Family Counseling Services in Watsonville, CA.

Counseling for children and teens, is primarily accomplished within the context of family therapy, where mom, dad, siblings or others may be involved in various sessions. Families today find themselves facing issues that in past generations were nearly non-existent. With the divorce rate still raging at 50% for first marriages, and 70-80% for subsequent marriages, the American family unit is struggling. Divorce Recovery, Blending Families with step-parents and step-siblings of all sorts, Parenting Issues, and School Issues for the children, are just a few Family Therapy concerns. The goal here is to strengthen the family unit with bonding and security. See my webpage on Therapy/Family

Family is the foundation for a happy and healthy society. Family is important! That is why each time I work with a family (and that doesn't have to be every family member), I think of myself as contributing to society in a most profound way one family at a time. Family work is challenging, too. When I work with a family, I like to have as many family members possible in session, so I can see the interactions and family dynamics. Making little changes can bring about big results.

As a family therapist, trained in the modality of family systems, I work with the entire family and sometimes will see individual members, couples, the children, the teens and then bring all family members back together for joint sessions, depending on what will serve all the most at any given times. Often times families need to regain the trust and remember their love for one another which can be achieved through family sessions in which every one has a chance to speak honestly, respectfully and to be truly heard in a safe and comfortable environment with the help of a skilled therapist.

Family therapy can be highly effective for conflict resolution, healing relationships, and making clear agreements that work for everyone. Many families feel more connected during, as well as after, effective counseling. Family therapy is a safe place for each family member to express their views and experience without judgement. It is important to discuss the issues that "nobody talks about" and this enables each family member to be more authentic within their family as well as in other relationships (i.e., work, school, etc.).

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.

When working with children and youth, the therapist cannot ignore the family system in which the child lives. I work with parents in multiple ways to help support youth in treatment, which may include separate parent sessions, co-parenting sessions, systemic family therapy, or Filial Therapy, a play therapy practice that coaches and guides parents in special play sessions with their child to decrease unwanted behaviors, improve relationships and communication, increase the child's emotional vocabulary, and increase the child's self-esteem.

Families engaging in therapy with me will find a compassionate and strong leader who understands the profound stress that family conflicts and perpetual problems can create. My approach is centered on guiding families through their tensions and difficulties, providing a structured and supportive environment where each member feels heard and valued. By focusing on your family's unique dynamics and challenges, I facilitate open communication and collaboration, leading to practical and lasting solutions. Clients will leave with a renewed sense of connection and the tools to foster a more harmonious family life, turning seemingly insurmountable problems into opportunities for growth.

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.

Said one grieving mother, "Being estranged from your children and grandchildren is harder than surviving suicide. It's like experiencing a funeral, but they are not dead." Said another, "Many of my friends are excitedly anticipating visits from their relatives. They are shopping for them, planning meals and activities. I am truly happy for them. I want the same for myself, but I can't have it..." I work with parents and their adult children who have become estranged. My goal is to bring about reconciliation. If you have a need in this area, please feel free to call me to discuss your situation.