Families

Family counselling involves working with family units and/or parts of the family unit to achieve change. It is an approach that can reveal and strengthen a family’s resiliency, resources and identity. Who should attend the first session is determined after I correspond with the parents about the presenting problem and gather information about the family support system. Before family sessions, I often meet with the parents to clarify what to expect and provide ideas on how parents can contribute effectively to the process. In family sessions I work to open up communication on different themes, for example, attachment, authority, responsibility, power, loss, boundaries, unspoken emotions, and forgiveness. I do this by engaging all family members, providing in-the-moment suggestions, coaching, re-framing issues, asking about family history and making observations. It can sometimes be helpful to review unresolved issues from a family’s past if these have a bearing on the presenting problem. Occasionally, family work will focus on unresolved losses and other issues from the family of origin.