Family Therapists for Young Adults & Parents

Parent Q&A

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  • Hello parents, I am looking for some recommendations for a counsellor/therapist for myself and my husband with how to deal with our young adult daughter and how much to support financially vs allow to "sink or swim".  We are both professionals.  Our daughter has ADD and Anxiety which makes this really challenging. 

    This has caused a great deal of angst in the relationship we have with each other and with her.  I really need someone to help talk me/us through what is best for her and for our sanity.  

    If you have worked with someone and can recommend them, would appreciate a name and contact.  Thanks! 

    I can relate. My young adult son has ADD and anxiety (and uses substances). You're in a difficult situation.

    I'm not able to recommend a specific therapist. Those I worked with were not helpful in the long run. However, I will suggest that you consider looking into NAMI parent educational and support groups. You may encounter people in much more challenging situations, but that may lend perspective and help you find what works for your family. I have participated in several trainings and workshops and continue in a virtual group through the San Francisco chapter. So, if you don't find help with your local chapter, consider searching out chapters with online support options.

    I wish you and your family well, and hope you find support that works for you.

    Hello,

    We have been going though similar issues with our son.  We have been working with Monica Horowitz and she's based out in Walnut Creek but we sometimes do meetings over Zoom.

    She has been focusing on "us", as a couple rather than focusing on our child while giving us some advice regarding our son.  But mostly she focuses on our relationship with each other which has been good.  Best of luck to you.

    I have used Susan Carroll as a "parent coach" for similar issues, and think she is extremely smart and skilled. Her email address is carroll.susan.p [at] gmail.com. She provides services through Team Wonder (https://www.teamwonder.org/), but also may be available directly (for a lower rate).

  • I'm looking for recommendations for a family therapist who does virtual sessions so that we and my nephew, who lives out of state, can engage in family counseling. My nephew had a traumatic childhood and is now parentless. We are quasi-parental figures for him but our relationship has broken down. We are seeking the help of a family therapist who knows how to handle trauma, and who is willing to do online meetings. Thank you for your recommendations. 

    Samuel Kaplan in Oakland (Rockridge) does family therapy. My husband and I have seen him as a couple to support our adolescent son, who sees him for individual sessions. He’s been an excellent therapist for our son and has helped us as parents, too. We haven’t had a family therapy session yet, but he offers it. He works both in-person and on zoom.

    Contact him at drsamuelkaplan [at] gmail.com.

    Cathy Carr was the best family therapist I ever worked with- not sure how full she is.

  • I'm looking for help with repairing my and my husband's relationship with our young adult daughter. The tip of the iceberg is that we are concerned about choices  she's making that are potentially dangerous to her future. We are uncomfortable with what she's doing and who she's with, to the point that we can't have her live with us. We always had a close relationship when she was growing up and she was a seemingly mature and easy to work with kid. We are dealing with navigating the waters of adulthood, and coming to terms with not liking her choices but still loving her, and having her perhaps recognize that she may need to look more closely at what she is doing and why. Below the surface though are many other issues, the impact of some poor parenting (conflicts in parenting styles and power struggles which impacted our relationships with our kids), not recognizing the signs of anxiety and depression, drug use, and sibling issues. Our daughter also has issues of gender identity and the repercussions of sexual assault, which we learned of much later. We are (all of us) sad about where we are and looking for someone who can help tease out all these issues and help us to find some way forward. Oakland would be great in terms of location. Someone who is on Aetna would be even better but insight, problem solving, and the ability to listen and help us listen is the best. Thanks.

    Hi there - our situation was less complicated than yours, but my mom and I went to therapy to deal with similar issues, albeit from a slightly different point of view.  I initiated therapy because I felt like my mom was very judgmental about my decisions.  In therapy we were able to explore her fears about whether I was making the wrong decisions.  Our therapist was Linda Brunson, who has an office on College Ave. in Rockridge.  Her # is (510) 652-7702.  Linda helped us see each others' point of view and find common ground, and both of us liked her very much and felt safe and comfortable.  I wish you much luck!

  • I am looking for recommendations for a family therapist to work with our family, which includes several young adults, in order to resolve some current conflictual issues.

    Nick Wightman is skilled at working with families.

    http://www.nickwightmantherapy.com/