Family Counselling Services in Lumsden, SK.

Positive relationships in a family can be important tool in preparing children for a life of relationships in the world outside of home. But, all of us struggle to keep those relationships positive. Differences in personality, styles and needs, create conflict. Personal issues and Marriage issues can complicate the dynamics even further. In many family systems, these dynamics can become very destructive and dysfunctional, harming children instead of preparing them for positive, meaningful relationships in the world out there. I can help you in the process of restoring your dysfunctional family system, through personal therapy, conflict management and family therapy.

Family therapy can be an invaluable resource when familial challenges arise. If your family grapples with understanding one another and navigating conflicts, family therapy offers a constructive path towards healthier relationships. In my practice, I employ Structural Family Therapy. This approach invites the entire family to examine their communication dynamics and interactions. Together we identify perceived problems, establish goals, and actively disrupt patterns that contribute to challenges. By replacing these patterns with healthier modes of communication and interaction, families can collaboratively create effective solutions.

When someone recognizes that a family member is unhappy, a compassionate response is therapy. Family Systems are complex and the reasons for offensive or inappropriate behaviour difficult to discern without professional help. Parents are responsible for the health and well being of minor children and included in consultation. The progressing maturity of a member may require a new, more or less encompassing relational dynamic. A child's problem-filled perception may invite us to work on refocusing to help forge new relationships. Our successful collaboration requires dependable and focused work outside the counselling office.

Sometimes families don't function well as a unit and may need to work on a combination of skills such as better communication with or understanding of the other family member. Counselling can help families change to improve how the family system works through a combination of education, narrative restructuring, communication skill development and behavior changes.

Family issues are commonplace when one or more of the parents is/are controlling or inflexible/black and white in their approach. Therapy that promotes acceptance and mindfulness strategies along with commitment and behavioural change strategies have been found to increase the psychological flexibility of the parents, which benefits the system as a whole, and promotes good relations at all levels in the family. This is especially important for parents of special needs children, as the parents will benefit from interventions that help them manage their stress in relation to their child's unique needs.

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.

As a counsellor, I work with adolescents and young adults, often involving the whole family and especially parents, which can be important in addressing particular issues facing the adolescent or the entire family. For example, this might mean facilitating improved communication or understanding within the family to support the adolescent in terms of their needs. In other instances, it might be beneficial to support the entire family in counselling if a problem, such as loss or trauma, has impacted all members of the family.

I have a wall hanging that says, "A family that eats together, stays together." When my children were young, I insisted every night we sit together at the dinner table for supper. I would ask them what their high, low, and funny of the day was. Now that my children are adults, when we share dinner, I am quite comfortable with just sitting in the living room, eating, and watching the news. My oldest son isn't fond of this new practice of ours! He grew accustomed to hearing how each of us were doing and being heard when telling his stories of the day. Our society is so fast paced that we don't spend enough time together listening and sharing with those who mean the most to us.