Family Counselling Services in Waterloo, ON.

We will work together to achieve more harmony & less conflict in your family. We may need to work through helping you & your family members adjust to difficulties or transitions you are going through or have gone through. Each family member's opinions (including children) will be valued. All family members will be validated & each person will be given a voice & time to share their thoughts on what is & isn't working in family life. I have years of experience helping clients with: parent-child conflict; parent disagreements; blended family issues; coping with a sick or mentally ill family member; dealing with trauma and loss; grief. We will work to achieve compromise.

We all learn differently, express differently, and quite often perceive experiences differently because we bring a different "lens" and that is why your counsellor needs to be CREATIVE and FLEXIBLE. As parents we feel a deep responsibility to be these great parents and raise remarkable kids, but life isn't so easy and we are far from perfect. We need to give ourselves a break sometimes because we are only doing the best we can with what we have. Sometimes we just need a little help along the way. No matter how large your family is, lets find solutions and have FUN while we are doing it!

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.

Families may have a variety of configurations, but all have one thing in common. They are a group of people that care about each other. They may be parents, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and other caregivers. With different personalities, roles, responsibilities, goals, values, beliefs, experiences and needs, it is no wonder families struggle from time to time. This can lead to a break down in communication and conflicts that can often be difficult to navigate Family therapy can help improve communication, develop deeper understanding of each other and work through difficult feelings in a safe space, and create stronger connections.

A family of four walks into a bar... (okay, therapist's office, fine) each with a different reason why they're there. Also, some of them don't want to be there at all! Get it! Actually, there's no punch-line, it's just normally how it goes. Regardless of what event brings them through the door, families often come in feeling divided and disconnected. That's why my job is to find the common ground so that everyone feels like they're being respected, heard, and have something to gain from the experience. My hope is that you will leave here: 1) Feeling more unified around a common goal 2) Clarity for how to move forward together 3) A renewed sense of what matters most

My approach is systemic, meaning I will look at the ways the family is functioning as a whole to gather potential insights and ideas for gently helping the family imagine a different way of being together. I believe family environments are fundamental learning grounds for building attachment and love. I deeply value your own expertise and insight on the ways your family has already come to know how to best love and support each other. My aim is to help you explore the boundaries, frameworks, and patterns that get you closer to where you hope to be as a family. Book a free consultation to explore if we are a good fit.

Family dynamics are complicated. Each family has established patterns, such as how everyone communicates within the family system, how they deal with stressful situations and conflict, their roles in the family unit and how members seek support from one another. While I do not offer family therapy sessions, my clinic, Psychotherapy Collective has many child and family therapists availability to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to ensure they are the proper fit for your journey. Visit our family therapy page to find a therapist https://www.psychotherapycollective.ca/services/child-and-family-therapy

I will work together with you and your family to discuss your concerns about how you are functioning well together and address the areas that are causing distress. Families who live together with adult children learn how to relate in a different way to each other than when they were kids. I take a respectful approach to ensure everyone has a voice and create a safe space to work towards the goals of the family, which may include rebuilding trust, communication, openness and a sense of belonging.

Family relationships are complex and are oftentimes impacted by various events, life transitions, and societal shifts. I believe that every family is unique and that your efforts to navigate challenges are valid and purposeful. As a family therapist, my aim is to help you strengthen your relationships with one another and to support you in finding a balance between your individual and family needs. I also help you to identify possible areas of stuckness and conflict as well as strengths and resources, so that together, we can create hoped-for solutions. Contact me or book a free consultation if you wish to learn more.

Research shows when one family member is struggling, all the members of the family are affected in some way. Giving each person in the family a safe place to voice their concerns can help families improve communication and resolve conflict. Family therapy addresses the behaviors of individuals as well as the dynamic between family members. • It can provide vital communication skills. • Help family members develop healthy boundaries. • Promote problem-solving • Build empathy and understanding

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.