Family Therapy

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to address specific issues that affect the psychological health of the family.

In family therapy, family can be defined as any group of people that call themselves family including parents, children, grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, friends, or caregivers.

Strengthening Families Through Understanding and Support

It can be particularly beneficial when families are feeling overwhelmed or facing challenges such as:

The term co-parenting describes a relationship in which two parents are no longer romantically involved, but assume joint responsibility for parenting the child. Often co-parenting occurs following a separation, divorce , or breakup of a partnership in which children are involved.

When co-parenting, both parents choose to put aside personal differences in order to support their child’s development.

Co-parenting often provides the following benefits: 

• Stability 
• Limiting a child from feeling like they need to be a parent to themselves 
• Providing a framework to teach children how to have healthy relationships 
• Teaching conflict resolution and problem solving skills 

However, co-parenting can be an extremely difficult process as it is greatly influenced by the interactions between each parent. Co-parenting requires empathy, patience, and communication in order to be successful. 

If you are thinking of engaging in a co-parenting relationship or are having difficulty managing co-parenting, consider contacting us to see how we can help!

Codependency is characterized by a dysfunctional and often one-sided relationship, in which one partner relies on the other for meeting all of their emotional needs. It is an emotional condition that impacts a person’s ability to have a healthy relationship. Codependency is often rooted in a person’s childhood or learning these behaviours from other family members. 

Symptoms of a codependency can include: 

• Low self-esteem
• People-pleasing 
• Blurred or weak boundaries
• Exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others 
• Being reactive 
• Caretaking or putting others needs ahead of your own 
• Having an unhealthy dependence on relationships 
• Needing to control others 
• Dysfunctional communication 
• Being obsessive 
• Dependency, or fear of being rejected or abandoned 
• Denial of any problems in the relationship 
• Difficulty with intimacy and vulnerability 
• An extreme need for approval or recognition 
• Experiencing anxiety, anger, depression, and hopelessness 

How is codependency treated? 

Treatment for codependency often includes exploring an individual's childhood to address early beliefs that may be contributing to their current behaviors. Additionally, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help individuals to challenge destructive beliefs and improve self-esteem.

If you or someone you know is struggling with codependency, contact us to see how we can help.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a treatment approach that focuses on current relationships and interpersonal events that contribute to psychological difficulties. IPT is based on the understanding that relationships are fundamental to our wellbeing and that we live in a very social world. A central idea in IPT is that psychological difficulties can often be understood as a response to difficulties in our relationships with others. IPT typically focuses on key issues in one of the following areas: 

• Recent life changes or transitions (e.g. divorce , separation, marriage, job loss, graduation, childbirth, moving) 
•  Conflicts with others (e.g. intimate relationships, friendships, family, or work relationships) which may be source of tension and distress 
•  Grief and/loss (e.g. death, illness, miscarriage , infertility )
•  Difficulty in starting or sustaining relationships 

During IPT, individuals are helped to explore, identify, and process thoughts and feelings that are specifically related to relationships. The goal of IPT is to create awareness about expectations, needs, communication, and any problematic behaviors within relationships. 

If you or your children are having difficulty coping with a divorce, contact us for a free 15 minute consultation to see how we can help. 

Most people will have a strong desire to have a child at some point in their lives. However, many couples struggle to make this a reality. Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive a child for a least a year, despite many attempts to become pregnant. Both women and men can contribute to the infertility of a couple. Although infertility is a physiological problem, it can take a toll on one’s psychological health. Typical reactions to infertility can include shock, grief , depression , anger , frustration, isolation, and anxiety , as well as loss of self-esteem and self-confidence. Infertility can also have negative effects on the couple relationship. Additionally, ongoing stress can contribute to infertility. 

Psychotherapy can help individuals cope with the grief and loss resulting from infertility as well as to help relieve anxiety or depression . Specifically, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help individuals to address their beliefs surrounding infertility as well as increase self-esteem . 

If you are currently struggling with infertility, consider contacting us to see how we can help you through this journey psychologically.

A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. Unfortunately, miscarriage is a relatively common experience. However, this does not make it any easier. 

Miscarriage can be seen as a traumatic loss and can lead to depression, anxiety, and postpartum mood disorder. After a miscarriage, women may experience any of the following symptoms: 

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be effective in helping individuals address their thoughts regarding the miscarriage and learn ways to cope with how they difficult feelings. 

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or finding it overwhelming to handle, contact us for a free 15 minute consultation to see how we can help.

Sexual dysfunction occurs when an individual has a problem that prevents them from either wanting or enjoying sexual activity. Stress is one common cause of sexual dysfunction. Other causes may include: 

• Sexual trauma
• Psychological issues such as depression or anxiety 
• Substance use 
• Alcohol use 
• Diabetes 
• Heart disease or other medical conditions 
• The use of certain medications 

There are four categories of sexual dysfunction: 

• Desire: having little or no interest in sexual relations on an ongoing basis 
• Arousal: being emotionally in the mood but unable to get aroused 
• Orgasm: being emotionally in the mood but having an inability to climax 
• Pain: having pain during intercourse 

While sexual dysfunction is a common problem, it is a topic that many people are hesitant to discuss. Sexual dysfunction can also lead to mental health problems including stress , depression , or anxiety.