Families and Young Adults

Families of Teens - The word teen was invented around the 1920’s when more than 10% of America’s youth began to graduate from high school instead of dropping out at the 8th grade to work on their parents’ farm. It was with this shift that a new age group emerged between childhood and adulthood called “teenagers”. Today teens are known for their emotional mood swings, challenging of authority and generally driving their parents crazy. When I work with families of teenagers I help parents to see that parenting a teen can either be like damming up a massive river or guiding its flow in a positive direction.

Empty Nest Families - Empty Nest Families can be everything from a young adult who is leaving home for the first time, to parents who are often reeling from no longer having kids in the home. When I work with Empty Nest Families I am often helping emerging young adults transition safely to the big wide world, while also helping parents to let their children leave the nest successfully. When a child grows up they begin to shrug off the shrouds of their parents’ care giving, and need a lot of support and direction as they discover who they are and who they are not.

Families with Special Needs - There are all kinds of children (young and older) who have special needs. Some have special needs when it comes to school and academics - whether its an IEP or a 504 plan. Others have special needs due to developmental disorders like Autism, ADHD or conduct issues. And some young adults have special needs due to diseases or medical conditions that have them wheelchair or bed bound. Families with special needs are constantly wrestling with issues that other families never have to deal with. They have to come up with solutions to problems that other people never face and they are constantly dealing with difficult emotions that others rarely feel. When I work with families with special needs I understand that there are not any quick fixes. When you are a family with special needs, life is like living in a hurricane. The storm is going to be around for a while, but that doesn’t mean you just give up. You learn how to get through each day, and you learn to celebrate the inches, not the miles.

Joint Custody Families - Nearly a third of families who are broken up by divorce engage in joint custody. It is quickly becoming the norm for two formally married individuals to move on from each other, while also continuing to raise the kid(s) they had while together. What can make these kinds of families even more complex is that one or both parents have decided to remarry and/or have more kids with a new spouse. Joint Custody Families have to navigate all kinds of challenges that other families do not, like combining two different perspectives on parenting without it turning into an all out tug-of-war, as well as letting go of old resentments from a divorce that are interfering with their ability to co-parent. When I work with families in a joint custody situation, I’m helping parents to see the bigger picture: they have kids to raise and they should let bygones be bygones. I often help Joint Custody Families develop structure and organization, and I usually play the role of negotiator, translator and mediator in the many differences of opinions that usually arise. I also work with the children and teens who are on a weekly basis navigating the challenges of two homes, two sets of parents, and oftentimes two sets of rules.

Single-Parent Families - Being a single parent family is by far one of the most difficult family types. These folks are ususally fulfilling their parental role as well as the role of the absent parent. The life of a single-parent family usually revolves around staying afloat and surviving, rather than having fun and thriving. When I work with single parents I help them bear the burden of playing both sides of the fence, as well as mitigate the impact of having to do it all on their own. I also help the parents and children to communicate better and heal from the high levels of stress and anxiety that often exist between them. Lastly, I meet with the children and teens as they navigate growing up without two parents, and all the unique challenges that come from the many different reasons for why they only have one parent.

Families with Adopted Children - Families with adopted children often deal with the triple A of challenges: attachment, attitude and attention. Adopted children, for various reasons, can experience significant issues with connecting with their caregivers. This is often heartbreaking for the caregivers and many times leave them feeling resentful and confused. Families with adopted children also deal with attitude and attention problems as well. The adopted child’s mind can often experience intense mood swings and a real lack of work ethic. When I work with families of adopted children, I am often helping parents to understand the wounds that being left behind by your biological parent creates psychologically, while also helping the adopted child to learn care, connection and consideration for their own life and those around them.

If you can believe it these 6 common family types only scratch the surface of how many different family systems I’ve worked with. Outside of these there are many other unique family types that I’ve had the privilege to help - such as Divorcing Families, Families dealing with Addiction, Blended Families and let us not forget: The Traditional Family!