Family Counselling Services in Streetsville, ON.

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.

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.

Families are remarkably resilient and have wonderful potential to heal one another. They typically develop patterns and structural characteristic over great periods of time that enable them to respond to both stressors from outside and inside the family. Helping families look at their patterns in novel ways, empowers them to make small and sometimes simple changes, greatly impacting outcomes. Family therapy is all about learning more about the patterns that keep families suspended when they desire change. In addition, family therapy harnesses the power and uniqueness of each family to recover and grow as a unit.

Conflict and other issues often challenge the integrity of the family. Poor communication can be one of the main contributors. Many families give up unnecessarily, leaving minimal or even no contact between family members. Family therapy can help individuals understand the root of the dysfunction and open respectful lines of communication presenting the potential for healthy family relationships. Learning to let go of the past, healthy communication and conflict resolution can often lay the foundation to build a solid future of healthy relationships.

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.

Online Therapy Centre offers a virtual family therapy to help families overcome a range of challenges and improve their relationships. Our experienced therapists use evidence-based approaches to guide families in exploring and resolving conflicts, improving communication, and building stronger connections. Online Therapy Centre understands that each family is unique and may require a tailored approach to therapy. Our therapists work collaboratively with families to develop a treatment plan that meets their specific needs and goals. We are committed to helping families achieve positive outcomes and build stronger, healthier relationships.

My interest in Family Therapy grew out of my work with patients in acute care hospitals. As I interacted with the patients and their families, I realized that if one family member is in pain, all the family members are somehow affected. This insight caused me to shift my focus away from the more traditional psychodynamic theories I was earlier taught in University and to focus instead on how family therapy and family systems brought healing. This growing body of literature, which started in the 1960s, has revolutionized my thinking, enabling me to find a more generous, holistic, and integrated approach to patient care and family healing. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation today

I provide a nurturing and inclusive space where all family members can come together to explore and heal relational dynamics. By fostering open communication, promoting empathy, and strengthening family bonds, I work collaboratively with families to address conflicts, improve understanding, and cultivate healthy patterns of interaction. Through this transformative process, clients can experience improved family cohesion, enhanced problem-solving skills, and a deeper understanding of one another. Family therapy offers an opportunity for growth, healing, and the building of stronger, more resilient relationships that can positively impact the entire family system.

Too often, communication stands in the way of good relationships. With families, this is compounded by a number of other issues. Through family therapy, we unpack the preconceived ideas and family roles that we often feel compelled to fall into, we work together to examine relationships. Using a combination of Solution Focused Therapy, client-led exchanges, and role-playing, together we develop new and healthy ways to communicate.

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.

Family therapy is in many ways the most difficult of all therapy’s simply because you have the issues of not just one person but also all involved. There is a multiplication factor equal to the number within the family plus the dynamic of how the family organizes itself around communication, conflict, and intimacy and supports it. All successful families do two things extremely well . . . create a sense of belonging and allow for the freedom to be an individual. When I work with families I bring over twenty five years of experience to every session. Almost 100% of us across the nation . . . when asked what is the most important thing in our life, will answer ‘family’!

You might seek family therapy if family members are struggling with sibling or parent conflict, parenting differences, adjusting to teenage years, divorce/separation, feeling alone with your family, unable to express your feelings to your family members, feeling like you’re not meeting someone’s expectations or coping with a family member’s mental illness or addiction. Working with a family therapist can help family members feel heard and valued and bring harmony to your family system. We can help you learn to communicate effectively, set healthy boundaries and learn coping mechanisms to help manage difficult family dynamics.

I often find that dealing with mental health and addiction issues is not possible unless we deal with the structural issues of the family. I use a family systems approach where relationships are seen as two-way and reciprocal. It's not about who did what, it's about our relationship skills and ability to manage having a family. It's about being healthy rather than being right. Sometimes you need to make a strong move in order to get the whole family system to shift. Let's figure what to do together as it is often too difficult to handle alone.

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

In the area of family matters, I provide mediation services. Family Mediation process is focused on resolution of concerns and issues that arise in families. In the mediation process, as a neutral party, I assists the disputing parties resolve their disagreement by facilitating their discussions and guiding them to appropriate resources and possible solutions until they reach desired outcomes. *Family mediation is not psychotherapy, marital counseling, or legal representation.

Family therapy often benefits from a client-centered approach. Throughout our sessions, we will focus on communication and the openness to share one’s feelings honestly. Using exercises, we will work on improving communication, listening skills and emotional honesty. The use of behavior therapy may also be incorporated where we seek to recognize and change destructive behavior patterns. Use of these approaches encourages families to engage in healthy communication styles and break habitual cycles of unhealthy behaviors.

True healing can happen in the presence of a safe environment, with emotionally safe connections. I believe that ruptured connections have potential for healing and provide opportunities for increased intimacy. Together, I will help the family unit explore the cycles of unhelpful interactions that are blocking a true sense of closeness, safety and security. My job will not be to take sides or place blame; rather I will try to help you get to the root causes of your relational dynamics from an attachment-driven lens.

All families are the same and all families are different. Therapy is based on the family as an organised social unit that goes through phases of gradual but emotionally-charged change. Roles and functions often collide with personal needs and changing individual needs and hormonal behaviours that will clash with parenting styles triggering power struggles. Family dynamics must find a way to balance the conflicting childrens' needs to assert distinct identities while integrating conflicting parental values. Family therapy is difficult but growth-inducing for all but I find it helpful to see individuals separately for them to express ideas and feelings freely as it helps with communication.

Our relationships with our family are some of the most complex relationships of our lives. Being able to communicate our needs and feelings with our loved ones is crucial to our well-being and is an essential part of a successful parent/child relationship. Over time, families co-create a language and ways of interacting and being. However, as we enter times of stress and change, and our children grow, we start to develop independent languages that cause us to feel unheard, and invalidated. Sessions will allow you to be intentional about sharing with each other and provide a safe place to open up, repair hurts, and relearn each other's language.

I follow evidence based practice for family therapy where I help family members improve their communications and develop healthy boundaries to build a safe environment. Family counselling helps navigating the challenges together and build a sense of belonging along with learning problem solving and conflict resolution skills to support each other.Family counselling also helps in understanding one's own family culture and how it impacts them individually and collectively.

Family relationships can be complicated. All families have their own patterns, and unique sibling and parents/child relationships. Often families hang onto pain and patterns from much earlier in life. I can help your family members communicate in different ways and challange and change long standing patterns within the family unit. I can facilitate healing from past events and misunderstandings, and shift your family relationships into different life stages.

As a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, I can create a safe atmosphere where you and your family can work on difficult issues. Even though the work can be tough at times, the reward of family connections outweight the cost. My expertise can guide you and your family in building meaningful relationships that will last a life time. You will feel more understood and validated as a result of family therapy.

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

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.

Being a parent is hard. There are no instruction manuals and no guidebooks. We all become parents aware that it's the most important job we'll ever do, so now is the time to stop feeling frustrated and anxious, burned out and ineffective. My experience in working with parents and my training in solid parenting theory will combine with your vision for your family and your own personal approach to parenting to create the family harmony you're looking for. End the fighting, nagging, and disconnection with personalized strategies and tools designed just for your family. Don't let another day slip by feeling as though you can't get through to those you love the most. Your family is worth it!