Family Counseling Services in McMinnville, OR.

Families are both rewarding and frustrating. I work with families as a whole and then with each member individually to determine what role they play within the family dynamic. Communication centers on both what is said and what is heard. This is done to establish respect for each individual in the family, so that the family unit can function positively and as healthy as possible. Blended family dynamics are exceptionally challenging; however, hope abounds for all concerned.

The human mind is incredibly complex. As a family grows from two adults to a multigenerational system involving multiple personalities, communication styles and temperaments, disagreements are inevitable. The difference between a well-functioning family and one that is suffering from "dysfunction", is HOW conflict is handled within the household. I will help your family identify counterproductive communication patterns and power imbalances, and establish a healthy parental hierarchy that will result in greater respect and family functioning.

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.

As a family therapist, I see things from a systemic lens. This means that I see individuals as functioning within a larger family system. Family therapy can enhance growth in family members. Family therapy can also help family members learn new healthier ways of communicating and interacting with each other. One of my passions is helping families move from a shame base to a compassionate base.

Family therapy looks at the entire family system—parents, children, extended family members—to identify strengths and problematic behaviours. I collaborate with families on strategies for utilizing their own capabilities for resolving problems, and on developing effective communication and problem-solving skills for preventing conflicts. I specialize in working with families of teenagers, which is an age that can be challenging for both the teenagers and their parents.

Clients who are having difficulties within their family are often surprised when they begin to understand that every member of the family (yes, even dogs and cats!) have developed fairly predictable roles within a bigger family system. It is like they are actors in a play that has been rehearsed over and over. Once they understand these patterns and roles, we move forward by searching for the patterns that are positive and the ones that that are causing pain in the family system. "Would you be willing to change those entrenched roles, if it means that your family can regain some of it's balance, playfulness, and love?" I ask them. If the answer is yes, I find that families soon benefit.