Our clinical staff provide client-centered, “trauma-informed care,” a therapeutic approach that focuses on collaboration, empowerment and safety as foundations for successful therapist-client relationships.

We may utilize a number of strategies to address your family’s specific needs. For instance, our staff are trained in a variety of evidence-based practices such as play therapy for young children, cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for trauma recovery. Family Solutions also has a dedicated art therapy space for clients interested in working with trained art therapists.

Children do well when their families do well. Therefore, family therapy may also be an important part of a child’s treatment. Our therapists value family relationships highly and will work to include all family members when possible.

We also recognize that clients may have a number of people in their lives who provide them with important emotional support and care but to whom they are not necessarily biologically related. This is their self-identified family. When appropriate, we can involve a self-identified family in our clients’ treatment.

By providing services at area schools, our goal is to eliminate the barriers that often make it difficult for working families to participate in outpatient therapy. The school-based team at Family Solutions provides therapeutic services to children, youth and families at schools in the Evergreen School District, Vancouver School District and Ridgefield School District.

Our therapists in the schools work closely with school staff to make sure our clients’ academic and mental health goals go hand-in-hand. Therapy may take place during or outside of school hours, depending on your family’s needs. Plus, we offer school-based services throughout the year, even when schools are closed for summer break.

To find out if we provide services in your school, please contact your school counselor or call our office. For more information on obtaining school-based services, please see our page “Enrolling in Services.”

We facilitate a variety of therapy groups in which children, youth and families receive support as well as learn and practice new skills with peers. Our group offerings vary according to client interest and need. Your therapist can provide you with an up-to-date list of groups that are meeting now.

To give you a sense of what might be available to you at Family Solutions, here is a list of therapy groups we’ve facilitated in the past:

Group Therapy options:

• Parent Support Coffee Hour: this group is an informal opportunity for parents to connect with one another and receive support for a variety of needs they may be facing. It is a virtual group offered on a drop-in basis.
• Collaborative Problem Solving: a group for parents of teenagers, Collaborative Problem Solving is an approach to managing the challenging behaviors of children and adolescents. It has been demonstrated over time to be effective in reducing oppositional behavior and the challenges that accompany them.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Teen Group: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment that is recognized as the gold standard in psychological treatment for chronically suicidal individuals. Research has shown that it is effective in treating disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders.
• Art Therapy Open Studio: A group space that allows clients to express themselves through making art of their choosing with the guidance of a licensed art therapist.
• CBITS: CBITS is an evidenced-based intervention helping children and youth manage trauma reactions by building skills for relaxation, challenging unsettling thoughts, social problem solving, and processing traumatic memories/grief.

LGBTQIA+ parent and youth groups: These groups are designed for youth identifying as part of the LGBTQ community who are also experiencing mental health needs. Topics cover concepts such as labels, coming out, Queer history, and vulnerability. Parent groups provide education and empowerment for parents of LGBTQIA+ children. Parent groups provide mutual support and empathy towards one another to help better understand the mental health needs of their children.

Family Solutions knows there are times when you might consider using medication as part of your child’s wellness plan. If you believe medication might have a role in your child’s wellness, we invite you to consider a psychiatric evaluation with our child and adolescent psychiatrists or nurse practitioners.

If medication does become a part of treatment, your therapist and medical provider will work with you to manage medications effectively. Then, when your care at Family Solutions is complete, we will help you transition to care with an outside healthcare provider.