Family Counselling Services in Toronto, ON.

Family therapy helps you work toward a home environment that is stable and peaceful. The family unit is where each member’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours influence the entire family. The goal of family therapy is to create and strengthen natural supports. Allowing family members to work collaboratively as they implement solutions to their problems. Improving communication and problem-solving abilities, allows each member of the family to support others and develop patterns of relating that foster understanding and unity.

We are connected in relationship to those around us. With family this connection can be nurturing or life giving at times in life, however it can also be draining at other times. The emotional well being of each family member can impact the well being of all the other family members. I do family counselling using Emotionally Focused Family Therapy, and so by understanding the emotional dance within a family it's possible to heal the impact which a negative emotional cycle is having on the family as a whole and on each member.

Sometimes it is valuable to have a parent(s) and their teenager together work towards healing the rifts that tear their relationship apart. The same applies to parents and their young adult children. Through the family work people note they are able to understand and get 'heard' by their family members.

Due to my past experience as a Child and Family Therapist, I will sometimes get families reaching out directly, or referrals from other therapists. Though I cater to couples, I also use Emotionally Focused Family Therapy with families. It is important for parents to know that I will not see a youth individually for full treatment. You MUST be part of the process. We need you there. We work towards corrective emotional experiences for both the youth and their main attachment figure. These experiences happen within the counselling room, virtual and in-person! If you think I might be a good fit for you, please don't hesitate to inquire if I have any spaces for families.

Families can be tough. No doubt about it. I'd be more worried if a family got along 100% of the time. Conflict is an opportunity to bring us closer together. And with the right tools of communication and conflict resolution, based upon the theories of Emotion-focused therapy, we can get there together.

In order to gain a better understanding of a person's situation, their behaviour is explored in the context of Family Systems Therapy (FST). FST looks at the family as an emotional unit and identifies the patterns of interactions that are maintaining the challenges, including the patterns of communication & language used to discuss the challenges. This helps to better understand the impact of family dynamics, family values, beliefs about gender roles, status or power of family members, and cultural & ethnicity on a person's self-perception. I also use strengths-based practices with families in order to transfer strengths of individuals & family systems into therapeutic awareness.

There is probably no more powerful tool for healing yourself and others and none more basic, than family therapy. All therapy is, in some way, nothing more than applying specialized tools to what any good parent does when their child is in pain or upset. The father or mother opens their arms, their hearts and their ears to the upset child and makes themselves totally available and then and only then, gives feedback if it's the right time to do so. Its just as important for the adults to do for each other too. It provides the ground for a joyful relationship and that’s what I teach.

Families can offer the greatest joy or the greatest frustration. When family composition changes such as when children become adults, new members join or leave the family there is a period of readjustment. Each member of a family takes on a role with a specific intended outcome. Usually the intention is positive, yet the methods can be irritating to others. Safety and communication are key! Let's work to uncover each member's intentions and find a peaceful way forward.

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.

Relationships are a vital part of our lives, and family relationships can be complicated. As a relational therapist, I work hard to make therapy a safe space, where everyone’s voices can be heard and understood. Whether you are seeking counselling to best support an individual, or to address overall family dynamics, therapy can be a helpful tool for healing. Schedule a free consultation to see if we are a good fit.

Most family therapists inadvertently create more chaos through their well-intentioned efforts to assist a family move through a change process. Why? Brains are inherently deregulated (all of us, may I add) and most talking and dialoguing misses brain-centric problems that need more intensive help. Many times the emotional trauma created by years of solving problems ineffectively can wreak havoc on the brain's parasympathetic nervous system, not ever giving the family a break from flight or fight thinking. Contact us for an innovative neuroscience solution to family dysfunction. Kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

I look at family therapy as a pattern from the family of origin, if growing up was dysfunctional; faced issues such as abuse, substance abuse, poor health, or poverty, did not adequately demonstrate love, that person may experience difficulties in these areas later in life and show up in their family. They might also, have developed coping strategies or related strengths in the face of a difficult upbringing. Without an awareness of how these issues affected them, it is likely that the negative pattern may be repeated over time. A child who witnesses parents make certain choices or engage in certain behaviors may develop a tendency to behave in a similar manner.

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.

Each family has its own unique personality that impacts the functioning of its members. I am trained in a variety of therapeutic models and the approach I take will be catered to your family dynamics and the special challenges that brought you here today. When working with the family, I help improve their ability communicate openly to challenging issues and work through ups and downs in their 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

Family counselling takes into account all members of the family, because you all affect each other. In addition, blended families have special challenges that stem from two styles and two sets of rules. It's tough to get the balance just right, but it can be done. I also have experience with kids and teens with oppositional defiant disorder. Let me help you improve the functioning of your family. Your long term happiness is at stake.

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.

Communication.empathy and forgiveness work are a primary focus in family therapy with me. We work with many modalities including Traditional talk therapy: Giving space for the family to explore and express feelings, own awareness’s, transform thoughts, grieve, vent, and neutralize guilt, anger and fear. New understandings and thus new neural pathways and patterns begin to form. This is a profoundly transformational set of tools that can bring families to stronger places of connection and union.