Family Therapy:

Areas of specialization include:

• Conflict
• Communication
• Parenting after experiencing childhood trauma or neglect
• Boundaries
• Separation and divorce
• Transitional periods  

The approach used in family therapy is mainly drawn from a model called Attachment Focused Family Therapy developed by psychologist, Dr. Daniel Hughes. This model focuses on creating an atmosphere where each family member feels that their feelings, thoughts, and intentions are understood and accepted by other members. Parents are supported to enhance their abilities to communicate empathy, acceptance, and curiosity to their child when they exhibit difficult behaviours or experience strong emotions. Parents learn how to set clear limits while maintaining a feeling of closeness within the parent-child relationship. This model has been shown to be an effective way to help improve children and youths’ mental health through improved family communication and conflict resolution and by increasing feelings of closeness between family members. Family therapy may consist of individual sessions with parents, joint parent-child sessions, individual sessions with children or youth, and/or sessions with all family members.