Adult & Family Therapy

An introduction

In my practice, I focus on empowering adults to create the family experiences and outcomes they want for themselves and their children. I recognize parents and caregivers as the key influencers to create meaningful changes in families regardless of what life circumstances they are navigating. By supporting parents, we foster a healthy family system from the ground up.

I specialize in helping parents understand themselves and heal parts of their past, empowering them to raise healthy, thriving children. I deeply value the therapeutic relationship, treating it as a collaboration of equals.

I offer an integrated approach to therapy that combines reflective parenting techniques, mindfulness, and evidence-based modalities including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). This unique approach aims to promote changes in thinking, behavior, and personal relationships. Reflective parenting allows us to explore your parenting dynamics, beliefs, and emotions, fostering a deeper understanding and strengthening parent-child relationships. Additionally, EMDR therapy offers effective tools for processing past experiences and overcoming emotional distress, promoting healing and resilience. By integrating these approaches, we can address a wide range of topics while fostering personal growth and well-being.

Common therapy topics:

  • Pregnancy & Postpartum Topics
  • Birth trauma or NICU experiences
  • Parenting children with social and emotional difficulties or problematic behaviors
  • Parenting children with neurodivergence (i.e., ADHD, sensory integration) & Giftedness
  • Parent-child relationship problems
  • High sensitivity in parents and/or children
  • Preparing for parenthood
  • Mental load challenges
  • Parenting anxiety & overwhelm
  • Family of origin influences, generational cycles

01.

Working with Couples & Co-parents

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I offer services for couples, providing a supportive space where partners can explore their parenting together. 

In our sessions, we’ll delve into your unique experiences and past, understanding how they impact your parenting styles, beliefs, and emotions. By exploring these factors, we can better understand each other and work as a team in raising your children.

My expertise in couples and family dynamics allows me to identify and address underlying issues that may affect your parenting. I strive to create a safe environment for productive conversations and conflict resolution. Through our ongoing collaboration, we aim to increase your use of effective ways to parent together and create a loving, supportive family.

02.

What to Expect

During a reflective parenting session, parents typically feel relieved to have conversations where they feel heard and understood. 

Conversations often involve telling me about your experiences as a parent and how they relate to your own past.

It’s about understanding yourself better as a parent and learning how to respond to your child’s emotions and behaviors in a caring and supportive way. It might bring up some emotions or challenges, but it can also lead to a deeper connection with your child and a greater sense of confidence in your parenting abilities.

Experiencing an EMDR session might feel like talking about tough memories while doing activities like holding vibrating tappers. It’s not about reliving the trauma but about helping your brain process it in a different way, so it becomes less upsetting overtime. You might feel some emotions during the session, but overtime, many people also feel a sense of relief as they work through their feelings.

Combining EMDR and reflective practices provides a holistic healing approach, offering support, respect, and empowerment as you journey towards wholeness. Clients often feel comforted and less alone knowing someone is truly present, creating a safe space to share.

Benefits of Integrating Reflective Parenting & EMDR:

Backed by solid research, this integrated approach offers numerous benefits.

1. Stronger Bonds: Reflective parenting fosters empathy and understanding between parents and children, strengthening the family bond.

2. Improved Mental Health: EMDR therapy effectively reduces symptoms of trauma in parents, enabling them to engage more positively in reflective parenting practices.

3. Breaking the Cycle: By addressing parental trauma, we minimize the risk of passing down negative patterns to the next generation, promoting healthier family dynamics.

4. Child Well-being: Our approach leads to better emotional regulation, reduced behavior problems, and increased resilience in children.

5. Sustainability: The positive effects of our therapy are long-lasting, contributing to the overall well-being and stability of the entire family.

Read more about EMDR here: https://www.emdria.org/

 

CONTACT ME

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