A great deal of my training has been connected to dealing with family relationships in one way or another. Depending on the nature of the problem, I might see all or part of the family together, work with parents around issues with children or even work with one family member to change his/her role in the family dynamics. Often a child is seen as “the problem” when, in reality, this child is unconsciously expressing issues or themes which are imbedded somewhere in the family system as a whole. Perhaps there are problems between the parents that the child is picking up and acting out. Changes in developmental stages of children often present challenges to the family -- as can normal changes in life circumstances. Any issue that presents an obstacle to healthy family functioning can be grist for the mill for family therapy.

Some examples of the types of issues I deal with:

• Children doing poorly in school academically, socially or otherwise
• Different childrearing philosophies between parents (i.e. discipline)
• Single parent families
• Problems encountered by same-sex parents
• Helping children deal with separation/divorce of parent
• Blended families, stepfamilies, 3-generation families
• Adoption dilemmas
• Parent / Adolescent conflict
• Empty nest, leaving home, life transitions
• Suspected or actual child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)
• Substance abuse in parent(s), children or both
• Forming better relationships between parent(s) and adult child
• Illness, death, grieving and loss.