Family Therapy Services in Vancouver: In-Person in Kitsilano and Online
We know that family relationships can be difficult to navigate and sometimes you need some extra support and help. We know that there are complicated relationships within one family system and it can be difficult to know where to start.
Family therapy can be flexible to meet your family’s needs and goals. Family therapists can take a variety of different approaches depending on the size of the family, the types of relationships that exist and the type of support the family is looking for. Our family counselling services in Vancouver and online are designed to help in navigating family dynamics and complexities within your family system. No matter the composition or origin of your family unit—whether connected by blood, choice, or circumstance—we welcome all configurations of family.
Whether you’re grappling with internal conflicts or seeking to improve communication, our flexible and accessible therapy solutions are tailored to your family’s unique needs and objectives.
What is Family Counselling?
You may be asking yourself “what is family therapy?”
Family therapy is a type of therapy that works with the whole family as a system to resolve conflicts, past hurts, and improve relationships and communication skills.
Family therapy can include all members of a family unit or even just some of them. For example, you may want to attend family therapy with just one parent in order to focus on that relationship. You could also attend family therapy with your sibling(s) or just one child.
Family therapy can be flexible in order to address the needs of your family. At times, your family therapist may choose to have a session with just you or just a member of your family in order to get a better understanding of what’s going on in your family unit. The goal is always to bring you and your family members together to work through conflicts with a safe mediator.
Who is Family Therapy for?
Family therapy is for anyone who wants to improve communication, resolve conflicts, or address challenges within their relationship dynamic. It can benefit families of all shapes and sizes, including:
- Nuclear families: Parents and children living together who may be struggling with communication, parenting challenges, or behavioural issues.
- Blended families: Families formed through remarriage, where children and stepparents are adjusting to new roles and relationships.
- Extended families: Grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other relatives living together or playing a significant role in the household dynamic.
- Families experiencing major life changes: Those going through transitions such as divorce, separation, loss of a loved one, or relocation may seek support in adjusting to new circumstances.
- Families with mental health challenges: When one or more family members are experiencing mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or addiction, family therapy can help everyone learn how to cope and support each other.
- Families with children or teens: Families with children dealing with behavioural problems, academic difficulties, or emotional issues can benefit from therapy to better understand and manage these challenges.
- Families with strained relationships: Those experiencing ongoing conflict, lack of communication, or emotional distance can work on rebuilding trust and understanding through therapy.
- Cultural or generational conflicts: Families struggling with differing values, cultural backgrounds, or generational gaps can benefit from family counselling to bridge misunderstandings.
Family therapy is designed to help group members better understand each other, resolve conflicts, and create healthier, more supportive relationships.
What are the Benefits of Family in Therapy?
There are many benefits of family attending therapy, as it helps families strengthen their relationships, improve communication, and resolve conflicts. Here are some key benefits:
Better communication: Family therapy helps members talk and listen to each other more effectively, reducing misunderstandings.
Stronger relationships: Therapy helps rebuild trust and improve connections between family members.
Conflict resolution: Families learn healthy ways to solve problems without arguments or ignoring each other.
More understanding: Therapy helps family members see things from each other’s point of view and understand their feelings better.
Support through changes: During life changes like divorce or moving, therapy offers support and helps families adjust.
Teamwork and problem-solving: Families learn to work together to solve problems and make decisions that benefit everyone.
Better parenting skills: Parents can learn new strategies to manage their children’s behavior in a positive way.
Improved mental health support: When one member has mental health challenges, therapy helps the whole family understand and support them.
These benefits lead to stronger, more resilient family relationships, creating a foundation for lasting emotional well-being and mutual support.
Family Therapy FAQ
We’ve answered some frequently asked questions about family therapy so you can know where to start as you embark on this journey of healing together.
Can we do family therapy if not everyone in our family wants to go to therapy?
Yes! There may be a wide variety of reasons why the whole family cannot attend therapy all together. Working on one part of your family system is known to help the whole family system change.
Family therapy is family therapy when there are two or more members of the family present. Family therapy is most effective when all parties who are attending are willing to be there.
Individual therapy within the family context can also be helpful in building healthy family boundaries, healing from trauma, and processing family healing processes.
How can family therapy help?
Common areas family counselling services can help with are: setting boundaries, improving communication skills, conflict resolution techniques, working through past hurts, improving future relationships, working with blended family challenges, coping with divorce or separation, parent-child relationship enhancement, sibling relationship support, generational patterns, intergenerational trauma, and grief. Oftentimes family therapy addresses a number of these areas all at once.
What if some members of my family are not in the same city?
We are so happy to offer virtual family therapy for this very reason. Counselling is regulated differently by province or territory and country. Depending on where the members of your family are you will need to chat with your counsellor to see if they are able to see all members of your family.
Will we have to talk about everything that has ever happened in our family?
You do not need to talk about the whole history of your family if you do not want to. Your family therapist will ask you what your goals are for therapy both individually and as a family to see how to best work with you and your family. If there are certain things that you do not feel comfortable discussing in therapy you can speak with your therapist about that and they will work with you to make therapy a safe and productive space.
What if we have different goals?
It is common that family members do have different goals coming into therapy. This is because each person has their own unique perspective and may feel more strongly about some issues than others. For example, one person may have the goal of better communication in the family and another person may want to heal a past hurt in family therapy. Sometimes these goals are different but related to the same cycle or problem and sometimes they are different.
Your family therapist will work with you all to see how you can each get your goals and needs met in counselling together.
What if someone in my family has been abusive?
Family therapy can support family members in healing from abuse together. This does not always mean that the abuser will be part of family therapy. If the abuse is no longer happening it is up to you if you would like to address it in therapy and if you would like that family member to be part of therapy. If there is currently abuse happening in your family it is important to share this with your therapist so they can support you in safety and healing. If there are minors involved in abuse it is ethically and legally mandated for the therapist to report this.
How will this be different than us just talking about it together?
Emotions can be overwhelming and difficult to manage when there have been historical and repeated hurts. Having a family therapist can help mediate and manage the emotions in the conversation so that you don’t have to. The therapist’s role is to facilitate healthy discussion, sharing, and exploration in the family as well as to teach new ways of interacting in the family. Your therapist is trained to handle conflict and see patterns emerge and is an objective third party which can be helpful.
Do you have online family therapy?
Yes! We have virtual family therapy using a safe and stable platform. This can be helpful if family members are unable to meet in the same place or at the same time, when individuals are not in the same location or are in a remote location. Some people also find it easier to discuss emotions when they aren’t in the same room as other family members. Remote family counselling is flexible and can make it easier for everyone to attend.
