Family Counseling Services in West Covina, CA.

I specialize in working with families through a process of designing the family you've always wanted. When each family member is given the opportunity to describe what they need or like that helps them feel valued in family it becomes the beginning of lasting change. I help families design their system in such a way that produces happiness. I will take your family through a 6 step process of design which gives shape to the kind of family you would like to be in.

Every family has some sort of dysfunction since individuals are not perfect. I have worked for over ten years with youth and their families. I believe family therapy is essential when working with youth since children and adolescents have limited insight and need structure, guidance, and discipline from parents/caregivers. I begin the initial session meeting with the parents/caregivers to identify and discuss problems and confidentiality. I then meet with the youth/children with the parents to work on agreed treatment goals. The ultimate goal of family therapy is to increase open and respectful communication and improve parent/child relationships.

I use a family systems approach when working with families. I work with families in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It is suggested that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as a part of their family, as the family is an emotional unit. By working with families we can see patterns that are sometimes dysfunctional. Families who are able to see their dysfunction are able to make the changes that bring about healthy relationships within their unit.

Each member of your family has an important role that affects how your family functions. Sometimes it seems that even one person can cause most of the problems that a family experiences. Other families it may be hard to identify the cause of stress. In any case family issues can affect each individual in a powerful way causing anxiety, feelings of powerlessness, frustration and even hopelessness. Counseling can get at the root of the probllem(s) and provide affective strategies that will help your family communicate better, support and even appreciate each other more!

My approach in family therapy includes clarifying boundaries, strengthening parental leadership, enhancing coping skills and freeing family members from their entrenched defensive positions within the family structure. I also bring expertise in working with foster and adoptive families. I provide counseling for pre-adoptive and post-adoptive families, adoptive and birth parents, and children in attachment issues, developmental support, and healthy parenting.

Families enter therapy for different reasons. Many families are seeking help for an immediate problem or crisis, while others need support changing long standing negative patterns. Family therapy can be beneficial as, it provides opportunities to identify and build on strengths, improve communication, and better understand roles and dynamics that shape the family system. I have experience working with families in crisis and am skilled at assisting parents and children/adolescents increase positive communication and connectivity.

Are you having issues with a spouse, child, or relative? Do you feel like you can't communicate? Do you feel mistreated? Differences will always exit, but can be dealt with. You're not alone! We create a custom made system that fits your life to bring the greatest results.Call us now to see how we can help you repair your relationship and live happy.

Family relationships can be stressful and challenging. There may be anger, arguments, grief & loss, mental or physical illness, unresolved trauma, abuse, neglect, betrayal, financial or occupational challenges that create distress in the family system. Healthy family members have open, honest and compassionate communication. They hear, know and understand each other. They take responsibility and are accountable for their impact on each other. They show love and care through affection, attention, appreciation, being of service, spending quality time with and being there for each other. I guide you in developing the skills, qualities and habits needed to get your family to a better place!

When our relationship becomes unhappy, it always affects and impacts the entire family. Working with couples to improve the relationship is important but we cannot overlook the impact to the family. In family therapy we explore problems that have negatively impacted the family from wherever it has come. We will help each member of the family to understand what is happening, how it has impacted them and explore methods of adjustment and remediation. We will identify problems and work to resolve them.

Family therapy looks at the entire family system—parents, children, extended family members—to identify strengths and problematic behaviours. I collaborate with families on strategies for utilizing their own capabilities for resolving problems, and on developing effective communication and problem-solving skills for preventing conflicts. I specialize in working with families of teenagers, which is an age that can be challenging for both the teenagers and their parents.

Often times we don't realize the impact our birth families have on how we function on a day to day basis and the difficulties we face. Take this opportunity to explore the dynamics of your childhood, learn how your relationships with immediate and extended family members has impacted your approach to current relationships, work, changes in life and potential stressors.

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.

When a crisis hits it can be hard to know what to do. Family can be messy, my role is to help you and your family come together in a deeper more meaningful way. Not only will we be looking at the specifics of the conflict/situation at hand, we will also work on developing tools and strategies that uniquely meet the needs of you and your unique family's dynamic. If you feel we might be a good fit--I'd love to hear from you and see how I can be of support.

