2SLGBTQIA+ Family Therapy
Family Therapy
Follow the structured road map of Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). Family members can experience new patterns of interaction together. Blocks to communication are processed to make way for clear expression of emotions.
We specialize in Family Therapy for parents and their 2SLGBTQIA+ children (teens, youth, young adults, and adults).
We also work with families who are coping with other challenges like:
- Anxiety
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Blended family structure (e.g. step-parents)
- Unique family structure (e.g. non-monogamy)
- Parent(s) with past trauma (abuse, CSA, etc.)
- Adult children who took on too much responsibility for parents (“parentified” role, eldest daughter role, etc.)
- Recovering from alcoholism or substance use
- Concerns about addiction or addictive behaviours
How does Family Therapy work?
Starting with an assessment period, we will get to know your family. We usually start by having a Family Session and Parent Session. We may meet with an Individual client or Siblings.
Once we have a sense of where your family is encountering blocks to your communication, we will choose session structures that work best to process those blocks.
In Stage 1 of treatment, we will ensure that caregivers feel well-supported and resourced. We know you want to hear and understand your child! We can help you find ways to do that in a way that leaves you feeling steady instead of being triggered by each other’s protective behaviours.
When we get to Stage 2 of treatment, we encourage children to open up to their parents.
You’ll find zero judgment here, only support for your culture, race, ethnicity, religious background, sexuality, sexual/relational orientation, & gender identity.
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) provides a clear map for family members with structured steps and stages to follow on the road to reconnection. Our first goals involve supporting parents so they can serve as a steady source of support for their children (whether those children are 16 or 36!). Your natural caregiving instinct is already present in every interaction; you may just need some help translating the intentions you have of love for your child. Often our protective responses get in the way; our desires for our children to feel loved and safe are why they are so strong.
The magic of EFFT happens during “engaged encounters”… Guided by the clinician in a structured way, children turn to their parent(s) and reveal their emotional reality once they are sure their caregiver(s) is/are ready to truly hear them. We move slowly towards spending more time in touch with emotions. This is one of the key reasons it’s recommended to use a 1.5 hour time frame for EFFT family sessions.
Through the EFT process, you should gain a deeper understanding of the attachment fears and primary emotions that are motivating your behaviour. We repeat the experiential exercises of expressing your emotions to each other again and again. The goal is for new patterns of interaction to become possible within the sessions and your everyday communication.
Ready for the next step?
Choose family therapy that works for you:
- In-person therapy in Ottawa West
- Daytime & evening appointments