Family Therapy
Ever wish you could hit the “reset button” on your family life?
This wasn’t the way you imagined it. You dreamed of family outings, dinners and vacations, playing board games together, doing movie nights.
What happened? You don’t know how it got this bad. Everyone in their corners, doing their own thing, headphones on, tensions high.
You wonder:
Why aren’t my kids listening to me?
Why don’t we spend time together as a family anymore?
Why does my partner/spouse always stick up for the kids and not me?
Why do I always feel like “the bad guy”?
Why can’t we all stop fighting with each other?
These questions need answers. That’s where I come in.
Who can I blame? It’s not me!
Every family I’ve worked with is caught up in a negative cycle of blame. Someone is always “the bad guy.”
You’ve probably heard yourself say, “If only my daughter would get off her phone, we wouldn’t have all of these family problems,” OR “If only my son would get his homework done, then there wouldn’t be all this fighting.”
Blaming gets us nowhere.
As a trained family therapist, I understand that problems in the family are not due to one member’s behavior. Problems in the family are caused and kept alive by the entire system.
How do I help you change this dynamic?
First, we identify goals that you have as a family. What are you hoping for? It may not look the same for everyone in the family, but you all get to weigh in.
Next, we identify this negative cycle hijacking your closeness as a family. With each family member, we explore their triggers, feelings, and behaviors that arise when they get swept up in the negative cycle.
We start replacing the negative cycle with a new, positive sequence of interactions.
We focus on what is working at home, make space to appreciate each other’s gifts and contributions to the family, establish ongoing family rituals to promote closeness, and create new solutions to old problems.
You leave my office feeling calm and connected, thinking this is too good to be true!
Ah, but it is true…
It’s time to change your negative pattern for good!
Let’s hit the reset button on your family life. I can start the process with you today.
Email caryn@carynmalkustherapy.com, call me at (240) 316-4673, or complete the form below to get started!