Introducing our new Los Angeles offices
We’re thrilled to be in our new Los Angeles digs at 6222 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200. More information on our location and parking can be found on our Locations page.
When to consider family therapy
It is normal for every family to go through difficult times. These difficult times often occur during times of change. Even positive changes can cause stress, as they alter longstanding family rules and patterns.
Every family has its own rules, its own ways of communicating, and its own patterns of functioning. When change occurs the family system is altered. Sometimes families are able to overcome the change and go back to a familiar and comfortable way of functioning. However, some changes are more difficult than others. Sometimes families need help getting back to normal ways of functioning, and sometimes families need help settling into a “new normal.”
Family therapy can help families struggling with changes to get back a way of functioning that feels comfortable for them. There are many different situations that can alter a family’s way of functioning. Here are some possibilities:
- Divorce or separation
- New relationships whether it be remarriages or the introduction of a new partner to the family
- Changes with employment (New jobs or unemployment
- Relocation to a new city
- Academic problems for children at school
- Bullying (Children being bullied or doing the bullying)
- Death or physical illness
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Deployment of one parent or spouse
- Children transitioning from home to college
When thinking about changes your family may have experienced it may be helpful to consider some questions. Have you or a family member:
- Experienced strong emotions that have lasted longer than 2 weeks?
- Experienced thoughts of hurting themselves or someone else?
- Had a difficult time focusing on everyday tasks at work or school?
- Felt unsure with how to handle the behavior of someone in your family?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be helpful for you to see a family therapist.
Remember, no one person is ever alone. Family therapy can provide your family with a safe environment where each member of your family will be heard and supported.
Written by Ashley Cherry. For more information about Ashley and her services, or to contact Ashley directly, click here.
Ashley Cherry, Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern #77483
Employed by Caldwell-Clark
Supervised by Aimee Clark, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #43736
Family roles in families with disabilities
Family roles help everyone know what is expected from them, and where they fit in to a family. When a family member has a disability or special needs, families often have to adjust their family roles. Parents often become caregivers, older children take on greater responsibility, and younger children can feel lost or neglected. These new roles are often necessary and adaptive. At the same time, the changes can lead to stress, frustration, and conflict. Clearly defining – and when necessary, redefining – roles and responsibilities can help families create order and structure in what can seem like chaos.
When rearranging family roles, it is very important for family members to communicate clearly. This is the time to talk about what is to be expected from each family member, and how it feels to take on those expectations. Giving each family member the responsibility for meeting one specific care need can be a healthy way to divide responsibilities. Some common care needs are creating a daily routine, diet and exercise, entertainment, education, transportation, and finances.
It is also important to think about who will be responsible for what within the newly arranged roles. Even daily routines may need to change: fixing and eating dinner, cleaning and related household chores, transporting kids to school and events, and grocery shopping are just some of the responsibilities that may be changing hands. Think about how recreational activities and time together may change. You may have less time for the things you used to enjoy doing as a family like taking vacations, going on hikes, or even relaxing and watching a movie.
As new roles and rules are developed, it can be helpful to keep in mind that they often are not permanent. Any family with growing children, regardless of disability, will shift roles and responsibilities regularly as the children grow and as the parents’ lives changes. Negotiating and adjusting family roles is best thought of as a continual work in progress, not something that is done once and then checked off the list. Working together as a family is the best way to plan for what will work best for everyone.
Written by Jeff Liebert, MA. Jeff has specific experience working with families of disabled and special needs children.
Jeff Liebert, Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern #83284
Employed by Caldwell-Clark
Supervised by Ben Caldwell, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #42723
Healthy Holidays
It’s finally time to relax and recover from a long year of hard work. For many, the holidays are a reason to celebrate relationships, exchange heartfelt gifts and eat delicious foods… lots and lots of delicious homemade foods. Ham, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and then there’s the desserts. Oh, the desserts!
The problem for many comes after all the eating, when they look down at the scale and realize they are a lot less healthy than they remember. Unfortunately, those bad effects of unhealthy eating can be much bigger than just the numbers on the scale! Beyond physical problems, unhealthy eating has been shown to have dramatic effects on mental health. Research by Prince et al. has shown that obesity, along with many other health conditions, increases the risk for mental disorders like anxiety or depression. Interestingly, the researchers also found that mental disorders increase risk for diseases like the flu or infections (2007). Similar research has demonstrated that obesity can have very negative effects body image, self-esteem, and personal relationships (Devlin, Yanovski & Wilson, 2000). This means that the type of food you are eating, and how much you eat, can affect much more than just your weight.
What’s even more troubling is that this problem is even bigger for those with developmental disabilities. Individuals with developmental disabilities have been shown to be at greater risk for obesity and physical health complications than the general public (Rubin, Rimmer, Chicoine, Braddock. & McGuire, 1998). To make things more complicated, these individuals often struggle with food allergies meaning severe dietary restrictions and strict eating schedules… And we all know how hard it can be to stick to an eating schedule around the holidays!
Fortunately, there is hope.
A few big meals at a festive time of year are not likely to do significant damage to your mental health (even though the planning for them might). What matters is the overall picture of what, and how, we eat. Research has shown that making improvements in diet has benefits in mental health (Jacka et al., 2011) on top of the well-known physical benefits. By eating more vegetables, less desserts, and overall smaller portions, you can help keep both your body and mind healthy.
References
Devlin, M., Yanovski, S., & Wilson, T. (2000). Obesity: What Mental Health Professionals Need to Know. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(6), 854-866. Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.157.6.854
Jacka FN, Kremer PJ, Berk M, de Silva-Sanigorski AM, Moodie M, et al. (2011) A Prospective Study of Diet Quality and Mental Health in Adolescents. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24805. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024805
Prince, M., Patel, V., Saxena, S., Maj, M., Maselko, J., Phillips, M., & Rahman, A. (2007). No Health Without Physical Health. The Lancet, 37(9590), 859-877.
Stephen S. Rubin, James H. Rimmer, Brian Chicoine, David Braddock, and Dennis E. McGuire (1998) Overweight Prevalence in Persons With Down Syndrome. Mental Retardation, 36(3), 175-181.
