Family Therapy in Mashpee, MA

Getting started with family therapy looks a little different than individual therapy. Before we begin joint sessions I like to meet with each person individually first. This gives everyone a chance to share their own perspective, their hopes for therapy and anything they might not feel comfortable saying in front of the other person right away. It also gives me a chance to get to know each of you separately before we come together. From there we will work together to figure out the best way to move forward. If you have questions about the process before reaching out, that is exactly what the free consultation call is for. We can talk through how it works, what to expect and whether it feels like a good fit.

I work with adults navigating difficult or strained relationships with a parent, adult child, or sibling. This might look like years of distance or conflict that has never been addressed, a relationship that was fractured by addiction, divorce or betrayal, or simply a dynamic that has always felt painful and you are finally ready to do something about it. 

I want to be transparent that I work with individuals navigating a difficult family relationship in their life or two people together. I do not work with full family groups. So if you are hoping to bring multiple family members into the room at once that is something we can talk through on a consultation call to figure out the best path forward for your situation.

It can and it does, but I want to be honest with you about what that means. Therapy cannot guarantee that a relationship will be fully repaired or that the other person will show up the way you hope they will. What therapy can do is give you a safe space to process your own feelings, get clear on what you actually want from this relationship, and have the conversations that have felt impossible to have on your own. Sometimes that leads to genuine repair and reconnection. Sometimes it leads to clarity about what is and is not possible. Either way most people find that therapy helps them feel less stuck, less burdened and more at peace with wherever things land.

Family therapy works best when both people come in with a shared goal. Not necessarily the same perspective, but a shared willingness to show up and do the work together. If you are still in the process of figuring out whether you want to invest in the relationship at all, individual therapy might be a better starting point. Working through your own thoughts and feelings first can give you the clarity you need before bringing another person into the room. 

Once you have done that work and feel ready to move forward together, that is exactly where family therapy can help. If you are not sure which direction makes sense for you, the free consultation call is a great place to figure that out.

There is no one size fits all answer to this because every relationship and every situation is different. Some people find that a focused number of sessions helps them have the conversations they need and move forward. Others find that the process takes longer especially when there is a lot of history to work through. 

What I can tell you is that we will not drag it out longer than it needs to be. Family therapy is goal focused and we will be working collaboratively toward something specific together. We will check in regularly about how things are feeling and whether we are moving in the right direction. And if you are not sure where to start, the free consultation call is a great place to figure that out together.