Family Counseling

Is Your Family Going Through A Season Of Conflict? 

Are you dealing with marital conflict or parenting difficulties? Do you and your loved ones feel like you’re always walking on eggshells around each other? Maybe you and your partner have different desires for your marriage or relationship. If you have children, raising them may have exacerbated these differences. Perhaps you feel like you’re the only one putting any work into raising your kids, but in spite of your efforts, your children are defiant and argument-prone. 

On the other hand, you may find yourself on the opposite side of the equation—dealing with parents you don’t see eye-to-eye with. Perhaps you disagree with your parents’ political or religious views. You may see the values they raised you with as prejudiced or old-fashioned, leading to tension in your family. Your awareness of hot-button issues like racism and sexism may seem alien to them. No matter how hard you try to explain yourself, they’re unable to understand. 

If you’re dealing with toxic family relationships, I would be honored to help you. My goal is to help you learn to resolve conflict and understand yourself and your loved ones in a new way.

Toxic Family Relationships Are The Norm In Today’s World

Every family has problems. Whether it’s because of cultural differences, political disagreements, or issues with substance abuse, most families are living in an atmosphere of tension these days. In an age filled with institutionalized racism, sexism, ageism and other forms of oppression, family members are divided about society’s biggest issues. And with roughly half of all marriages ending in divorce, many children are torn and conflicted and feel like they have to choose one parent over the other. 

What’s more, in the wake of COVID-19, many familial conflicts have intensified. So many people are forced to isolate and spend more time at home confined with parents, siblings, children and spouses. Parents are exhausted and burnt-out from caring for their kids. Children are more prone to fits and meltdowns because of being cooped up inside so long. With no outlet for their stress, the pandemic has forced many families to confront their issues head-on—often with less than peaceful results. 

As much as you want to resolve your family issues, doing so may require an outside perspective and a larger support network. Just as an athlete needs an athletic coach and a singer needs a voice teacher, your family can benefit from having an unbiased, compassionate therapist who can help you see the forest through the trees and understand your struggles in a different light. 

Therapy Can Help You And Your Family Explore Yourselves On A Deeper Level

Having you and your family members in the same room together for therapy may seem like a recipe for conflict. Thankfully, my approach to the healing process is focused on unraveling each individual’s needs rather than dwelling on who’s right or wrong. I provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere for you and your loved ones to explore yourselves on a deeper level. I want to help you see yourself as part of your larger family network and understand how your actions contribute to that network. Based on this newfound understanding, you will be able to incorporate new strategies for resolving conflict and communicating more effectively into your life. 

During the intake session, I will conduct a three-generational study of your family dynamics. The goal of this comprehensive assessment is to help you gain a better sense of who you are in the context of your relationships and upbringing. From there, I will help you and your loved ones tap into your authentic selves so that you can understand the unique needs you have and how other members of your family may not be meeting those needs. Oftentimes, your authentic self is hard to access because of how heavily relational and societal factors impact who you are. For instance, if other people are constantly pressuring you to behave a certain way, it’s difficult to hear your internal voice and recognize your real needs. In family therapy, I will help you find your internal voice so that you can understand what brings you satisfaction and what leaves you unfulfilled. When every member of the family realizes this for themselves, it’s easier to understand each other’s boundaries and needs. 

One of the focal points of therapy is helping each member of your family uncover potential trauma that is holding them back. The methods I work with are rooted in the idea that the message of trauma often manifests in the body. The body is a storehouse of knowledge and carries traumatic experiences in its muscle memory. By drawing attention to where the pain of your trauma manifests—for instance, a racing heart or tightening of the shoulders—you can physically and emotionally process painful memories. Oftentimes, this can be done using mindfulness techniques like meditation and deep breathing. These practices will help you increase bodily awareness of your stressors and concentrate on the pain points that need healing. 

No matter what your family’s struggles are, I want you to know that I have walked a mile in your shoes. I know firsthand that peace, love, and serenity are possible, and there is nothing more joyous than to give love and receive love in a tangible way. What’s more, I worked as a faculty member at the Center for Family Learning and I have over four decades of experience in private practice. I am confident that I have the knowledge and wisdom to help you and your loved ones find peace. 

You may have some questions and concerns about family therapy…

How long will family therapy take?

Every family is different. Your family may benefit from only a few sessions, or you may decide to come for a longer period of time. The important thing is that you learn more about your authentic selves and how to resolve conflict and overcome individual traumas. The time it takes to do so is often insignificant. What’s more, some members of your family may decide to pursue individual counseling in addition to coming as a family. Others may receive all the guidance and help they need after a session or two. Everyone’s timetable is different, so it’s important to support each other throughout the healing process.

Will sessions be confidential?

You are in charge of your privacy. I will not push you to talk about anything you are not ready to share. And if you tell me something you don’t want other family members to know, rest assured I will hold it sacred. The confidentiality of my sessions stays between whoever is present in the counseling room—whether it’s you and your son or daughter, you and your mother or father, et cetera. 

I don’t want therapy to become a crutch.

Counseling is a time to find support and guidance, but ultimately, it’s what you do in the days between sessions that can bring real change into your life. The goal is not for therapy to become a crutch. The goal is for therapy to give you tools and skills that you can use outside of sessions to facilitate healing on your own terms. That way, you don’t have to lean on counseling as a crutch, because you have strategies and self-awareness to help yourself in day-to-day life. 

Experience Wholeness And Peace In Your Family

If you’re tired of getting into the same arguments with your loved ones every day and living in constant misunderstanding with each other, I encourage you to take heart. Family therapy can help each of you work through your individual pain and breathe new life into your relationships. To get started, you can call me at 732-314-7170 for a free, 15-minute phone consultation. You can also email me. 

I am based in New Jersey, USA and work virtually around the world. All my family therapy sessions are online. Since working remotely, my clients have told me that the stress of getting to appointments on time is gone. Not needing babysitters or having to fight traffic is a great bonus of remote therapy. I hope to see you soon!

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