Family Counselling Services in Langley, BC.

Family can be our most stable, loving, caring and nurturing parts of our lives. When family issues come up, then our sense of well being can be thrown into turmoil. I have 16 years of experience working with families. If you are struggling with parenting issues with a child, teen, adult or extended family issues, then I can help. I work with the whole family or parts of a family system. Every family is unique and, therefore, a unique approach is required. I will work with you to access your insight and knowledge you possess to help your family. I have worked with families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Call me today to see how my services can ease struggles & tensions in your family.

Angela has been supporting families to work through challenges and increase their strengths for over 20 years! Her training and experience support families to address sudden crisis, trauma/loss, job loss, divorce/separation, conflict/violence, parent-child/teen relationship challenges, marital discord, serious illness & family caregiving, mental health concerns, communication difficulties & developmental disabilities. Begin to rebuild troubled relationships by discovering & building on your family's unique strengths and resources. Contact Angela today for your free consultation!

Family is a system, and when part of the system is separated, wounded, or isolated, the entire system is affected. Therefore, my approach focuses on improving interfamilial relationships, communication, and behaviour patterns in the family unit as a whole. I may focus on how family members function in different roles, such as partner, parent, or child. We may also explore how roles that have multiple overlapping identities, such as gender, sexuality, race, class, and religion and how these may affect the family unit. Each family member typically feels seen, heard, understood, and respected by members during and after family therapy.

Humans are social beings, we are wired to live and connect with other humans. The first humans we come into contact with are the families we grow up in. Using attachment theory, I work with clients to help understand where they came from and how this has shaped experiences with themselves, others, and how they see the world. Families are systems and it is important to view them in this way - whether I am working with one individual family member or multiple, I approach this work by continually understanding how one piece of the system affects the others.

When there is conflict within our family system it can feel heartbreaking and have major effects on each individual’s health and wellness. Finding harmony as a family ultimately comes down to finding effective ways to communicate and working to understand each other’s unique perspective. During family therapy sessions I seek to make sure each individual feels heard and understood by their family members by giving them the opportunity to express themselves in a safe space. From here we can build the skills necessary to express our needs and desires while maintaining everyone’s stated boundaries.

Families operate much like a watch. There are several systems working both individually and together, preforming a common task. When conflict or problems arise, it is important to take into consider all members of the system as the most effective approach relies on the strengths the family has as whole. Changes to the parenting dynamic will effect each child individually and as collective. Like wise one child's challenging behaviors will have rippling effects on the rest of the family. By addressing how the family works together and supporting the whole system, everyone benefits and becomes stronger.

Imagine a family as a tree with branches, roots, trunk representing parts of the immediate and extended family. When working with families, all elements are considered. Usually there is a request for family therapy due to one of it's members in crisis, often a child. However, when an analysis of need is done it becomes apparent that more than one member of the family needs help in adjusting, growing and learning new behaviours. Clients contact me for a variety of reasons: to improve communications, solve family problems, support in special situations such as death, divorce, marriage, illness, child or adolescent issues.

Most of my training has been in family therapy. I love having the opportunity of working with the whole family as it is often so productive and rewarding! I have training in several different modalities which provides me with the opportunity to mix and match as needed when trying to help families solve complicated issues! It is often much more effective working with the complete family rather than pieces of the family.

Despite the best intentions of ourselves and our family members, we are often tangled in patterns of invalidation, rejection, frustration and blame. It can feel so messy that we operate in a constant state of fear and a crippling sense of unworthiness. In 2008 I started my counselling career as a family therapist. A combination of individual and joint sessions will take place to allow the space for all voices to be respectfully heard, while helping to identify bigger ‘systems’ patterns that keep you stuck in pain and finger-pointing. I will help to smooth out communication, make room for wants and needs and to heal the old wounds holding you back from having a healthier relationship.

Like all relationships our relationships with our family members may require outside help to evolve alongside our own personal development. Our Adlerian understanding of families allow us to appreciate the experiences within a family system, like birth order and dynamics amongst various family members to better understand the work involved in improving the quality of those relationships. We strive to help clients feel warmly accepted and welcomed within their own families.

My hope for clients who are experiencing challenges in their family relationships is that they will create greater understanding and acceptance of one another. Clients will build healthy communication skills that will assist them in resolving current issues, as well as preventing future conflicts from occurring. It is my hope that each family member will develop a willingness to accept the uniqueness of the other members in the family, as well as a willingness to listen and understand one another. Through this process of learning how to come together with openness, each person will be affirmed that he/she matters and has a voice in the family.

Today family can mean different things to different people. Each family structure is challenged with their own set of difficulties and problems. Whether you are a blended family, single parent family due to divorce or loss, adoptive family, same sex parents, or traditional, we recognize family dynamics can be complicated. Together we will work to develop strong communication skills between each family member, while nurturing and solidifying the family unit. We will work to overcome conflict, heal the wounds of the past, build parenting skills and create a safe environment where all family members can be heard.

Olivia finds great fulfillment in helping families thrive in a variety of contexts, including parents and children of all ages, single-parent households, and step-families. She has worked with parents and young children, offering tailored insights and practical strategies to strengthen their connection and address challenges. Olivia also supports teens and adult children in navigating family dynamics, fostering understanding and communication across generations. Olivia’s holistic approach ensures every family member feels heard and supported, promoting growth, harmony, and resilience.