Therapy for Families

secure online therapy to help families overcome conflict, communicate better and thrive, for clients in Portland, Oregon

Is life in your family feeling unmanageable?

Maybe your child has been having issues at home or school, and they're having bigger blow-ups than before. You may be struggling to communicate, or connect with them in general. Perhaps you're feeling like you don't understand them at all, and like you need to do something before your family falls apart.

Whatever it is that you're experiencing, you're beginning to notice the impact everywhere:

You're experiencing less joy as a family, and spending more time arguing
Your child is having outbursts at home and school and cannot seem to regulate
Your family just suffered a big loss and you don't know how to support your child through it
Your family is changing and your child is feeling reactive, frustrated, or angry

Family therapy can help

It might feel like this is just your "new normal", but you can reconnect and begin enjoying each other again. You can find more harmony, and I can help you get there.

Family therapy can help you do the following:

Identify key catalysts which may be impacting you and your children: a harmful relationship with a parent, divorce or separation, blending families with a new partner and/or kids, a new medical or mental health diagnosis, substance use or addiction, or a recent acute trauma/event, to name a few possibilities
We can work together to identify which behaviors are new and troubling, and note their relationship to some of the above issues
Together, with the help of my knowledge and practice in the field, and your expertise in the family, we can identify opportunities for repair in the parent-child relationship, translate behavioral patterns which indicate children's needs, aka "attention-seeking behaviors" and what they might mean, and support new ways of relating to each other that support everyone
Types of interventions I use: family genograms to get an understanding of your family system, good old fashioned talk therapy, family systems work to identify who is functioning well and who needs more support, DBT interventions to support conflict, and role-playing to name a few

I can help. First we'll meet together to determine what your family's needs are: no more school refusal, less conflict and division, incorporating a new partner and/or children, or help understanding your child more. My approach to family therapy is focused on identifying the stuck places and using creative interventions and approaches to understanding new pathways forward.

Conflict and disruption don't have to be your family's story

Feeling unsure?
FAQ's

Q: What are sessions like? Do you meet with me and my kid together?

A: It depends! Occasionally this work is parent-only, meaning that I am working with you as the primary change-maker in the family. Sometimes it is helpful for me to meet with your child(ren) to get a different perspective, or with children and parents all together to facilitate change. I make these decisions based partly on your preferences and hopes for treatment, as well as my clinical assessment. There is evidence to show that parent-only treatment can and does change children's behaviors, and there are times when it just isn't the right moment to bring a child or children in to work with me. We'll discuss this openly at the beginning of our work and throughout our time together.

Q: My child refuses to participate in treatment, what now?

A: Evidence shows that parents who seek out guided support from a therapist can still have a positive impact on their child's behavior, whether or not that child ever receives their own treatment. We can talk through ways to discuss what therapy is with your child, and fears they may have around being "sent to therapy." In my experience, no one wants to be the "troubled child" or the "reason their parents are fighting/divorcing/separating", or any other troubling experiences families face. They want to know that they parent loves them and that they are safe. My priority is to make sure children (and parents) feel safe with me, and I never give children ultimatums or demand they meet with me.

Q: How long do I need to be in therapy?

A: I work with people as long as they need, and it's my job to equip families with the tools they need to sustain long after I'm gone. Often when we're able to create new ways of relating, problems that come up along the way begin to resolve more quickly and safely, and we can work towards closure.

Q: I'm skeptical... how do I know it will work for my family's issues?

A: Therapy is always a risk, but we know what's happening now in your family is not working. It can be helpful to get some new tools, tricks, or perspective to shift things a bit and catch your breath. There may be serious concerns in your family which are impactful: issues of addiction/substance use, self-harm, chronic conflict, or abuse, which may take a long time to resolve. It's important you have the support you need as you begin to heal.

Q: Do you offer in person sessions?

A: All sessions are offered online through a secure telehealth platform, Zoom. There are so many benefits to online treatment, including being able to join at a convenient time of day with no commute to and from the office, and being able to schedule around family needs.

Q: What are your fees?

A: I charge $150 out of pocket, or self-pay, per session.

Q: What insurance do you take?

A: I am not in network with any insurance providers. Many insurance companies offer out of network benefits which you can confirm through your provider.

Q: How do I know if you're the right therapist for me?

I am a relational therapist interested in the impact of family systems, with expertise in complex developmental trauma, attachment, and parenting. I tend to be experiential, curious and non-directive in sessions and open to what is happening in the session. If you're looking for a didactic, directive, and sequential model of treatment I'm likely not the right fit.

Q: How do we get started?

A: Reach out. I offer a free initial consultation to make sure we fit each other, and then we make a plan for treatment together. I meet with people weekly in order to establish a good working relationship and to ensure that I can best support you. All sessions are virtual, and I schedule a recurring appointment time, e.g. Wednesdays at 1pm, for continuity.