Family Counseling Services in Cottage City, MD.

Sometimes family members find it very difficult to communicate with each other. Adolescents may offer challenges that the family finds overwhelming. Parents may be sandwiched between grandparents and their children. One member of the family may have a mental illness that causes a lot of stress. There are many reasons why a family requests family therapy. This therapy may be short term. It can include all members of the family or some members of the family. I help the family develop skills they can use to improve relationships and move through stressful times.

It can be a confusing world, with families coming in many shapes and sizes. Learning how to be connected, have good relationships, and setting up an emotional and physical environment where everyone can thrive can be a big challenge. We focus on attachment; that is, nurturing a deep sense of connection and safety between family members. Connection takes being emotionally “there” for family members, and having time and activity together. Connection means feeling like “I belong, and I’m valued”. Safety can mean discussing a fair work-load balance, limit-setting on behavior, and knowing that we can count on each other.

Are you and your spouse at odds as to how raise children? Are there power struggles in the home; Children vs. Parents? Families are more than groups of people who share the same address and genes. Although conflicts occasionally arise, a family should be a source of Christian love and support. My objective is to counsel family members on how to strengthen the family with characteristics of a Christian home; love, joy, peace, patience...fruits of the Spirit. Counseling may include all family members, or just those able or willing to participate. Single parents are encouraged. I look forward to working with you, and applaud you for taking the first step towards a peaceful coexistence!

Robyn began her career working with at-risk youth. She has worked extensively with older children and adolescents. Her approach goes beyond behavioral interventions and resolving negative school performance. Robyn believes the key to successful adolescent therapy is tapping into the strengths of the family system and helping the youth and each family member to grow and thrive as individuals and as a cohesive unit. Robyn's approach to adolescent therapy unites and coheres the family.

Christian counseling can benefit marriages, individuals struggling with personal issues, and families experiencing difficulties. Christian counseling is for those who want to honor God in their personal life, marriage, and family by aligning with God's truths and becoming fully reliant on God. God is our ultimate healer, and Christian counseling is one avenue that God has provided to those who need healing and life change.

Parents and teenagers must navigate a difficult process as the teenager begins to separate from the parents and form his or her separate identity. I work with both parents and teenagers to help in this process in terms of developing strategies for communication, conflict resolution and ways to begin connecting more effectively. I help both the teenager and the parent find ways to better understand and to develop greater tolerance for one another. More than any other developmental stage, the teenage years necessitate that parents alter their typical ways of parenting, become more flexible, more patient, more emotionally attentive.

Whether it is mother/daughter conflict, father/son, struggles, or the whole family, the dynamics are often wrought with underlying emotions that need to be addressed. Rather than therapy for the child alone, often having the entire family meet takes the role of "identified patient" off anyone, and emotional knots can begin to loosen and be untied. I use role play, in addition to talk therapy, to engender greater empathy. When there are unhealthy "triangles," new structures are put in place so that clear communication can flow between members.

As a new mom myself, I know how challenging the adjustment to parenthood can be. No matter the age of your children, family therapy is a helpful way for each member to express their concerns and learn to work together toward common goals. Parents will leave feeling more united as a team, and children/teens will leave feeling understood and loved. Family therapy is also beneficial for siblings and extended relatives.

A family is a living organism, and when one member is in pain or confusion the whole family unit is part of that pain or confusion--sometimes as part of the cause, and always as a potential part of the cure. I offer families help in seeing how family members may contribute to each other's suffering and, more importantly, how they can help each other reduce the suffering.

Have any of your family members recently graduated from high school or college? I provide career counseling and coaching to young adults that may need guidance to get them on the right career path. Or they may feel stuck and as a parent we don't always know how to help them. Feel free to reach out and contact me to learn more. I always provide a free phone consult.

Life can present you with difficult situations which are hard to process and move past. These challenges are not on your timeline and affect everything. Having worked in many healthcare settings, I am familiar navigating life-changing events and grief. I understand the territory of encountering loss, coping with trauma, the complexity of the medical system and living with illness. These issues can have ripple effects on your relationships, sense of self and perceptions of the world. I know how complex things can get, and I will support you during this process.

As you learn more about yourselves as a family, you will also begin to better understand yourselves as individuals and a collective unit. You can identify your own needs and learn how to express them more honestly and respectfully. You can become a stronger and happier family, while increasing understanding and love for your family. Although you may be feeling hopeless right now, with guided support and a willingness to change, itis possible to re-build your family dynamics and have it be even better than it was before.

Typically, family therapy will bring the entire family together in therapy sessions. However, it may be that individuals in the family also see the therapist alone. There may also be times when individuals who are not a member of the family (such as a teacher or school counselor) participate in a therapy session with the family if their participation would be of benefit to the family. We can help your family learn how to better solve problems and how to better express thoughts and feelings. In family therapy, family members will learn about family roles and rules. Family members will examine behavior patterns and learn to identify issues that cause conflict.