Family Therapy
Family life can become very complicated because everyone is unique.
Each person thinks and talks about things differently, and has different ideas, feelings, worries, and strengths. Changes happen either as a natural process, or sometimes for unexpected reasons. Some families find their own ways to manage these changes, and some families find it much harder, for all kinds of reasons.
Family therapy can help when you are feeling overwhelmed, sad and angry; when you are not sure what to do for the best; or when you feel stuck in repeating patterns of hurtful or harmful behaviour towards one another. Research shows that family therapy is particularly important for families with members who struggle with substance abuse, eating disorders, and other behavioural issues.
With professional support, people in close relationships can better understand and support each other. This process enables family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on family strengths, and work together to make useful changes in their relationships and their lives
Some positive family therapy outcomes are:
Strategies to develop and maintain boundaries
Increased sense of cohesion and communication among family members
Promotion of problem-solving through an understanding of family patterns and dynamics
Empathy and understanding
Reduced family conflict
Family therapists can see children and adults on their own, or with other family members. Sometimes they offer a mixture of individual and family appointments if they think that will be useful.
If you’re interested in learning about how I can help pull your family back together, contact me today for a free consultation.
Re-Thinking Parenting
Supporting you to support your child.
No one said parenting was easy. As part of growing up, children need to separate emotionally from parents, and that can happen in different (and challenging) ways. Hardly ever is this process smooth, but sometimes it is difficult to differentiate developing autonomy from what has turned into a more complex behaviour that needs to be addressed.
It may be that your child has been struggling with a mental illness; or that you have been struggling with one. But at the moment life has become overwhelming and you are at a loss on how to manage their emotions and your own.
It may be that on top of that, you and your partner are struggling to align ideas and values on how to raise the children, or how to address the present situation, which can lead to arguments and more isolation. You may feel that you don’t really have anyone to talk to because other people might judge you, or say unhelpful things, or they have their own issues to deal with.
I strive for balance in parenting philosophies; with so many approaches available, rigidly sticking to any single one when things get tough can decrease your options. I also believe parents shouldn't have to give up who they are, or their relationships because of parenting demands. Finding your own balance will help you be a better parent and partner.
In my experience, when parents talk to a specialist and address the underlying issues, they feel supported and empowered to start applying changes at home.
Some of the difficulties I can help you with are:
Excessive use of phone, internet, social media, or gaming
Isolation from the rest of the family
Social isolation
Mental illnesses
Parental mental health
Co-parenting after separation or divorce
Not respecting boundariesVerbal aggression towards siblings or adults
Physical aggression
Sibling rivalry
Use of drugs
Peer dependency and pressure
School concerns
Eating Disorders
Issues deriving from bi-cultural, separated, or reconstituted families
Whether you need some focused conversations for a specific problem or want to dive in deeper in understanding your parenting, you're in the right place!
Reach out today
(+64) 21 199 6774 | violeta.gaddum@gmail.com
Providing Online Therapy from New Zealand to the World
Face to Face Therapy in Cambridge, New Zealand
