This form of therapy is for those who are trying to create close and healthy family relationships yet feel that is being de-railed. We all need loving and supporting relationships in our lives in order to be our best, to function, and to feel good about ourselves out in the world.
Healthy child development happens in the midst of loving, safe and responsive family relationships.
In any family, unhealthy dynamics can arise between 2, 3 or all of the members. Hurts, ruptures, and conflict are a normal part of any family, however, when the conflict or emotional distance between family members becomes pronounced, or isn’t properly repaired, rifts can develop that undermine close and supportive relationships.
Therapists at YMU have trained in Emotionally Focused Family Therapy and/or have worked therapeutically with families throughout their entire careers. Any family can benefit from understanding the underlying patterns that might be getting in the way of feeling close, loved, approved-of, and supported.
We are working more and more with families with children and parents of all ages as the benefits of family therapy are becoming better understood. Adult children, sisters, brothers, grandparents – our extended families are a very vital part of our support network and healing ruptures with anyone in our family is important work.
Family therapy requires a flexible and responsive therapist to respond as necessary to the issues presented. Our practitioners cater the process to you and your family – we may see you all together and then do individual assessments of each member, or we may see each member first – whatever is appropriate. We may arrange for individual support for anyone in the family who is really struggling to help support their participation in the family therapy process.
Thankfully, in recent years, we have broken through the stereotypes of what a family “should” look like. In our practice, we work with a diverse range of families that were beautifully and uniquely formed.
“Hurts, ruptures and conflict are a normal part of any family, however when the conflict or emotional distance between family members becomes pronounced, or isn’t properly repaired, rifts can develop that undermine loving, supportive relationships.”
