Family Therapy

Family Therapy, Parenting Skills & Support

• Does communication in your family break down?
• Do you lose your patience with your child?
• Is reactivity getting in the way of how you want to parent?
• Are you always telling your children that they “don’t listen?”

How Families Work

When anyone in an intimate relationship changes, the whole system in which they function experiences disequilibrium. Thus, through the years, I’ve spent a good deal of time working with families, so all family members have their needs met, and no one person carries the issues for the group. When a family works in a safe space and supports each other in their process, they can accomplish much more than any one individual member of the family. The benefits of a happy family have been scientifically documented.

To grow in a family and as a parent, you need skills that you probably never learned growing up. There is no manual for learning how to be a calm, patient parent. I know from my own experiences.

Despite having studied and become an expert on child behavior and development, when I had my children, I realized that parenting activates a lot of unconscious programming. I determined to learn how to work with my children so they would co-create their future and contribute in productive ways to the family while thriving and realizing their own potential.

What Helps Families Change

After completing my Ph.D., I studied Parent Effectiveness Training with Tom Gordon, Ph.D. and became a lead teacher while I was in Chicago. I used P.E.T. with my children very successfully and have expanded this work, integrating clean language, imago relationship therapy, powerful questions, with teaching parenting skills through the years.

In addition, I did post-doctoral work at Rush-Presbyterian Hospital in the Children’s Day School in Chicago where I worked with many children individually and in group therapy. I learned to recognize learning disorders that are often missed in schools and by standard visual screenings. It is important to build a child’s self-esteem and any issues are often best resolved with educating their parents on how to communicate better with their children.

When I work with parents and families, I teach communication skills and time management tools that make your home more efficient and easier to manage. Children complicate daily tasks and learning how to manage these go a long way to living harmoniously and happily.

Get your family and children the support and help you and they need now. Contact me to get started on an empowering path

Are you contemplating divorce or separation?

Do you and your partner have a conflict that needs resolution?

Making the decision to divorce is one of the most difficult decisions a couple makes. If your relationship is not gratifying and yet you are not sure whether it can be salvaged, you need help. I wrote Marriage in Trouble: a time of decision, after my divorce because the decision to leave my marriage was so excruciating that it took me two and a half years to gain the courage to admit that my relationship could not work for either myself or my husband. I came to understand that our values were so different that we would find happiness apart not together. At the time, I searched for help in making my decision and could not find anyone who could help guide me. Out of this experience I knew that I wanted to help others in the same situation. And, through the years, I have helped many people navigate reigniting their love as well as separating and finding happiness after divorce.

When a couple decides to separate, it is likely that they are feeling alienated from each other with resentments and reactivity that is deep and painful. I work with a separating couple so both feel acknowledged, validated, and understood. The process I use helps defuse their hurt allowing them to find the best outcome for themselves and their family. Divorcing couples I have worked with generally have amicable relationships after their divorce, and their children benefit greatly from their cooperative parenting.

As a clinical psychologist (CA License Number: PSY5297), I work with Conflict Resolution, especially in cases of divorce. I am trained as a Collaborative Divorce Mental Health Coach and work with couples who are divorcing. Working collaboratively minimizes the trauma and ill-will, and couples resolve their issues and come to a mutually beneficial resolution of their conflicts.

Contact me to get started now.

Conflict Resolution

The goal of conflict resolution is to get the best outcome for all participants, so they all feel ready to move forward in positive ways toward their future with minimum hurt.

In business situations, as in couples work, communication is the key. I call upon my diverse skills as a communicator to find creative solutions to conflict situations. Often thinking “outside the box” is helpful and something hard for individuals in the midst of conflict.

In addition, I work with business people facing challenges. They find solutions collaboratively, so the workplace is a healthy stress-free environment without bullying or disrespect. Such a workplace increases everyone’s sense of well-being and enhances productivity.

Contact me to get started now.