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I believe that much of our experiences with family and close relationships in early childhood through adolescence influence the ways we instinctively and intuitively navigate our relationships and the world around us. And, our adult experience of those same family relationships can be just as informative for the therapy process.
When we meet, we will talk about your family at one point or another and again at other points of our time working together...even if your original reason for seeking therapy may have nothing to do with your family of origin.
Blood-family, Chosen-family, Legal-family, Friend-family, and every other type of family... I'll want to get to know about it.
We'll start wherever feels most relevant and accessible for you, and explore other aspects of family as I get to know you more. Some questions related to the things we would discuss: 1) Who do you see as family, and how would you describe your relationship dynamics with each person? 2) Who was in your household when you were growing up? 3) Who raised you, took care of you, played with you, looked after you, etc, etc? It might be one person, multiple people, or maybe you feel you had to grow up all on your own.
All of these relationships are important and relevant because I believe they've each had an influence on the way you engage in relationships now (whether it's through recreating a familiar dynamic, shifting the dynamic to the opposite extreme, or somewhere in the middle).
In these conversations, I will be mindful of the various cultural dynamics, family generational cycles, environmental factors, and attachment experiences that play into your personal experiences. I will draw from family systems theories, attachment theory, brain science, and various therapy modalities as I conceptualize what you bring into session. And yes, I will share these insights and feedback with you so that we can explore further together.