Our therapists provide family therapy in Austin, TX

When working with families in therapy, I explore how the dynamics and interactions of the family system contribute to presenting issues within the family unit. Communication skills development helps to improve understanding and connection among family members. Additionally, problem-solving and conflict resolution within the family system empower members to address challenges collaboratively and promote positive change.

I often teach the following tools when working with families

• Mindfulness meditation or mindful activity, which involves learning to notice when the mind drifts, letting go of thinking, and returning focus to a predetermined word, phrase, image action, or sensory experience.
• Cognitive reframing is used to explore alternative perspectives.
• Cognitive challenging helps clients to question their thoughts and beliefs in order to uncover patterns of thinking that are no longer helpful.
• Cognitive distraction gives clients the ability to move away from intrusive and unwanted thoughts.
• Sensation labeling is a mindfulness technique that assists with disrupting unwanted thinking by focusing on sensory input.
• Strategies for grief processing are used to observe, accept, experience, and release the chaos of emotions that accompany an experience of loss.
• Mental shield imagery develops skills in managing mirror neurons to reduce emotional reactivity to other people's emotions.
• Thinking strategies help address catastrophic thinking and increase confidence in dealing with undesired outcomes, should they arise.
• Positive communication skills such as reflective listening, “I” statements, nonviolent communications, and positive behavior support can decrease conflict and increase skills in collaboration.
• Motivation skills reduce procrastination and avoidance.
• Strategies for gaining acceptance of mistakes and letting go of shame and guilt.
• Task partialization to reduce overwhelm and procrastination.
• Imagery and relaxation strategies for pain management and reduction of medical anxiety.

I check in with the family about their progress with their goals and the improvements they are seeing in their symptoms at the beginning of every session before focusing on individual time with the client. Meaningful progress is evident as the list of progress and successes gets longer and the list of challenges gets shorter.

Clients' efforts to implement the skills they are learning and the goals that they set between sessions are essential to making progress in therapy. Family efforts to support each other as everyone is learning new positive strategies for interaction further facilitate the family's progress.

I reserve the first session for fully exploring the parent’s concerns. They can prepare for therapy by thinking about what they want their child to achieve, in addition to what it is they want to move away from.