You are so tired of hearing “I don’t know”. You are exhausted and at your wits end. You know they are trying but it isn’t working. Their grades are down, you wonder if they even have friends, and you heart literally is breaking from seeing them in so much pain. You don’t know where your little angel has gone. 

You’ve tried talking with them. You’ve talked with their school counselor, with their teachers, with other parents. You’ve read every parenting book you can get your hands on in an effort to see what you can do. But when you try to talk with them, when you try to actually change the dynamic that has built up, nothing gets through to them. At this point, even as the guilt eats you alive, your secretly relieved when they stay in their room. At least then you know where they are and you know that you can’t have another fight.

When you come into family therapy, we don’t create a list of rules and I don’t magically “fix” your kid. We spend our time talking about what is underneath all the behavior. We create space for your kid to remember that you are on their side. We create space for you to remember and witness how special they are. We move slowly so that trust is rebuilt on all sides. And sometimes that means changing how to parent but mostly it is about relaxing and celebrating and seeing who each of you are. 

They might not change. It might take a while before someone is willing to open up. All of you might worry that nothing will help. No matter what, I know you love each other and the work of therapy is to learn how to show each other that no matter what else is going on, no matter what needs to be forgiven or discussed. 

Together we start to heal the hurt and the anger and create a safe place to remember the love and fun and comfort that family represents