Our approach · family therapy
Family therapy for older adults.
You, your spouse, your adult children, sometimes your siblings. The hard conversations made easier by having someone in the room whose job it is to keep the conversation safe.
What family therapy is
More than two people, one shared work.
Family therapy is psychotherapy where the unit being treated is the family, not just one person — though usually one person, the older adult, is at the center of why we're meeting. The goal is rarely to "fix" anyone. It's to help the family talk to each other about something that's gotten too hard to talk about alone.
Who's in the room varies. Sometimes it's a parent and one adult child. Sometimes it's a sibling group sorting out a caregiving plan. Sometimes it's a three-generation meeting where grandkids come too. We figure out the right configuration before we start, and we revisit it as the work shifts.
Who family therapy fits
When the conversation needs the wider room.
Caregiving conversations
Who does what. How decisions get made. The adult child who's doing too much and the one nobody can find. We help name it without blowing it up.
Role shifts
The parent who's becoming the patient. The child who's becoming the parent's advocate. These shifts are real and they're disorienting on every side of them.
End-of-life planning
What you want, what you don't, who needs to know. The conversations that don't happen at the kitchen table because somebody always changes the subject.
Sibling friction
Old patterns get loud when a parent's needs grow. Money, geography, who showed up and who didn't — we work with what's actually in the room.
Memory and cognitive change
A new diagnosis, the family figuring out how to talk about it, the older adult figuring out how to live with it. We hold all of that.
Long-standing rifts
Something that broke 20 years ago and never quite mended. Sometimes later life is the moment people are finally willing to look at it.
How it works
Practical, paced, human.
The first conversation
Usually a phone call with one family member to figure out who should come, what the goal is, and what's been tried. We don't load everyone into the room without a plan.
The first session
The agreed-on group meets. We hear from each person. We name what we're working on out loud so everyone's on the same page. Hybrid is common — some in the office, some on video — and we make it work.
How the work proceeds
Cadence varies more than in individual or couples work. Some families come weekly for a focused stretch; others meet every few weeks; some do a single intensive meeting and check in later. We design the pacing around your family's actual life.
Common questions
About family therapy.
Who comes to a family session?
It depends on the work. Sometimes it's the older adult and one adult child; sometimes it's a sibling group sorting out caregiving; sometimes it's a three-generation meeting. We talk it through before the first session and decide who's in the room.
What if family members live out of state?
Hybrid sessions are common — some family in the room, others on video. We can also run fully telehealth sessions when geography requires it. We'll set up the tech with whoever needs the help.
Does Medicare cover family therapy?
Family therapy that's clearly part of treating the older adult's diagnosis is often covered. We'll verify your specific plan and tell you what's covered and what's self-pay before we begin. Call (626) 354-6440 and we'll work it out.
What if my family doesn't all agree to come?
That's information, not a stop sign. Sometimes we meet with whoever's willing first, then add others later when they're ready. We don't pressure people into the room — but we can help shape the invitation.
Is family therapy the right starting point?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Many older adults start with individual therapy and add a family meeting later when something specific calls for it. We'll help you figure out the right entry point on the first call.
Other formats
If family work isn't quite the shape.
The conversation can be different.
You don't have to know who needs to come. We'll help you figure that out together.