Therapy Services
Services Overview
At Akua Family Therapy, we understand that life and relationships can face unique challenges, and seeking professional support can make all the difference. Whether you are seeking support individually, or with a partner, with your children or another family member, a friend or a co-parent, we want you to feel valued and validated at Akua Family Therapy.
At Akua Family Therapy we believe in adding value to you and your family. We work together as a team to support you towards peace, healing, overcoming and coping. We want to help you work through, walk through and process your stress and overwhelming situations. Let us walk with you through your recovery, through your healing, through your grief, through your anger, and through whatever you are willing to let us walk with you through. We believe that there’s no greater time than right now to reach out and strengthen your mental health.
We strive to help families create Safe Space.
Our therapists are passionate about helping you value each other.
Find healing and relief through processing your internal struggles.
Strengthening self-esteem, emotional intelligence and family systems.
A child-centered approach to parenting after separation.
Additional Services
Christian Integration
All of our therapists are available to integrate Christian based support at your request. Christian integration is only offered when requested. This includes prayer and biblical insights. If you would like christian based support, please feel free to let us know. If you are not interested in Christian based support, we respect and honor all of our clients non-judgmentally without discrimination. Majority of our clients are not christian and choose not to integrate christian based support.
Groups
We have run grief groups in the past and are gearing up to develop more groups in the near future. We are looking at starting new specialty groups as more therapists come onboard with Akua Family Therapy, and as specialty areas are identified and interest is expressed by the community.
Seminars and Special Events
Aaron and Ellie have given special presentations, providing psychoeducation, at churches and schools. If you would like to invite us to present on a specific topic or at an upcoming event, please contact us and we will see if we are able to accommodate you.
More about our Specialty Services
Emotion Coaching: Helping yourself, your children, your family identify and express their emotions in socially appropriate ways is when expanding your emotional intelligence is all about. I’ve worked with many adult clients who say that they wish they had learned at an earlier age how to better assess and express what they were feeling. Most people are behavioral focused. I work with clients to better understand themselves and each other by better understanding their emotions and the emotions of others. Children’s behavioral problems can be very challenging for most parents. It’s often embarrassing to parents when children act out in public. It is frustrating when teachers call home and children are failing in school. It’s stressful when teens are acting out and disconnecting from family engagement. Emotion coaching is a way to help your child and teen by connecting with them emotionally and creating a safe space for emotional development and intelligence. Emotion coaching is a parenting and psycho-education tool for helping to improve a child’s self-esteem, academic achievement and overall behavior. Emotion coaching can also be used in the couple context, and when relating to others in general.
Couples Therapy: Relationships don’t have to be stressful, but they often are. We help couples go from conflict to connecting and understanding. We use insights from the Gottman Method of couples therapy to help couples improve their ability to listen and reflect, return to friendship, forgive and repair, strengthen and take things to the next level of intimacy and connection. Relationships can encounter rough patches, and miscommunication can leave partners feeling disconnected. Our couples therapy sessions are designed to foster open communication, deepen emotional intimacy, and rebuild trust. Our goal is to help you and your partner rediscover the love and understanding that brought you together in the first place.
Sexual Issues: Intimacy is a fundamental aspect of any relationship, and we recognize that sexual issues can be sensitive and complex. Ellie believes that everything, including sexual issues, can be “talk-aboutable” when explored in a safe and respectful context. Our compassionate therapists are here to address sexual concerns with empathy and understanding, guiding you and your partner towards a healthier and more fulfilling intimate life.
Recovery from Infidelity: Infidelity can shake the very foundation of a relationship, leaving partners devastated and unsure about the future. Ellie has training in helping couples navigate the delicate process of healing after infidelity, providing a supportive environment where both partners can navigate the crisis phase, gain insight, rebuild trust, and work towards a stronger bond in the context of healing.
Erotic Recovery: Intimate relationships can experience challenges related to desire and arousal. Ellie offers specialized erotic recovery sessions, helping couples explore and address any issues hindering their sexual satisfaction. Through open communication and therapeutic techniques, we aim to reignite the spark in your relationship.
First Responders: As a mental health center, we value and understand the unique challenges faced by first responders and their partners. The demands of the job can put a strain on relationships. Ellie has training in working with first responders and their partners, offering tailored support to help navigate the complexities of these partnerships.
Co-Parenting Therapy: Co-parenting after a separation or divorce can be emotionally taxing, both for the parents and the children involved. Our co-parenting therapy is designed to facilitate healthy communication, effective parenting strategies, and a collaborative approach to co-parenting. We aim to create a positive and stable environment for the well-being of all family members. Remember, no matter the obstacle, there is hope for healing and growth. Let us help you and your partner or co-parent on your journey to a happier and more harmonious life together.
Therapy Process
Step 1
Joining
This happens in the initial stages of therapy, from the first phone consult and session, through to the point where we feel that I am a good match for helping you with your situation. It is important to feel a good connection and vibe when entering into the therapeutic relationship. I will carefully take the time to connect with each person who comes to the session.
Step 2
Assessment
This is a time for me to gather information about you and your family, and may include but not limited to gathering family history, content about the problem, observing family interactions, you filling out written surveys/assessments and family mapping/genograms.
Step 3
Goal Setting & Insight
Goal setting involves you, the client, letting me know what you hope to get out of coming to therapy. If you are unsure of your goals, we will work together to set goals that help you to feel better, help your relationships to be more successful, help your family to improve positive interactions, and much more. Even on a weekly basis you may have smaller, more specific goals for the session and that is perfectly ok. Together we will work to help you process, build insight and work toward positive change.
Step 4
Change, Healing and Transition
Positive change is what makes us feel better. Individually, when we change the way we think, it influences how we feel and helps us to function more effectively. In relationships and families, when we become more sensitive to the feelings of the other person(s), we are better able to relate in a way that feels better for everyone involved. Healing is a processes. When there are deep seeded wounds from past hurts, it often takes time to process and heal these areas. As we change and heal, we are more able to freely transition to new areas of growth and positive living. This is the ultimate goal, for you to feel empowered in a way where you are able to better manage and function in your daily living.
