My Family

Who should join?

Family therapy is a place for your family to work on shifting things to make them better. When you begin family therapy, you’re beginning the journey of changing dynamics and patterns in your family that keep you from being as happy and healthy as you want to be. In family therapy, the family is our client, meaning that we work with all members of a family to promote great health and functioning in your unit. Ideally, everyone who lives in your home (with the exception of your pets!) should attend all meetings. This gives us the best shot of helping your family become the best version of itself.

My Child

How to talk to your child about therapy

Helping your child understand what to expect from therapy can help set them on a more successful path. We recommend that you find age-appropriate language to talk to your child about what therapy is, what a therapist does and why they are going to therapy. Sometimes, parents find it helpful to tell their children that a therapist is an “expert in feelings.” It can be confusing if a child is told their therapist is a “friend” because therapists typically don’t attend birthday parties and this can make it tricky down the road.

Children should be told why they are going to therapy. Perhaps they need an expert in feelings to help them understand their own feelings or maybe it’s to help support them through a transition (like a divorce or a death).

Child therapy is often engaging and less about talking than adult therapy. Child therapy typically involves play, art, games, and other activities. You should help your child understand that therapy isn’t something they have to attend because they’ve done something wrong and they can expect to enjoy themselves!

My Teenager

What you can expect as a teen?

Therapy is a space for you to explore and express your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with a supportive person who you can trust. It is also a chance to discover the person you want to be and the life you want to live, even if that feels far away. Therapy is a mix of talking things out, learning new perspectives, and receiving just the right amount of nudging so you can get to where you want to be. Your therapist will be your person and you’ll be able to say (almost) anything without fear that they’ll tell your parents. Having an outside perspective can be a powerful way to untangle oneself from the messier parts of our lives! When you decide to come to therapy, you’re deciding to build a safe space for yourself in which you can dig into the things you want to dig into and change the things you want to change.

My Partner + Me

In couples therapy, the client is the relationship. We work with couples to help them become better at communication, to become healthier and stronger in their connection and attachment, and to have the skills to talk about hard things while feeling supported, connected, and understood. Your therapist will help you both understand how your own personal histories and needs affect your behavior in the relationship and how you might do things differently to feel better in the long run.

Myself

What can you expect in therapy?

Sometimes therapy involves simply talking. Your therapist might guide you to discuss things that need to be sorted through. In their presence, you will not only feel supported and understood but you will begin to better understand yourself in the process. From that understanding, you will develop a greater sense of choice in how you respond to the world, and the people in your world. Therapy can also involve play, art, dance and movement, or talking about how your body feels on a sensory or emotional level. Therapy can involve just one person (individual) or might involve multiple people (like in couples’ therapy or family therapy). In therapy where there is more than one person, the therapist serves like a guide and mediator, helping you not only understand the patterns that are keeping you from feeling better together, but inviting you to change those patterns, often by practicing new ways of being in the therapy room.