Family Counselling Services in Madoc, ON.

Therapy can provide a safe environment for families that seek to repair their relationships. The problems generally stem from a much earlier time, when it was hard for family members to understand the nature of their conflict. Each person often has felt hurt and misunderstood, and these feelings have perpetuated over time. My approach is to encourage dialogue between them to help them understand the dynamics that have prevented a fulfilling relationship. I also try to establish the positive intentions of the work they are about to do. Therapy is intended to give them insight into what went wrong and how to repair the relationship while working through the difficult feelings and mistrust.

Family dynamics can be challenging to navigate even during the best of times, and family therapy can help each member of the family unit find new ways to relate, connect, and communicate with each other. Giving each family member the chance to feel heard and valued while also navigating external stressors like work and school can be a struggle, so I work collaboratively with clients to identify and explore patterns of interaction that they want to strengthen or change, while highlighting each member’s contributions, and celebrating the family’s successes. Book a free consultation to learn more about my approach and explore if we are a good fit.

My family therapy approach involves seeing the whole family initially to understand each person's unique perspective, provide safety for each person to express themselves and to give each person the opportunity to determine their comfort level with me as therapist. I will then work with parts of the family (eg, siblings, parents, dyads such as Mother/Child, Father/Child, Sib/Sib) to support recognition of the unique cycle each group/dyad experiences as problematic in having the closeness and safety they desire within the family. I use Emotion Focused Family Therapy which is based on attachment research and which acknowledges our need to be known and loved by family members.

The cliché goes “we don’t choose family, they are chosen for us”. All families experience difficulties in their relationships with each other. This is normal as multiple personalities are at play. Family counselling incorporates the use of different theories with the task being to define the problem from individual’s perspectives. Ultimately the goal of attaining cohesiveness within the family is reached by every member acknowledging and understanding each other’s feelings and perspectives about unresolved issues.

Our first connection with love is with family, in its complex, colorful, and sometimes chaotic forms. It is also an area that can be the source of conflict and misunderstanding. In our Family Counselling sessions, I am not a referee, but instead I am a facilitator for difficult conversations. Together we will create a safe space where each voice is heard, everyone’s story is acknowledged, without judgment or expectation.

Within each family are the experiences of each family member. In family therapy, you, and your family can explore how each member’s roles and perspectives impact the family as a whole. You can learn to cultivate a family environment grounded in respect for individual experiences, sense of connection and shared understanding. I work with individuals, couples and families. Book a free consultation to explore if we are a good fit for therapy.

Family issues can make you stuck in unhelpful patterns of interaction. Sometimes it is hard for families to deal with these issues on their own because emotions are high and perspectives can be so different. It can be helpful to seek support from an objective therapist. I can help you look beyond your individual hurt and anger so that you can find the root of your issues and work collectively toward your shared goal of mending and understanding each other.

Do you have trouble communicating with your kids, spouse, siblings, in-laws, or parents? If you are like most of us, you probably do! Families adopt certain rules for how people are to behave within the family, and more often than not, these rules contribute to unhealthy relationships and communication patterns. It is my job to help families understand and identify their dynamics, and work towards effective and healthy communication patters.

Family therapy provides a supportive space for all members to address challenges, improve communication, and strengthen their relationships. My approach focuses on understanding each person’s perspective and the family dynamics as a whole, helping to uncover patterns that may be causing conflict or disconnection. Together, we work to develop healthier ways of interacting, resolving disagreements, and supporting one another. Drawing from evidence-based methods, I help families navigate transitions, address generational or cultural differences, and foster empathy, cooperation, and resilience, so each member feels heard, valued, and connected.

Family can often be the single most powerful element in our mental health journey. Like any relationship though, families often struggle with communication, forgiveness and conflict resolution. At Whiteboard we employ evidence-based techniques to help families heal and become whole again. These techniques not only involve patience and skill, they also require the lived experience that many of our counsellors have at our clinic.

A common problem that I see when helping families is that parents struggle to get their kids to finish tasks, stay organized, and cannot motivate them to do, well, anything. “Unless it’s YouTube or a video game they’re just not interested and I don’t want them always depend on me for everything.” There are a number of tools and methodologies that can help with these problems. It does take time and commitment; however, with the right support and guidance easier, friction-free, happier days are very possible.

I believe that relationships are a key determinant to one’s mental health. I focus on unpacking dysfunctional relational dynamics commonly experienced in one’s family of origin such as: enmeshment, co-dependency and people pleasing. Together, we may explore early attachment styles, underlying trauma wounds including intergenerational trauma and communicating healthy boundary setting

Sometimes the difficulties occurring in a family are systemic - which means that there is not really a 'problem person' but a family interaction malfunction. In family counselling, it is understood that everyone in the family impacts and affects everyone else and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It is also understood that the way to 'fix' a family problem is not by simply changing specific behaviours, but by changing the structure of the family. This can be a very important process for the many different types of families that we have in our society.

Dr. Van Blyderveen, Dr. Saliba, and Dr. Brunet each offer family therapy at New Leaf Psychology Centre. Through family therapy, you and your family will learn to communicate more effectively with one another, better understand each other, and experience more frequent moments of closeness. Attention will be given to balancing the relationship quality with the different roles of parents and children. Dr. Saliba has a special interest in working with blended families, and Dr. Brunet has a special interest in facilitating attachment between young children (ages 0 through 6) and their parents.

Families are complicated systems will all sorts of problems, often due to misunderstandings. I have worked with many families to improve communication leading to more harmonious living situations. This often takes some compromise. I would be happy to work with your family to help you understand each other and live more peacefully. *I work with children and parents who are divorced however I do not work with families where custody is in dispute. I do not provide custody assessments.*