Family Counseling Services in Elk River, MN.

As a MFT, family therapy entails looking at the family as a unit or "system", and identifying how the members' interactions affect the whole family. This approach takes pressure off the identified problem and invites families to work together for the benefit of everyone. Family therapy can benefit families going through significant changes/challenges such as divorce, loss, illness, conflicts, blended families,adoption, natural disasters and many more. Many families are greatly strengthened and have experience a sense of togetherness by working toward the goal of famly unity and peace. There are specific skills used in family therapy resulting in an effective and powerful experience.

Does your adolescent feel out of control? Do you want to improve parenting skills or learn how to better support your kids? Is it hard to share parenting responsibilities? Families come to family therapy for many different reasons—conflict in the home, communication difficulties, divorce, grief, blended/step-parent families, teens acting out, adoptive family concerns, co-parenting challenges, mental health problems for any family members, and health problems or terminal illness. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I will help your family change stuck patterns of interaction, navigate family stressors, and support members that are struggling with mental health problems.

What fun it is to have an entire family in my office! From noticing where each person sits, to body language to verbal communication so much can be learned by family members and myself. If you find that your child/children are just great at school and parent teacher conferences bring glowing reports, but your experience with that same child/children at home is a very different story, let's first meet (Mom or Dad) and then bring in the family!

Often we have family members that find themselves routinely arguing about the same things and are simply not able to find resolution on certain topics. Our family therapists are able to help facilitate conversations and assist family members in being heard, validated, and get the resolution they are looking for. Most families love each other and want to work together effectively. We can help you get there.

Our lives are impacted greatly by the health of our family relationships. It typically doesn't take long when working with a family for members to start demonstrating in session some of the issues that exist. We strive to search what issues lie beneath the behaviors. Breaking bad communication patterns is a common place to start. The focus is on solutions, not blame.

In family therapy those who have problems individually or relationally may be powerfully helped by the assistance of family members. Unfortunately the power of the family has often been abused and thus problems have been made worse. In my role as a family therapist I help family members understand their own family dynamics.Through the use of role play,teaching and modeling I assist families in how they can best get organized to restore either individuals or relationships back to a place of love and trust. I teach about communication, forgiveness and conflict resolution.I provide plenty of encouragement and creative ideas to bridge gaps in relationships in the interest of restoring love.

In family therapy, you will learn how to communicate so that others will listen and how to listen so that others will talk. I will be very involved in the session - stopping family members when they are being mean or rude and encouraging when someone's opinion or feelings have not been heard. There are no taboo subjects and everyone in the room will be respected.

Family therapy is needed when the family isn't working well. Maybe there are a lot of fights between parents and children or maybe one of the family members is using drugs or alcohol. Family therapy is a place where the whole family can talk about what is bothering them. Sometimes people want more closeness and sometimes family members want more distance. Family therapy is a great way to identify and sort out these issues.

Families are complex. They are filled with different opinions, different habits, different values, and different thoughts about the future. They can also be filled with great joy, laughter, happiness, excitement, and teamwork. If your family isn't functioning the way you envisioned it or if you are experiencing a separation or divorce in your family I can help you navigate that change. I can also help you grow your family toward the connected and cohesive unit you've always known it could be, but never knew how to get it there.