- Are you dealing with behavior issues at home?
- Do difficulties with family decision making, or interacting with extended family create stress?
- Have you felt anxiety or self doubt about parenting, adoption, or blending your family with your partners?
Every family faces moments of change, times of loss, and the difficulties of coming together while growing as individuals. Families today have become more diverse, and the world places more demands on the family system from every direction. According to the last US Census, there are over half a million Gay & Lesbian households, close to 30% of them reported having children, the reality is probably much higher.
It is difficult to obtain an accurate count of families with same-sex, bisexual, polyamorous and gender diverse parents because many are not open about their sexual orientation due to fears of discrimination, such as loss of employment, loss of child custody, and anti gay sentiment. Additionally the census simply does not account for the full spectrum of orientation and identity. The many co-parenting and blended family complexities present for heterosexual parents are also present for non-heteronormative parents with the additional complexities of discrimination, stereotypes, and assumptions.
Children growing up with a single parent, have the same social and emotional stresses as children of gay and lesbian parents. Parent’s relationship concerns echo through the family regardless of the structure of the family tree. All families also have their own unique concerns, and every family has its own family dynamic. As a systemic therapist I believe that understanding and being open to learning your families unique qualities is the first step in successful family therapy.
While research indicates that children of non-heteronormative parents do not differ from other children in terms of emotional functioning, sexual orientation, behavioral adjustment, gender identity, learning and grade point averages, they do however show the same levels of emotional and psychosocial difficulties that bring children and families into counseling every day. Your unique family spends enough energy adapting to different types of family forms, the impact of social stigma on the family, and dealing with extended family members who may not be supportive of same-sex parenting, why not make sure your therapist is comfortable with you as you are.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is skilled at working with couples to enhance their relationships however they define them; open, monogamous, or polyamorous. I have applied the techniques of Emotionally Focused Therapy to couples and complex polyamorous relationships successfully and I look forward to being of service to your relationship. Common concerns we may work with in family therapy include:
- Marital and Relationship difficulties
- Coming of Age and the polarity between Authority and Independence
- Substance Abuse, Technology Use, and Addiction in the family system
- Adjusting to family change, including adoption, separation, or loss of a family member.
- Anger and Stress management
- Communication and the family system.
Additionally I have experience providing family therapy for unique problems and circumstances such as:
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity concerns within the family
- ADD/ADHD in children and parents
- Support for children in non-traditional families
- Children of Gay/Lesbian/Transgender parents
- Children growing up in polyamorous households
- Supporting children who grow up respecting diversity, consent and gender equality.