Family Therapy in Woodland Hills
Help for Families Who Are Struggling
Maybe the same argument keeps happening on a loop. Maybe your teenager has stopped talking to you altogether, or the tension in the house feels bigger than any one issue you could point to. You have probably already tried to talk it through on your own, and it is not sticking.
At Child & Teen Counseling, we work with families throughout Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, West Hills, Reseda, Van Nuys, and the rest of the West San Fernando Valley to rebuild communication and connection, one conversation at a time.
Why Family Therapy Works
We only see your child for an hour or two a week. Your family has them for the rest of their life, which is exactly why the work has to include everyone, not just the person who seems to be struggling the most. A lot of what looks like a “kid problem” is really a communication problem. Children are still developing the words for what they feel, and parents often bring their own history into the room without realizing it. When we work with the whole family, we can help everyone get on the same page, not just talk about getting there.
View Video transcript
Family therapy helps bridge gaps between people in relationship with one another: parents, children, couples. It can help smooth over the places where these relationships get stuck. Families want to be heard, every member in the family wants to be heard, and sometimes you just need a third party to help everyone hear each other.
Family therapy is not a space for passing judgment or picking sides. It’s the opposite of that. It’s a space where everyone can bring in what they want to say, have a seat, and be able to say it, and also be able to be heard. The therapist’s role is to help facilitate that, and then find common ground so we can minimize conflict and misunderstanding.
It’s not scary. It’s ultimately there for the benefit of everyone in that room, and you will not be made to say or do anything you don’t want to. We move at the pace that feels right for everyone in the room. It’s okay to be nervous. It’s hard to imagine standing your own ground sometimes and saying the things you want to say, but we won’t move faster than when you’re ready. And once we do, you have an advocate in the room to help you communicate what you want to say, and make sure you get to hear what your family wants to say too.
If this sounds interesting to you and you’re curious to know more, feel free to give us a call. We’ll give you a free consultation on what family therapy is, what it would look like, and talk about what it would look like specifically for your family.
What a Family Therapy Session Looks Like
We do not walk into a family session with a script. Every family is different, and trying to force one into a fixed format usually means someone in the room loses the chance to say what they came to say. Our job is to be an ally to everyone at the table, not just one person, which means the first session or two can feel a little unstructured. That is normal, and it is often a sign that old patterns are starting to shift before a new, steadier way of relating takes hold. From there, we make sure everyone gets a chance to be heard, while keeping the conversation from going off the rails.
Is Family Therapy Right for Your Family?
View Video transcript
Family therapy can help kids and teens in many different ways. The biggest one that
comes to mind for me is this idea that if I’m working with a kid, I see them usually once a week,
one 50-minute session a week, and in the grand scheme of their life, that’s not a whole lot. You
know, we can do a lot of work together in session. We can, you know, give them a lot of tools. They
can have a lot of growth, but when they’re back to their regular life in the real world, not that
much can really change, at least, you know, maybe at the pace we want. Whereas if we’re bringing
the family in and we can work on different kinds of communication and ways that the family can
show up for their kids or help their kids or make changes in that system that can then help the
kids, you know, with their growth or make the changes, whatever it might be, then that leads
us to more, like, stable long-term growth and development and, like, helps the kids have more
support and have kind of, like, that village around them versus just, you know, an hour with me or another clinician every week.
Parents are often surprised by how ready their kids are to try this. In our experience, real hesitation is rare. Most parents are eager to get involved once we bring it up, and any reluctance can actually tell us something useful. For hesitant teens especially, we are upfront: we are not in the room to build a case against them with their parents, we are there to advocate for them just as much as anyone else.
Every family situation is different, too. Divorce and co-parenting arrangements, for example, often call for more structure than a typical family session, since we cannot assume everyone in the room is starting from the same page. Wherever your family is starting from, we adjust to meet you there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does everyone in the family need to attend every session?
Not necessarily. Family therapy can include parents, siblings, grandparents, or anyone else involved in raising a child, depending on what the family needs. Sessions can also happen with just one parent, or one parent and child, when that makes more sense.
What if my child or teen doesn't want to participate?
That is common, and we do not force it. We will talk with you about the best way to bring them in, and in some cases we start with a parent only session first.
Does family therapy work differently for divorced or separated parents?
Yes. These situations usually call for more structure, since we cannot assume everyone is starting from the same page. We adjust our approach so your child still has a space that feels steady and safe, rather than caught in the middle.
How long does family therapy typically take?
Every family is different, so there is no set timeline. What matters most is consistency. We typically recommend meeting weekly to give the work a real chance to take hold.
Affordable Child Therapy Serving the West San Fernando Valley
Child & Teen Counseling is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which means our mission is your child’s wellbeing, not a bottom line. We believe every family in the San Fernando Valley deserves access to quality mental health care, and we structure our fees to reflect that. We are a cash-pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. If cost is a concern for your family, please reach out anyway — we will do our best to find an arrangement that works.
Our office is located at 5550 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Suite 150 in Woodland Hills, with easy access for families in Canoga Park, West Hills, Reseda, Van Nuys, Winnetka, and surrounding communities. We also offer virtual therapy sessions for families who prefer to meet from home.
