lumenate
INTEGRATIVE
THERAPY
FAMILY THERAPY
Whether blended, single-parent, multi-ethnic, or traditional, families today are increasingly complex and vulnerable to division and disharmony.
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Relationships within families are among the strongest connections we have, and can also be the most troubling at times. When disharmony arises in our family it affects all members. When a family finds itself in conflict or struggling to connect, members may start to withdraw or argue instead of effectively communicating.
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Family therapy assesses and treats the needs of the family system as a whole. It is designed to repair disruptions, and misunderstandings, and work through difficult feelings in a safe space. The goal is to build trust, restore harmony, increase understanding, and open lines of communication in order to improve individual and family functioning. It can help family members build stronger relationships, improve communication, and manage conflicts. Family therapy gives each family member a chance to share his/her view of the problem and ideas for a solution.
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By improving how family members interact and relate to one another, therapy can help foster positive change within the family system. ​​
Benefits of Family Therapy
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Develop healthy boundaries
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Improve communication
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Define roles and expectations
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Improve family relationships
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Increase empathy and understanding
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Help family to focus on strengths
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Address dysfunctional interactions
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Improve problem-solving abilities
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Establish closer connections
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Identify positive coping strategies
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Improve ways to work together
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Increase and improve communication
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Build trust
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Encourage members to work together
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Improve parenting skills​
Our Approach
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We use a few approaches in our work with families, including Family Systems Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. With these two modalities, we help families work through communication blocks and negative patterns of interaction and develop new, more positive ways of relating to each other.
Our techniques focus on cultivating emotional awareness and connection, healing trauma and emotional wounds, assisting with major life changes, and improving communication and collaboration. Other specific techniques used in family therapy include learning to practice empathy, emotional validation, reflective listening, and reframing.
We work with what each family brings to the table and develop a treatment approach that respects their cultural values and meets their specific needs and goals.​​
Family therapy can be a valuable support for families who are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, disconnected, and unsure about how to move forward.
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Families may want to consider family therapy if they’re experiencing:
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Frequent misunderstandings and arguments
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Communication problems
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Difficulty expressing emotions
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Difficulty resolving conflict
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Blended family issues
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Parenting challenges
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Sibling conflict
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Divorce or separation
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Challenges with roles and boundaries
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Significant stress, overwhelm, or trauma
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Difficulty managing life transitions
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Mental health, substance use, or behavioral concerns
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LGBTQIA+ issues​​
What to Expect
When you come to Lumenate for family counseling, the first session will be with the whole family together. However, after this we will often see the family in multiple configurations. This means that during any one session we might work with the whole family together, the parents alone, the children alone, one member individually, or various other configurations. Doing this allows our therapists to address the needs of all the unique relationships within the family structure, and identify the best approach to support your family as a whole in creating lasting change.
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Family therapists may:
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Discuss each person's hopes for change
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Teach positive communication and conflict resolution skills
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Encourage each person to talk about their experiences
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Support members in listening to each other
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Clarify beliefs, values, needs, hopes to increase understanding
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Explore how everyone can work together to make positive changes
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Help people understand the impact of their words and behaviors
