FAMILY AND MARITAL THERAPY

It is important in the resolution of family crisis to understand the family as a system in order to deals with issues involving both the family system as well as the marital dyad. These include children, parents, in-laws and extended family members. Counseling a family and marital system in crisis or a relational conflict between children is the focus of most family therapy. It is usually focused on parental concerns for children or adolescents as opposed to relationship therapy where the focus is on the relational dyad. Children become the receptacles of systemic crisis, becoming victims of child abuse, thus may take on the pain and distress associated with ongoing stressful situations and maladaptive relationship patterns in the family.

Family and marital issues change over time as the marital and family relationships move through stages of change and development. Sometimes Dr. Paul Standal needs to help family members, both children and adults, deal with unique issues like parent child relationships in blended and stepfamilies or adults communicating with their parents.

Dr. Standal works with children and adolescents individually, and with the family as a whole, when they begin to have mood or conduct disturbances.

He does family therapy with children and adolescents, particularly with substance use or other kinds of acting-out behaviors.

Dr. Standal’s therapeutic goals for the family and couples therapy are always to find strength, resilience and equity in the family.