Family and Child Therapy
I provide and often combine individual and family therapy in sessions up to two hours long. Because the involvement and cooperation of parents in treatment is essential to a successful outcome, parents are expected to attend each session. I typically meet with parents first for an update of the child’s behavioral and emotional episodes throughout the week and work with parents to develop their skills in responding therapeutically to problems. For the majority of the session, the child joins parents in the room. Occasionally, I work individually with a child, but more often, I work with the child while parents are present as supportive witnesses.
Sessions are an opportunity for the child to practice identifying and expressing feelings, and gain an increased ability to tolerate vulnerable feelings. This practice aims to resolve or make manageable the child’s feelings of loss, inadequacy, anxiety, fear, and shame. During sessions, I treat the child with unconditional positive regard and give frequent praise and validation to bolster self-esteem. I assist the child in understanding the underlying feelings that drive behavior, and from this they can derive coping skills for vulnerable feelings. Parents' involvement in this process helps them to empathize with the child’s experience of shame and anxiety, and this therapeutic response encourages healing.
Maintaining a cohesive parental unit is essential for creating stability in a child's environment. It is not uncommon for parents to state that the challenges of parenting the child negatively affected their marriage. I understand how the dynamics of attachment disorder sets the stage for parental discord. Sometimes it is necessary to address issues within the couples’ relationship and provide treatment to help couples restore their ability to work with and for each other.