When one member of our family is experiencing mental health challenges or substance abuse, it affects all of us.
Particularly when our teen or young adult child is having a tough time, it naturally increases stress for everyone and impacts our relationships.
As parents we often over-perform or under-perform as we try to help while also feeling overwhelmed and ineffective.
How family counseling can help
The quality of the relationship between parent and child is the most significant “protective factor” in managing and resolving mental health and substance abuse issues in teens.
Family counseling provides the space and tools to cultivate a strong, positive relationship together, to repair trust, and to work towards better understanding of the needs of all family members.
The research is overwhelmingly conclusive that a Family Systems approach, an evidence-based and collaborative therapy, leads to better outcomes than individual therapy alone for teens.
When teens are reluctant to enter therapy, it is often because they feel stigmatized as “the problem.”
They are often more willing to participate if they know parents and even siblings are engaged, and the whole family takes responsibility for their part of “the problem” and contributes to the solutions together.
Jeff’s expertise with family systems therapy includes all members of the family in various combinations--the teen by themselves, the parents only, teen/parent, siblings together, or the whole family.
Jeff’s individualized approach helps families realign, adjust and cope with trauma, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and change that naturally affects the whole family.
Ultimately therapy isn’t about “fixing” your son or daughter, but is a path of healing that involves the whole family. It is an opportunity to grow and learn together, to acknowledge how challenges have affected each of us, and to move towards wellness together.