Families are the places where we should find the love and support to face the world and all its challenges. However, sometimes families loose their way due to poor communication and misunderstandings , anger, acting out behaviors, hurt feelings and lack of knowledge. Maya Angelou has said: "People do what they know; when they know better, they do better." My plan for families is to help them know better so they can do better. Where there is loving-kindness and a will to make change the future seems brighter.

Whether your family is struggling to communicate, fighting to stay together, or figuring out how to manage the pressures of a blended family, life with a newborn or divorced co-parenting, therapy can help. Having a safe, supportive environment where you can express your feelings freely and without judgment, work on developing healthy, compassionate communication skills and establish new relationship patterns can support you in suturing a fruitful and fulfilling reconnection. One of the primary focuses of my work is helping families work together, thrive and flourish.

Family therapy is the treatment of more than one member of a family at the same session, based on the idea that problems going on within the family can best be understood and corrected by observing the interaction of family members and identifying methods for improving their interrelationships. The behaviors of one member of the family affects the emotions, perceptions and behaviors of another member of the family. They are intertwined as something larger than themselves. Together, I will teach you a variety of tools that will help your family's interaction. For example, through reframing, we can often turn a negative experience into a positive one. Call me for a phone consultation to determine when we can meet to discuss your family issues.

Are you having difficulties in your family? Having difficulties navigating the communication process? Struggling with teens or young adults launching into adulthood? Blending two families? I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who can help you to navigate the process of being heard and being able to communicate in ways that can bring unity to your family.

Sometimes we feel as though the people that love us most don't listen to us or understand us. Family therapy is a way to be heard and ultimately understood. The approach that I take is to ensure that all members are being respectful of one another and not only listening to the other person but truly hearing them. The benefits of working together as a family is better communication, stronger feelings of closeness, and increased respect and support between loved ones.

Sometimes family members just can't seem to get along. Parents and children may experience a heightened amount of conflict turning the teen years; one parent may be too enmeshed with the kids, leaving the other one out; brothers and sisters may fight; new families don't blend as expected. Whatever the issue, family counseling can surely help. I will meet you all and examine each persons ability to solve problems and express thoughts and emotions. Together, we will work towards identifying the family's strengths and weaknesses in effort to overcome unhealthy ways of relating to each other. We will work towards improving communication and resolving conflicts in effort to bring you closer.

Each person in a family has a voice and each person in a family has an impact. I am careful to make certain that the family looks at all the members and how they all interact as a family unit. It is important that each member is respected. We look at how the family is not in a state of health due to choices that the family is making. We work together toward connection, understanding, and growth for all memebers. Unhealthy alliances and interactions are acknowledged.

In today’s culture, having children derived from more than one relationship is common. Divorce and remarriage can lead to a complex view of what is family. With these complexities come pressure, confusion, frustration, anxiety, and depression. These emotions can be experienced by any part of the family; the children, the father(s), or the mother(s) or even with extended family like the grandparents. Often these emotions are advanced as the lines of connection and boundaries are blurred or misunderstood. Counseling can help you to discover the importance of boundaries, understand the need for healthy relationships, and find balance.

Many times families need help to deal with struggles between them, or to get through difficult circumstances. Each relationship within a family is different from all others, and may need specific opportunities to express thoughts and feelings. Supportive and encouraging therapy may be just what is needed to remove blocks between family members so that the love can flow again. I often work with parent-adult child pairs or siblings, to clear up old misunderstandings, find ways to share more deeply, and strengthen family connections.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist, my education, training, and experience has had an emphasis on the family system. When working with families, a focus on the structure of the family, roles, rules, boundaries, and communication are areas included in our work together. Families of origin, extended families, and blended families can participate in family therapy and I find it beneficial when we can include all involved so everyone has a voice.

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.

Family Therapy is essential when a family is unbalanced and in need of guidance on how to become a family unit with a healthier structure. Working with a therapist you will be able to validate each family members desires, discuss family goals and improve communication skills to continue using even after therapy ends. Family therapy is not only essential to the family unit but for each individual to be able to feel important and included in family decisions.