Family is often quoted as being one of the top five “most important” things listed in an individual’s life.  And, while you certainly didn’t ask for them, you can’t trade them. Out of the billions of human beings on our planet, they  will have some of the greatest imprints on our  lives.  But families are complicated. For all the  love that is present in a family, these deep  relationships can carry lots of baggage and hurt  as well.  Poor communication, changes in the  family unit, and the stress of daily life can test  even the strongest of families.  There are many  challenges facing families today and it can be a daunting task to balance individual needs with that of the family unit.  Unfortunately, when families suffer it can leave lifelong scars.

At Bridges Family Center, family is our middle name! We recognize these challenges and it is our mission to help families find deep connections with one another, healthy communication, and joy. Family Therapy provides an opportunity for your family to work with a counselor to improve communication, identify areas of strength and weakness, and improve family relationships.  Each counseling experience is unique, just as every family is unique.  What happens in a counseling session depends on contributions of the family seeking help.  We utilize an eclectic model of therapy, drawing upon various theories of person centered theory, cognitive behavioral theory, attachment theory, and family systems theory.

At your first appointment, you and your family will participate in an intake session together. This intake allows the counselor an opportunity to learn about specific issues affecting family functioning along with understanding their impact on each member.  At the completion of your intake, you will work with your counselor to develop specific goals for counseling.  Each session will give your family the opportunity to work toward achieving your goals.  These goals will be unique to your family’s needs and may provide that some members are seen individually, in dyads, or altogether.

There are a multiplicity of reasons that families may seek counseling but some of the most common are as follows:  frequent arguments, divorce, blending families, one or more members suffer from a mental illness or substance abuse, death of a family member, past trauma, domestic violence, victim of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.