Family Therapy in Vancouver
When communication has become difficult, conflict keeps resurfacing, or distance has grown between family members, it can be hard to know how to move forward.
I offer family therapy in Vancouver and online throughout BC to help families better understand one another, work through difficult dynamics and find healthier ways of relating.
When Family Relationships Become Difficult
Every family develops its own ways of communicating and responding to one another. Over time, we can fall into patterns that are difficult to recognize when we’re in them. The same disagreements may keep coming up, conversations may become tense or shut down altogether, or family members may begin to feel increasingly disconnected.
Relationships can also change as families move through different stages of life. The relationship between a parent and adult child is different from the one they had when the child was younger. Sibling relationships can change as people build their own lives and families.
Family counselling provides an opportunity to slow these interactions down and better understand what is happening between you. By making room for each person's experience, we can begin to identify the patterns that may be creating conflict or getting in the way of understanding one another.
Family Therapy May Help With:
Communication Difficulties
When conversations repeatedly become tense or unproductive, it can feel as though no one is really being heard. Family counselling can help you recognize communication patterns and approach difficult conversations differently.
Parent & Child Relationships
Relationships between parents and adult children can become complicated as roles, expectations and boundaries change. Therapy can help you better understand each other's experiences and work through unresolved conflict or hurt.
Sibling Relationships
Adult siblings can have very different experiences and perspectives within the same family. When conflict or distance develops, counselling can provide a place to explore those differences and the patterns affecting the relationship.
Family Estrangement
Estrangement can bring grief, anger, confusion, guilt, relief and many other emotions. I work with parents, adult children and siblings to better understand what has led to the distance and consider what moving forward might look like.
Recurring Conflict
Sometimes the subject of the disagreement changes, but the underlying pattern does not. Family therapy can help identify what keeps pulling you into the same conflicts and explore different ways of responding to one another.
Life Changes & Transitions
Major changes can shift family roles and relationships. Counselling can help families navigate changing circumstances, expectations and needs while making room for the different ways each person may be experiencing the transition.
My Approach to Family Counselling
Families are complex, and two people can experience the same relationship or event very differently. My role isn't to determine who is right or wrong. I want to understand the perspectives within your family and help you become more aware of the dynamics that may be contributing to conflict or distance.
I take a collaborative approach to counselling and draw upon the life experience, self-knowledge and resilience that each person brings. I listen with compassion and without judgment, but I won't simply sit back and listen. When I think it may be helpful, I'll offer perspective, direction or a gentle challenge.
As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, I bring 20 years of counselling experience to this work, including experience with parent-adult child relationships, adult siblings and family estrangement. My goal is to help families have difficult conversations with greater understanding and work toward changes that feel meaningful and realistic for the people involved.
When Family Relationships Become Estranged
Family estrangement can be an incredibly difficult experience, whether you're the person who has created distance or the person trying to understand why the relationship has changed.
I have experience working with both sides of parent-adult child estrangement, as well as estrangement between adult siblings. I offer a place to explore the dynamics that contributed to the estrangement, the impact it has had and what you would like the relationship to look like moving forward.
Reconciliation isn't necessarily the goal in every situation. Sometimes the work is about exploring whether repair is possible and what that might require. Other times, it may be about understanding and coming to terms with a relationship that cannot currently be repaired.
Family Therapy in Vancouver & Online Across BC
I offer in-person family therapy in Vancouver as well as online family therapy throughout BC. Online counselling can be particularly helpful for families when adult children, parents or siblings live in different communities, or when coordinating an in-person appointment is difficult. We can discuss who should participate in counselling and what format may be most helpful based on your family's circumstances and goals.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If your family is struggling with communication, conflict, distance or a relationship that has changed, counselling can provide an opportunity to better understand what's happening and consider a different way forward.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation where we can briefly discuss what is bringing you to family counselling and explore whether we're a good fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There isn't one approach to therapy that is best for every family. The right approach will depend on the relationships involved, the difficulties you're experiencing and what you hope to get from counselling. I take a collaborative approach and tailor our work to the people and relationships involved rather than assuming the same approach will work for every family.
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Not necessarily. Who participates in family counselling will depend on what is happening within your family and what you hope to work on. In some situations, it may make sense for several family members to participate, while in others the work may focus on a particular relationship.
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Yes. Family therapy isn't only for parents and young children. I work with adults navigating relationships with their parents, adult children and siblings.