Family Conflict

As a specialist in working with family conflicts, you focus on helping families navigate and resolve disputes to restore harmony and improve relationships. I use evidence-based approaches such as family therapy and conflict resolution techniques to address communication issues, identify underlying problems, and foster mutual understanding.

I strive to help family members connect with one another emotionally, to help them understand the dynamics that keep them in unhelpful interaction patterns, and identify the intergenerational ways they have built their family story, both helpful and unhelpful. I have a particular interest in working with adult sibling relationships, which are underfocused on in the therapy field and contain their own unique experiences and dynamics.

As a family therapist I have dealt with family conflict and marital conflict of varying intensity. That has included families where conflict has led to violence and families dealing with issues of substance abuse and of infidelity. My background has included a number of years working with and consulting to programs working with families referred by social service departments .

I help clients navigate through conflict centering their values and helping them recognize system level dynamics so that can decide which patterns they would like to hold on to and which they would like to evolve.

Inner child work may help those experiencing interpersonal conflict. Inner child work helps explore unprocessed childhood emotions and feelings that currently impact one’s life and understanding, managing, and/or reducing triggers. One desire for inner child work may be to identify wounded areas and/or unmet needs of the child, learn to advocate, protect, or show compassion for the child, create a safe enough space to invite the child to play, and integrate the child with the adult self.

Whether you need support in coming out to your family as no longer religious, or navigating a fixed-faith marriage or partnership, becoming newly secular presents challenges which you might not have predicted. In many high control religions, religious groups and sects, you changing your mind about religion is just not allowed. So whether you are preparing yourself for conflict, are smack in the middle of it or are living in the aftermath, I can help.

Family relationships can be a source of both support and stress, especially when dealing with trauma, boundaries, or estrangement. I work with clients to navigate complex family dynamics, rebuild healthy communication, and address past wounds. Together, we’ll explore ways to foster connection, set boundaries, or find peace in situations where conflict may feel overwhelming.

My course of graduate study emphasized family systems. I then put this study to work with families and relationships who were experiencing distress. I have experience in a therapeutic capacity and in the capacity of a crisis worker reuniting families in lockout or runaway situations, meaning either the child has run away from home or the family has refused to allow the child to return. Having had experience in high-stress situations, I am comfortable working with any level of conflict.

Just because you are blood-related to someone, it does not give them a right to treat you poorly. We will explore family dynamics and relationships, and work to understand and change unhealthy communication patterns. We will work to build the confidence and skills you need to address these conflicts and feel more satisfied within your relationships.

Family Conflict can happen when family members have different views or beliefs that clash. Peaceful resolution depends on negotiation and respect for the other person’s point of view. Effect communication is key.

Making decisions about caring for an older parent, sibling, or other family member can be loaded with emotion and challenge. I love being a part of facilitating these hard (and necessary) conversations between family members. Whether it's focused on a move to residential care, or end-of-life decisions, I bring a calm, organized, gentle nudging presence to these conversations.

At my core, I am what is considered a family systems therapist which essentially means that I see my clients' behavioral and mental stressors as a byproduct of their family system. I utilize Structural Family Therapy and Bowenian Family Therapy as my lens when working with families. Most of my work with family units include parents with their teen children and adult children and their parents. My hope is to create a calm space to hear one another and build communication skills.

After working as a case manager for families at Bluebonnet Trails, I am passionate in assisting families in building stronger connections. Families are the foundation of our lives and I believe that supporting that foundation can assist children in building a strong self-esteem, secure attachment, and a more regulated mental state. I offer family therapy to help build these skills and offer a safe space for families to express their needs and work through barriers.

Without realizing it, you and your family may all be seeing and trying to solve different parts of the same problem. You may have even begun mistakenly thinking that your loved ones (or you) ARE the problem. Families that haven’t “joined around the problem” experience something best described in the Indian parable, The Six Blind Men and the Elephant. My job is to help you see through each other’s eyes, so you can work together.

Growing up in a family with toxic dynamics can have profound effects on one’s emotional and psychological well-being. Families shape how we see ourselves, relate to others, and understand the world. When these early relationships are marked by criticism, neglect, manipulation, or control, they can leave long-lasting wounds that impact self-esteem, trust, and one’s ability to form healthy relationships. Together we can help you heal, build healthier boundaries, and foster self-compassion.

We offer child-centered play therapy, child parent relationship therapy, and parent child interaction therapy, as well as CBT/DBT/filial play therapy; MST and FFT approaches and interventions.

I have extensive experience helping adolescents and young adults navigate family conflict, process family trauma, and work through attachment issues. I understand how power dynamics and past familial experiences shape our relationships, and I support clients in managing conflict, setting boundaries, and fostering healthier connections. My expertise includes guiding clients through difficult family dynamics while helping them heal from past wounds and build more fulfilling relationships.

You are safe here. I get it. I'm an adult with ADHD and mom to five fabulous kids, four of whom also have ADHD and other neurodiversities. I've lived through chaos, self-doubt, massive insecurity, depression, anxiety and so much more on my journey to becoming an LMSW. You are not alone and you are not crazy. You have ADHD. I can help.

Struggling with relationships with family members, family or origin or someone close to you? Maybe you have a toxic or abusive family member? Family conflict can be distressing and make you feel alienated. Let me help you navigate these issues and create a plan so that you can have the peace and valuable relationships you deserve!