Therapy Format
Family Therapy
Help for families working through conflict, changing roles, parenting stress, and the relationships between parents and adult children.
Families at Every Stage
I have worked with families for decades: parents under strain, families with teenagers, and grown children and their parents finding new ways to relate. Everyone gets room to speak honestly and to be heard.
The same conversation may mean something different to each person in a family. I listen for those differences, as well as the hopes you share. We do not need everyone to agree about the problem before we can begin talking.
What Families Often Bring
- Talking that turns into hurt feelings or anger
- Different expectations about children, young or adult
- The stages of parenthood
- A hard year, a loss or a crisis the family is still recovering from
- Boundaries and respect between generations
- Caring for aging parents
Pages That May Fit
Relationship ConflictArguments that escalate instead of resolving, and closeness that has worn thin.
Grief and LossThe death of someone you love, or the end of a relationship, a role or a hope.
Later LifeMeaning, loss and growth in your sixties, seventies and nineties.- Life TransitionsNew relationships, parenting, a changing career, midlife and later life.
Parenting Under Strain
Parenting is stressful even when family life is going well. When things get complicated, parents need to pull together. I help parents get on the same page about what their children need and what they need from each other.
We can look at differences in expectations without making either parent the problem. The aim is a conversation that leaves room for cooperation, rather than another disagreement about who is right.
Parents and Adult Children
Roles change as children grow up. Old expectations can remain in place long after they stop fitting. We make room to discuss independence, respect and the responsibilities each person can realistically carry.
Repairing distance begins with hearing how it developed. I help families talk about what hurt and what they want now, while making room for each generation’s needs. We can consider boundaries without treating closeness and independence as opposites.
Safety first, then honesty.
Family sessions work when everyone feels safe enough to speak. I keep the room fair-minded and inclusive, helping people listen without turning a difficult conversation into another argument. We can slow down when someone feels unheard or overwhelmed.
How Family Sessions Work
Sessions are a conversation with practical work in it. Here is what that usually looks like.
How I WorkDeciding Who Comes
We decide together who comes. Sometimes part of the family meets first, so we can understand what needs attention before bringing more people into the conversation.
Understanding the Pattern
We get clear on how the family relates now and how each person wants to relate. I ask what happens before a conversation becomes hurtful.
Practicing Together
We practice new ways of talking and listening. I help you say what you need without losing sight of the person hearing it.
Taking Skills Home
We work on communication skills you can keep using at home. You can bring back the conversations that went differently and the ones that remained difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the whole family have to come?
Not always. We decide together who should attend, and sometimes part of the family meets first.
Do you see children on their own?
No. My practice focuses on adults, and family sessions are for adult family members, such as parents and their adult children.
Can family sessions be by video?
Yes. Telehealth is available to Washington State residents, including while you are traveling out of state. Each participant should be a Washington State resident.
Related Pages
Related Reading
Turning Fights Into Conversations
When a familiar argument starts again, I help partners slow the exchange and say what they need in a way the other person can hear.
Read the GuideMore to Explore
- Communication Skills
Read about practicing listening, expressing needs and navigating disagreement with David Johnson in couples and adult family therapy.
- Choosing a Therapy Format
Consider the different purposes of individual, couples and adult family therapy before deciding where to begin with David Johnson.
- Caregiving and Boundaries
Explore the responsibilities, expectations and personal limits that arise when you care for another adult.
- Boundaries in Adult Families
Consider how to express limits and expectations within adult family relationships while making room for different perspectives.
- Adult Parent and Child Relationships
Explore how expectations and roles can change between parents and their adult children, with space for both generations.