Family Counselling Services in Winnipeg, MB.

Families are systems of interconnected and interdependent individuals, none of whom can be understood in isolation from one another; the family is an emotional unit. As a therapist I view problems within the family as the result not of particular members' behaviors, but of the family's group dynamic. The family is seen as a complex system having its own language, roles, rules, beliefs, needs and patterns. As a therapist I endeavour to help each individual member understand how their childhood family operated, their role in that system, and how that experience has shaped their role in the current family.

As an experienced Marriage and Family Therapist, I provide compassionate and supportive therapeutic support for families, whatever their configuration - traditional two parent household, single parent, same-sex parents, grandparents raising grandchildren, or families of choice - and whatever stage of life - new parents, empty nesters, or families with adult children. I help parents find ways to manage parenting difficulties, help families negotiate conflict, and support families facing change and loss. I work with individual family members of all ages, with parents, and with family groups of all sizes, depending on circumstance and on what would be most helpful.

Families are continually moving through transition, and as such, the relationships within are charged with developing and maintaining healthy dynamics and boundaries, while adjusting to changing developmental needs and desires. I work with families to identify a collective definition of healthy relationship balance, and to establish useful communication and attachment strategies in support of reaching and maintaining this self-determined equilibrium.

We often forget, or don't realize, that families are like those mobiles we hang from ceilings, where all the interconnected parts move and sway when another part is bumped. Family therapy is a powerful and effective way to shift what may appear to be one family member's issue (like an addiction or behavioural problem), through the creation of a safe space for each member to listen to others and express authentic feelings, with the support of the therapist. Working with your family, I will provide some opportunities for you to acknowledge and appreciate one another's gifts and strengths, as well as help you see and hopefully shift habitual and perhaps painful patterns of interaction.

None of us exist in a vacuum. We are greatly influenced and affected by our relationships, our families, and our communities. Families of origin are particularly powerful influences in our lives, and quite often we are unaware of how they impact us. An unhealthy dynamic can take away from the support and pleasure that we hope to derive from our family, but it does not have to remain that way. Examining the patterns, maladaptive behaviours, and strengths of a family dynamic can be very helpful in creating a support and healthy family environment.

I use the attachment-focused approach in doing family therapy. People who live in the same household can experience the same family event very differently. Therefore, I assist my clients in taking others’ perspectives in understanding the other sides of their experiences. For my parental clients, I help them figure out which feelings of their children they may not be able to bear. By helping my parental clients realize their attachment styles and childhood experiences with their parents, they may understand how sometimes they may react rather than respond to their children. I work with them to provide a secure space for their children to rebuild an emotionally safe relationship.

As marriage and Family Therapist I have extensive skill working with family to help to identify struggles and to help to create an environment that allows the family. Families often seek therapy when a child is struggling, during times of change, trauma and during transitions. Family therapy takes in to account that if there is a problem or issue with one person in the family it will impact everyone. Family therapy can help.

Every day I see families that just need that extra bit of help to bring peace and joy into their homes. I will "tailor-make" our sessions to suit the particular needs of your family and your situation. For couples, whether just learning how to be together or for those who have been together for a long time, there is always a way to work through issues so that there is a true oneness achieved for both.

Families are comprised of different individuals, with different ideas, different interests, and different personalities. Sometimes, the stress of balancing the differences can interfere with healthy family relationships. Seeking counselling in a safe, supportive environment, can provide families a place to share their individual differences. Working with a nonjudgmental therapists, common goals can be identified. An increased awareness of differences in communication, interests, and needs can help a family get back to positive family interactions.

It is quite normal for families to discover they become tangled in daily life issues via patterns and power struggles; and get stuck in them, something many can relate to. However, when stuck in these ruts, they can also be quite debilitating. I assist families with rooting out sources of unhelpful conflict and stances; to develop new thinking and new personal approaches to relating; to get unstuck and onside with each other.

Family Therapy and Eating Disorders - The causes of Eating Disorder are multi facetted and complex as is the successful treatment of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. Eating disorders are not developed in a vacuum and as such should not be treated in isolation. Using a family systems approach it is helpful to explore the family system in the context of the eating disorder, evaluating parts of the system in relation to the whole family. General Family Therapy -

Adolescents / Teens Children and Childhood Development Coparenting Communication Between Spouses Domestic Violence Issues: We provide a comprehensive approach which is readily tailor made for any situation. It will likely be between 6 and 12 sessions, depending on the criteria of your particular circumstance. During the intake process, the extent of the program will be determined together with your therapist. Family of Origin Issues Marriage and Couples Counseling Parenting Issues and Approaches