Family Counselling Services in Toronto, ON.

Our families can benefit from family therapy when they experience any stressful event that puts pressure on family relationships, such as financial hardship, family fractures or break ups, or the death of a loved one. Some issues we would focus on in family sessions are improving communication and solving conflicts, exploring ways we can support a family member who is experiencing difficulties, and how to grow stronger moving forward. It can seem like a monumental task. However with hope, optimism and commitment families can get better.

When you stub your toe, your whole body acts to react to the pain. Likewise, when member(s) of the family hurt, the whole family is impacted. Drawing from family systems theory, I work with families to uncover and understand the unspoken emotional chain reactions that take place when the family is stressed, identify unhelpful patterns, and help family members find effective ways to work together as a cohesive unit to accomplish their goals.

Family therapy is a process for everyone to feel heard, understood and that their needs matter. From the youngest to the eldest all our needs matter. Through a process of growing empathy for each other, we can explore creative ways where everyone can get their needs met and everyone can have space to be themselves. Sometimes we all get confused about what we are really wanting. So often conflict and misunderstandings create isolation in even the most loving families. Our work together is to make the time and space to understand each other and find the way back from conflict to connection.

Living within a family, is very much like a team effort - if someone is not doing well, others suffer. Families also have a wealth of power to help, support and encourage and be a practice ground for each family member to develop and grow - no matter how young or old. My approach in working with families is to help sort out what is working and what is not and help family members engage in more positive communication, increased problem solving and mutually nurturing relationships.

Depression is not something to be ashamed of , nor is it a character flaw or a sign of a weak personality. No one with depression can just "snap out of it". You wouldn't ask someone to "snap out of diabetes or some other illness, and you cannot expect it of a person with depression. Everyone gets sad sometimes - a brief blue mood, feelings of disappointment or loss. The great news is that up to 80% of people who recieve proper treatment improve as a result. There are two principle modes of treatment for depression - Psychotherapy and medication. Your not alone, millions of families and friends have felt exactly like you. Your one step closer to change

Clients come to see me in my practice in downtown Toronto in order to help them focus on problems and conflicts between family members. In some cases, this includes parent-child conflicts. And in others, this may include conflicts between the adults in home, who may have differing approaches to parenting. Finally, excessive conflicts between siblings may also be a reason for family therapy.

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.

Working with families requires tact and understanding. Creating change requires intent and determination. a willingness to deepen the understanding of the needs of the individual and the common goals of the family can be an obstacle course which may lead to conflict and misunderstanding. Resolving conflicts (Re-)integrating a family member Creating new harmony through understanding Are you feeling left out? Is your family suffering the behaviours of one (or more) of its members? Is the burden / tasks distribution uneven, or even unfair? Through Strategic Intervention talk and techniques, you will create a greater understanding and harmony within the family you love.

The bonds in the family are interconnected, and Family Therapy is a great way to strengthen those bonds and also understand how old patterns of being actually cover up some of the most important feelings and needs that have never been expressed. I approach Family Therapy through working closely with each relationship in order to shed light on both how they functions together, but also to make room for growth and acceptance. Families are crucial for our survival, and understanding how much we need each other goes a long way to building and re-building close and secure ties.

I have counseled thousands of parents in the past 35 years. My book "Raise Your Kids without Raising Your Voice" outlines my philosophy of family life: harmony is of utmost importance to the well-being of every family member. I will show you how you can attain this harmony in your own home as we explore and address the specific issues and challenges that your family faces.

Family dynamics can be challenging at the best of times. They are also quite difficult to change when inside the family itself. Having an unbiased third party listen to all individuals involved may help identify the key underlying issues. Action plans may be set up and codes of conduct may be specified that will allow people to believe that change is possible. By taking concrete steps forward, family members are triggered less often and engage in undesired behaviours less frequently. This process also will give a voice to those who may otherwise not be heard.

Family Therapy can mean one of two things, generally speaking: 1) A client who wishes to process the affect their family (via their childhood or present-day events) has had on them. 2) Multiple members of a family unit (partial or whole) , who wish to -- in a way similar to couples counselling -- work out their problems. I am comfortable working with either scenario, however I do have a limit on the number of people I can fit in my office (4). If I'm working with multiple members of a family, I will often make available the opportunity to work with members individually as well as a whole.

It is family stability that provides a secure base from which your teenager can venture into the world. No matter which face your teenager wears, they all have in common an enormous underlying anxiety (about their changing bodies, fitting in, achieving, etc). Through parent and teen counselling, we can help save you and your family from even more turmoil. Successful Parenting is about helping develop in our children a sense of self and a sense of belonging.If you are a separated or divorced parent there are many added complications. When your teenagers have two families to be part of their are lots of added stresses for everyone. As a family therapist with 30 years of experience, I can help