Medical Family Therapy

iStock_000009836959XSmallMedical Family Therapy represents initiating and facilitating communication among providers and clients/families; developing a collaboratively driven comprehensive plan of treatment; supporting individuals, couples, and families through the change process; and promoting mind-body awareness. In addition, specific goals include helping clients, families, and providers cope with a chronic illness or disability, feel less conflicted about a medical regime, accept a medical problem/diagnosis, make lifestyle changes, and access all components of the healthcare/healing system to collaborate on care.


iStock_000005929123XSmallThis approach to therapy leads me to approach therapy from a biopsychosocial perspective. This means that I consider your health as part of the system in which you live and communicate.

I like to tell physicians that I don’t want them to treat a mindless body and I don’t want to treat a bodiless mind.

I am very collaborative with physicians and medical providers to achieve the best possible treatment of the whole person. My internship was at Duke University Medical Center dealing with cancer patients, their families, and physcians. I learned that when a diagnosis is made that the entire family really carries the diagnosis. I learned that a medical diagnosis provokes change and with that change often comes chaos. I learned that communicating with medical teams can be challenging and that support makes that easier too. In conclusion I learned that physicians and medical teams often share these challenges. My work honors these realities.

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