Family Counseling Services in Playa Del Rey, CA.

The only type of family therapy I provide is Maudsley Family-Based Treatment or FBT. This is a specific evidence-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders. I am one of only a few therapists in LA County certified in FBT. The treatment empowers parents to be part of the treatment team and requires their active participation. Treatment initially focuses on weight restoration and/or elimination of bingeing and purging behaviors, with the parents given the task of providing adequate nutrition for their adolescent during family meals.

Families are the places where we should find the love and support to face the world and all its challenges. However, sometimes families loose their way due to poor communication and misunderstandings , anger, acting out behaviors, hurt feelings and lack of knowledge. Maya Angelou has said: "People do what they know; when they know better, they do better." My plan for families is to help them know better so they can do better. Where there is loving-kindness and a will to make change the future seems brighter.

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.

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 specialize in supporting the healthy growth and development of family relationships. Family therapy provides a secure and nurturing environment for these relationships to blossom. The bond between parent and child is of crucial importance for the secure development of children and their future relationships. The ultimate goal is to help families to create healthy bonds that bring joy to their life and relationships. I have experience working with families with children of all ages from infancy to young adulthood.

No two families were created alike. Therefore, therapy has to be customized to suit the particular dynamics of each family. Assembly-line approaches won't work. Healthy communication and individual growth within each family member as well as the entire family system are some important goals in family therapy. One family systems approach I Integrate in my counseling is that of Carl Whitaker's. This involves "authentically 'being' with the family and their anxieties rather than aloofly applying predetermined techniques." Individuation is a priority-- each member is allowed his/her own perceptions and treatment as an individual.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A family is not just a collection of people. Everyone in the family impacts the family dynamic, how the people relate to each other. And, each person changes that dynamic, in a unique way, even when they may not intend to. If you’re having difficulties in your family, we can address how the family’s rules of relating and the patterns of relationships can help to make things better. We’ll also see how unproductive patterns can be eliminated.

Families can be very complex and sometimes hard to understand with so many different roles that each family member may play. Family therapy would be very helpful with understanding each member of the family and how each one functions on a daily basis. Therapy would also provide tools to learn how to listen and have more effective communication with each other.

What future do you want for your family? Stressors can affect families in many ways. Family therapy provides the opportunity to change your family’s relationship to its problems and the effects those problems have on each person in your family. Families come to therapy for a variety of reasons: single parenthood; underperformance at school; birth of a new sibling; unemployment; relocation; substance abuse; mental illness; divorce; blending families; grief and loss. If your family is experiencing difficulty, family therapy is a way to increase communication and understanding, while discovering sources of strength and support within your family.