or have shaped who we are. If you are having problems in your relationship with your significant other or any family member or even business partner, getting help can assist you in finding harmony where discord once was. The patterns need to change and Dr. Gary can effectively help you to do that. Call for a free initial phone consult 800 474-1445.

My clinical approach to Family Therapy begins with an evaluation to determine and understand the issues within the family context. It is the goal of therapy to provide a safe environment for family members to express their concerns about the family dynamic. It is at the beginning of therapy that treatment goals are determined. Emotional needs for each family member will be explored. Treatment consists of teaching conflict resolution and communication skills to help family members be able to address conflict more productively and with less distress. My clinical approach consists of instilling insight for families about the relational dynamic within the family.

I use a family systems approach when working with families. I work with families in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It is suggested that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as a part of their family, as the family is an emotional unit. By working with families we can see patterns that are sometimes dysfunctional. Families who are able to see their dysfunction are able to make the changes that bring about healthy relationships within their unit.

In doing family therapy I try to work with all members of the family so that I can understand the dynamics, the rules and roles, the relationships that are not permitting the family to function in a healthy way. Even when it seems to be just one person who has a problem, it may be the whole family that is interacting in ways that can be improved. I work to have the family understand what is really going on and changes they may need to make to function in healthier ways. I focus on the need for respectful communication and cooperation between all family members, including children. My Parenting Classes focus on specific skills to achieve calmer homes with respectful and respected children.

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!

I routinely work with families in my practice. There are any number of reasons that families seek counseling. Quite frequently, the reasons revolve around children and parenting. Sometimes there are issues between child or adult siblings. Unresolved conflicts from childhood. Arguments ensue over the family business. Caring for a special needs child, or an aging parent. At other times, family members have experienced a loss in the family or there are struggles with blending families in second marriages. These struggles also bring with them opportunities to create openings that may not have existed before. Counseling can be very useful in healing old wounds and settling disputes.

I take a systemic approach in dealing with familial work. I am trained in Family Systems Theory and work with the family unit to identify goals and establish objectives at the outset of therapy. By examining family dynamics, together we can work to create change by establishing clear boundaries and improving communication skills. Often, I incorporate both a Humanistic and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques in work with families as well.

Family therapy sessions aim to strengthen all members of the family so they can work out problems together. Often, if one family member is identified as having an illness, the cause can be traced back to a larger family problem. If the person with the illness is treated while the rest of the family does not change, then the symptoms will persist. Family therapy breaks these cycles by teaching everyone to better interact with one another.

I take a "systems" approach to Family Therapy, which means that each member of the family contributes to the overall dynamics and issues within the family. As a graduate school Professor for over ten years, I have taught the theories of marriage and family therapy for over ten years and facilitated the couples training program at a Community Mental Health Center as well. Often, Family Therapy will turn into Couples Therapy in my experience, which comprises about half of my counseling practice in Los Angeles.

All family systems have rules and unspoken rules that help regulate and assist families to cope with stress. I like to teach clients the failure of a family or parent and then challenge them to let go of these family rules and to find new rules and boundaries to help them now live. As a result, family therapy is used to help reduce stress and increase acceptace and support.