Family Therapy

Who comes to Family Therapy and why?

Family therapy makes a big difference in the lives of people when they’re going through a tough time. Family therapy is appropriate for siblings, for parents and kids, for couples, and extended family members, or any conﬁguration of people with family relationships. Family therapy can help with conﬂict, behavioral problems, school problems, parenting, difficulties between siblings, issues with extended family, divorce, illness, or death in the family in addition to other challenges.

When family members come to therapy, I want to understand how each person views the problem. I will also want to know how family members have tried to manage the problem so far. Together we will develop a treatment plan with mutually agreeable goals.

The families I work with learn to really listen to one another, to communicate respectfully, and to work out conﬂict in a healthy manner. Teens learn skills for mutually beneficial negotiating with their parents. Families learn to manage struggles and challenges with greater satisfaction. The average number of sessions for family therapy is 12. However, some families experience significant improvement after 5-6 sessions.

One of the most important reasons for investing time and money in family therapy is that the unhealthy patterns that contribute to conﬂict and unhappiness are replaced with new skills, habits, and patterns. All of us learn our habits, our view of the world, and ways to interact with others from the family where we grew up. Most families deal with some sort of dysfunction at one time or another. When the issues are addressed with a licensed therapist, the unhealthy patterns are not passed on to the next generation. As families begin to resolve their problems together, they inevitably begin to enjoy their relationships with each other in new ways.

I look forward to meeting you and supporting your family moving forward!

“My daughter was having temper tantrums, and was getting in trouble regularly at school. Working with Rita, she has learned to be more self-aware and to recognize her behavior. She reﬂects on what she does and says and makes better choices. She doesn’t get in trouble at school, and life is more peaceful at home.”

— G. Mother of 10 yr. old | Indianapolis, IN.