EFT Family Therapy in Asheville, NC and Boston, MA.
All services available online. Fully licensed in NC and MA.
You’re an adult struggling to connect with your parents in the way you’d like to.
Or, a parent of a teen feeling like you just don’t know your kid anymore.
Even families can get caught in “The Cycle”. EFT therapy for family therapy can help.
In Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for families, we will work to find out why your family gets stuck in. We’ll uncover what’s keeping you from having the relationship that you want. I specialize providing family therapy to families with adult or teenage children. As part of our process, I will help you learn tools to improve your communication with one another. Additionally, I will help you repair past hurts so you can finally move forward together.
Have questions about family therapy? I’ve got answers!
Q: “I’m an adult now. Should my relationship with my family get easier?”
A: When families are having trouble connecting or being close, it could be a few different things. Usually, it's related to unresolved feelings about past. These could be “emotional injuries” or “ruptures” in the relationship. And because families have been together for a long time, these feelings can go back a long time.
We know these types of injuries in relationships need to be fixed. If not, they will keep a relationship from growing and developing. Much like being frozen in time. Even when you are able to cope well in other areas, certain family members can bring out something in you. It can feel like you suddenly regress back to a younger self who doesn’t cope quite so well! Emotionally focused therapy for families has a road map to help families overcome these challenges. It can help them reconnect to have the kind of relationship they long to have.
Q: “How can EFT therapy help my family? I thought it was just for couples.”
A: EFT therapy used in family therapy is actually an area of specialization for EFT therapists. There is a great body of research and writing on the topic, with more coming out all the time. It works well with families because we see the same prominent styles of coping. Specifically “pursuing” and “withdrawing” styles. As a result, the very same “Cycle” emerges. In addition, emotionally focused therapy can help families because it has a guide for addressing previous wounds. It goes beyond just providing coping skills. EFT therapy for families hopes to actually unearthing the root causes of the cyclical issues. So that way you get results that really last! Explore this resource to learn more about EFT therapy.
Family therapy, just like couples counseling, is not about finding a “bad guy” to blame. It is about identifying your family’s unique cyclical pattern. This is so we can all work together to help to break out of it. We'll feel more respected and closer to one another. Your EFT therapist will guide your family through this journey.
Q: “What usually happens in family therapy? How does it work?
A: Part of family therapy is gathering everyone’s perspective. If we are all looking at an elephant in a room, we’re each going to describe it in slightly different ways based on where we are standing. The same goes for family issues.
Family therapy usually begins when I, your family therapy, meet with the person who is initiating the family therapy. Next I’ll meet with the other family member (or members) separately to hear their perspectives. Then we join together as a unit, with breakout sessions as needed.
Q: “I have a teenager. Does this approach work for them too?”
A: Absolutely. I find teens like EFT therapy a lot because they get to be active participants. They appreciate that the model doesn’t “blame” any one person for the problems.
“Paula has been phenomenal to work with for family therapy. Because of the global pandemic of 2020, we started meeting her in person, but the majority of our work has happened remotely over Zoom. I was skeptical at first, but the online therapy sessions have been incredibly helpful and productive in working through decades of ruptures in our relationships and starting to lay the foundation for healthy patterns of communication with those I love.
Two months ago, the thought of getting together with my extended family would bring on days of anxious preparations and arguments with my spouse leading up to the visit. After less than ten sessions, we are now in a place where we can approach family visits with a clean emotional slate and comparatively little emotional stress before and after. It feels like a new beginning! Therapy is hard work, but it’s also some of the most important work we can do. Paula, thanks for guiding along this path and helping us to get to a better place.”
— MC
Ready to Start Family Counseling in Asheville, North Carolina?
Family reunions and get togethers can be very awkward. It seems like everything is going well. . . until it isn't. You don't expect to have the same family dynamic as the Brady Bunch, but a little bonding would be nice. When you're to solve the problems that seem to be lingering underneath your family's surface, follow these steps:
1. Fill out an appointment request and let me know how I can help.
2. Get to know me as your new EFT therapist for family therapy.
3. Have a nice family gathering and enjoy quality time with your family.
Other Therapy Services Provided in North Carolina & Online Therapy in Massachusetts
We all go through things we aren't prepared for. Life has an interesting way of putting unexpected things in our path that change our plans. In recognition of that fact, I offer many different services to help you along the way. I provide services both online and in my counseling clinic in Asheville, NC. I am trained to provide EFT for couples and families, as well as pre-commitment counseling. In addition, I provide a unique perspective when working with LGBTQ couples. I can't wait to learn more about your story.