Healing Together, Growing Together

Our family therapy services help restore harmony, improve communication, and strengthen bonds between family members of all ages.

✔ Typically 50 minutes

✔ In-person or Secure Telehealth Sessions Offered

✔ Frequency of Sessions Tailored to Your Family’s Needs

a family laughing together

What Is Family Counseling?

Family therapy is a specialized form of counseling that focuses on the family system as a whole, recognizing individuals are deeply influenced by their family relationships.

Our approach focuses not only on resolving current difficulties but also on building lasting skills that strengthen family relationships for the future.

Rather than focusing solely on one person's struggles, family therapy examines patterns of interaction between family members and works to create positive change within the entire family system.

Family therapy can help with a wide range of concerns, including:

Communication Difficulties

Major Life Transitions

Blended Family Adjustment

Supporting a Family Member with Mental Health Concerns

Grief & Loss

Parent-Child Relationships Difficulties

Behavioral Problems

Frequent Family Conflicts

Parenting Challenges

Intergenerational Conflicts

Cultural Differences

Our Approach To
Family Therapy

At Raincross Family Counseling, we believe that families have inherent strengths and resources that can be mobilized to overcome challenges. Our approach to family therapy is guided by these key principles:

✔ Systems Perspective

We understand that family members are interconnected—when one person experiences difficulties, it affects everyone. Similarly, when positive changes occur, the benefits ripple throughout the family system. This perspective helps us address the underlying patterns rather than simply focusing on individual symptoms.

✔ Developmentally Informed

Our therapists consider the developmental stages of each family member and of the family unit itself. This awareness helps us set appropriate expectations and goals while honoring each person's unique needs and capacities.

✔ Multi-Generational Perspective

We recognize that family patterns often extend across generations. Understanding these patterns helps create more lasting and meaningful change that can benefit your family for years to come.

✔ Cultural Humility

Our deep roots in the diverse Riverside community inform our understanding of how cultural factors influence family life. We provide culturally responsive care that respects and incorporates the unique backgrounds, values, and beliefs that shape your family's experiences.

✔ Collaborative & Transparent

We view therapy as a partnership with your family. Your insights, feedback, and active participation are essential elements of the therapeutic process. We work alongside you, offering guidance and support while honoring your family's wisdom about your own lives.

✔ Evidence-Based Methods

Our family therapists draw from proven therapeutic approaches, including:

  • Structural Family Therapy to examine and rebalance family organization and boundaries

  • Strategic Family Therapy to interrupt problematic interaction patterns

  • Narrative Family Therapy to help families develop new, more constructive stories about their relationships

  • Solution-Focused Family Therapy to identify practical solutions and build on existing family strengths

  • Attachment-Based Family Therapy to strengthen emotional bonds between family members

  • Faith-Based Family Therapy that integrates spiritual beliefs, practices, and values with evidence-based therapeutic approaches

Throughout the therapy process, we continuously assess progress and adjust our approach as needed, ensuring that therapy remains aligned with your family's evolving needs and goals.

The Benefits of
Family Therapy

Engaging in family therapy at Raincross can lead to significant positive changes in your family relationships.

Family therapy is an investment in your collective wellbeing that can yield benefits throughout your lives together, helping you build relationships characterized by mutual respect, understanding, and love.

1. Improved Communication

Develop skills to express needs and feelings clearly, listen effectively, and navigate difficult conversations without harmful conflict.

2. Stronger Boundaries

Create healthier boundaries within the family system that respect individual needs while maintaining appropriate family cohesion.

3. Effective Problem-Solving

Learn collaborative approaches to addressing family challenges, turning potential conflicts into opportunities for growth.

4. Enhanced Empathy

Develop greater understanding of each family member's unique perspective, needs, and experiences, fostering compassion and connection.

5. More Effective Parenting

Strengthen parenting skills and approaches that support children's healthy development while reducing parent-child conflict.

6. Family Resilience

Build your family's capacity to navigate future challenges together, developing adaptive strategies that can serve you through various life transitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Not necessarily. While there are benefits to having all family members participate, the therapist may work with different combinations of family members depending on the specific goals and needs. Sometimes individual sessions may be incorporated to support the overall family therapy process.

  • Reluctance to attend therapy is common, particularly among adolescents. Our therapists are experienced in engaging young people in the therapeutic process in ways that feel comfortable and respectful. We may suggest beginning with the willing family members and gradually integrating others, or we might spend time individually with a reluctant child to build rapport before full family sessions.

  • Your first session focuses on understanding your family's history, current challenges, and goals for therapy. Your therapist will meet with all attending family members and may also spend some time with different combinations of family members. This is your opportunity to share concerns, ask questions, and get a feel for whether the therapist is a good fit for your family. Together, you'll begin developing a plan for moving forward.

  • The duration varies widely depending on your specific concerns, goals, and commitment to the process. Some families find significant improvement in 8-12 sessions, while others benefit from longer-term therapy. We regularly review progress with you and adjust the treatment plan accordingly. Our goal is to provide the support you need for as long as it's helpful, without creating unnecessary dependency.

  • No. Our approach is non-blaming and focused on understanding family patterns rather than assigning fault. We recognize that all family members contribute to both challenges and solutions, and we work from a place of respect for the complex realities of family life.

  • Our therapists are trained in trauma-informed care and can help families heal from difficult experiences. In some cases, we may recommend combining family therapy with individual trauma treatment for specific family members. Our EMDR-certified therapists offer specialized trauma treatment that can complement the family therapy process.

  • Faith-based family therapy at Raincross integrates spiritual beliefs, values, and practices into the therapeutic process when desired by the family. This approach acknowledges the important role that faith can play in family identity, values, and coping strategies. Our faith-based therapists can incorporate prayer, scripture, or spiritual concepts that align with your family's specific beliefs while utilizing evidence-based family therapy techniques. This approach is entirely optional—we serve families of all faith backgrounds and those with no religious affiliation with equal care and respect. Faith-based family therapy can be particularly helpful for families where spiritual values play a central role in family life or when family conflicts involve different religious perspectives.

  • Our therapists are trained to manage conflict in productive ways. We create a structured environment with clear guidelines for respectful communication. When emotions run high, we help family members express themselves effectively while ensuring everyone's emotional safety. These moments often provide valuable opportunities to practice new communication skills.

  • Absolutely. Family therapy can be an important complement to individual treatment for conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, or substance use disorders. Family therapy helps all members understand the condition, adjust to its impact on family life, and learn how to provide appropriate support while maintaining healthy family functioning.

  • Starting family therapy is simple. You can call our office at (951) 977-3638, email us at raincrossfc@gmail.com, or complete our online request form. We'll gather some basic information, discuss your family's needs and preferences, and match you with an appropriate therapist. New families typically can schedule an initial appointment within 1-2 weeks.

Transform Your Family Relationships

With compassionate guidance and effective tools, you can build a home environment where all members feel heard, valued, and connected.