Family Counselling Services in Summerland, BC.

Family systems issues can both result from distress in relationships and precipitate distress. Support in addressing family issues can have a signifiacant positive impact on overall relationship functioning. The fact that relationships are one of our primary coping mechanisms multiplies the potential distress when family challenges are present as they impact the very mechanisms we use to cope.

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.

I have been a family counsellor for 25 yrs. I specialize in child/youth family counselling. Currently, I facilitate groups for youth that struggle with substance abuse and managing anger. My job in counsellling is to help family members identify difficulties they are experiencing and work toward resolving the underlying issues. Therapy teaches families to communicate more effectively. It's an opportunity to articulate needs, fears and find new ways to resolve anger and conflict. Family members will explore many areas such as unhealthy family patterns, boundaries, honesty, accountability and ways to bulid more closeness/connection.

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.

When I counsell families, I employ structural family therapy. This kind of treatment examines the internal dynamics, limits and power structures that exist within a family. It emphasizes that having direct conversations with your family members is the best way to bring about positive change. The core belief of this type of therapy is that families will find more productive ways to relate to one another, with the guidance of their therapist.

Few things feel as painful, or as hopeless as ongoing conflict within your own home and family. If you find yourselves stuck in frustrating “ruts”, fighting over the same things again and again, I can help you. Much damage can occur if communication goes wrong. It can drive very painful wedges between you and your own family members. The good news is, you do not have to stay in destructive communication cycles. Safe, healthy communication is not only possible, but doable. And as you develop it, you will soon realize that you are actually much closer to each other than you feel right now. Let me help you create a home that feels like the haven it is meant to be. Just contact me.

Families who are finding it difficult to communicate in a respectful and healthy way benefit from cognitive behavioural programs. Parents and their children learn how to be flexible in their thinking, manage their emotions and moderate their behaviour. Children learn their role in the family, how to stay out of the middle and how to cope with family stress.

Robin works with couples and families to build healthy communication skills and work through conflicts. Using a mixture of somatic experiencing therapy and emotionally focused couples therapy Robin can help you to effectively resolve long standing conflicts and relationship injuries. She has been couples and families since 2008. The tools that you will learn to communicate can help you navigate and resolve any conflicts in the future.

As the oldest of 7 kids, I know how complicated families can be! With so many different personalities and interests it can be hard to stay together as a united group. Family therapy is a structured form of counselling that helps give each member a space to speak and to be heard. By creating better communication patterns a more cohesive family begins to emerge.

Most family therapists inadvertently create more chaos through their well-intentioned efforts to assist a family move through a change process. Why? Brains are inherently deregulated (all of us, may I add) and most talking and dialoguing misses brain-centric problems that need more intensive help. Many times the emotional trauma created by years of solving problems ineffectively can wreak havoc on the brain's parasympathetic nervous system, not ever giving the family a break from flight or fight thinking. Contact us for an innovative neuroscience solution to family dysfunction. Kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

Family issues through-out the lifespan, including adjusting to parenting, parenting styles, single parenting, divorce, parent alienation, adoption, step parenting or blended families even empty nest for any family concern Sheila can provide an objective perspective to assist and support in resolving issues. Genograms, family sytems theory and emotion focused family therapy are all effective tools that can support families facing challenges. Family issues hit close to home and sometimes a rational outsider is necessary to bring an alternative fresh perspective.

My approach is centered on fostering open communication, understanding, and cohesion among family members. Recognizing the unique dynamics within familial relationships, I tailor interventions to address the complexities of diverse family structures. By emphasizing effective communication strategies, conflict resolution, and the cultivation of a supportive family environment, my goal is to strengthen the bonds that connect each family member. Through a collaborative process, clients benefit from developing practical tools to navigate challenges, build resilience, and foster a harmonious family life.

This type of therapy can help families cope with domestic violence, depression, inter-generational trauma, job loss and chronic illness. Together we take an integrative look at the impact of family dynamics, individual values, marital goals, and the cohesion of the family unit. We examine these factors to create a more productive team within the family unit itself.

A strong family should be the foundational block of a healthy life. However, that is easier said than done! As times change so do the realities of family life, the pressures and challenges become more complex. One constant principle however underlies the strength of family and that is the capacity to meet each other as individuals worthy of their space, their ideas, and their voice. The capacity to not only hear each other but to listen to each other. We hear with our ears but we listen with our heart and brain. This is the secret to the communication process that ensures good family relationships and is the focus of my family therapy process. Come chat and explore the possibilities!

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.

Family counselling focuses on fostering understanding and collaboration among all family members to address issues and improve dynamics. Family therapy involves working with the entire family unit to enhance communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen relationships. My approach is to create a safe and inclusive space where members can express their thoughts and feelings openly. We work to identify and address underlying patterns and challenges, develop practical problem-solving skills, and build a supportive family environment. This holistic approach helps families navigate difficult situations more effectively and promotes healthier, more connected relationships.

I specialize in problem behaviour with all children – especially those with learning, behavioural and developmental challenges (including ASD). I work with families in my West Kelowna office, on Zoom, and consult in schools. I also conduct intensive family intervention sessions. I am a Counsellor/Consultant who uses proven applied behaviour analysis and cognitive behaviour therapy techniques.

Family dynamics can be a complicated and sensitive balance within a home. This can be made increasingly complicated by divorce, blended families, individual parenting, spiritual values, health issues and much more. Counseling can provide family members a neutral voice and a place to be heard when fighting and arguing is impacting daily functioning and happiness, of one or more family members. We also help develop necessary tools to resolve conflict in a healthy way, bringing peace and harmony back to everyday lives.

In your family, do you feel stuck in a vicious cycle of hurt feelings, defensive words and reactions, and worry that things just might never change? Sometimes when we are triggered, we might do or say something we regret - toward the ones we love the most. Family therapy can help you to practice greater acceptance, empathy, accountability, and forgiveness so you can each grow individually, but still together, as a whole.