Family Therapy for Adults in Pasadena

Family therapy offers a supportive space to navigate the complexities of adult family relationships. Whether you’re working to heal long-standing patterns with a parent, strengthen communication with a sibling, or repair intergenerational wounds, this process can help your family move toward deeper connection, understanding, and trust.

Healing Intergenerational Patterns

You might find yourself dreading phone calls with your parent, feeling like every conversation or holiday gathering turns into a fight or silence. Maybe your sibling shuts down every time you try to bring up the past, or you carry a lingering ache from never feeling truly understood in your family.

Sometimes, old wounds resurface in unexpected ways: a comment at dinner that cuts deeper than it should, a sense of guilt that won’t go away, or the feeling of being cast into a role you’ve long outgrown. You may want closeness, but not at the cost of your boundaries or emotional well-being.

Family therapy for adults can offer a space to explore these complexities and to name what’s been unspoken, shift entrenched patterns, and move toward something more honest and connected.

My Approach to Family Therapy

I integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for families with a systems-oriented lens, helping each family member feel safer to show up with honesty, vulnerability, and curiosity.

Together, we’ll work to:

  • Identify and interrupt stuck interaction patterns
  • Explore unmet attachment needs and emotional injuries
  • Rebuild trust through new experiences of connection
  • Strengthen boundaries and clarify roles
  • Create space for accountability, repair, and renewed closeness

I don’t take sides or assign blame. Instead, I support each person in understanding how their experiences and emotions are shaped by the larger family system, and how the system can begin to change together.

A Note on Readiness

Family therapy with adults can be emotionally activating, especially when painful histories or ruptures are present. For this work to be effective, all members must be willing to engage, reflect, and participate in the process.

If one or more family members are unsure about participating, I’m happy to explore other options, including individual therapy focused on navigating family dynamics and healing independently.

Common Configurations for Therapy

  • Parent + adult child (one-on-one or with additional family members)
  • Two or more adult siblings
  • Multi-generational family members (e.g., grandparent–parent–adult child)
  • Families navigating conflict around religion, identity, or life choices

Sessions are typically between 50 and 75 minutes and may alternate between full-family and partial-family configurations, depending on your needs.

Begin Family Therapy in Pasadena

If you’re ready to change the way your family relates, I invite you to reach out. We can explore whether this work feels like a good fit, and how to begin building a new way forward together.

Schedule a free 15-minute introductory call to see if we’re a good fit. I’d be honored to support you both.

Frequently Asked Questions – Family Therapy

Yes. Due to licensure regulations, I can only provide therapy to clients physically located in California at the time of each session. If your family members live in other states, I’m happy to discuss alternate options, such as individual work focused on family dynamics, or helping you locate a therapist licensed in multiple states.

Yes, as long as each participating family member is in California at the time of the session and has access to a confidential, stable environment. Some families choose to meet from different locations via secure video, which can be a helpful option for adult children and parents living apart.

Currently, my family therapy services are focused on adult family relationships only, including adult children, siblings, parents, and intergenerational dynamics. If you are looking for therapy that includes minors, I can help you find a trusted referral.

That’s okay. Therapy can still be helpful. While full-family participation allows for deeper relational change, I also offer individual therapy that focuses on healing from family pain and shifting your own role in the system, even if others aren’t ready to engage.

Most family sessions are between 50 and 75 minutes to allow time for multiple voices to be heard and explored. Depending on your needs, we may alternate between full-family sessions and smaller groupings (e.g., just two family members at a time).

While meaningful change often takes time, I occasionally offer single-session or short-term consults for families seeking clarity around a specific issue or transition. Let’s discuss your goals to determine what might be most supportive.