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Welcome to Our Blog!

This blog is written by the clinicians at Jonah Green and Associates, a mental health practice based in Kensington, MD that provides quality services for children, teens, families, and adults. It is intended as a resource for families who are seeking to expand their knowledge about mental health and mental health services, and also as a resource for families who are seeking quality mental health services, especially in the mid-Atlantic region. Please feel free to post questions and comments on any of the entries as well as on any topics or articles from our companion web site www.childandfamilymentalhealth.com.

March 8, 2023

A Shared Space for Healing: Family Therapy for Addiction

In her song “Drinkin’ Problem,” Lori McKenna describes the effects of a “drinking problem” in excruciating detail:

I can’t hardly get out of bed, I can’t hardly clear my head

Of last night’s spinning, smokey memories

I call in sick to work, I tell ‘em my whole body hurts

Yeah, I think this drinkin’ just might be the death of me.

Towards the end of the song, we realize that the singer is not a drinker; instead, these ill effects are due to her partner’s drinking:

I swear that every bottle you bring home

Leaves me feeling that much more alone…

No, I never touch the stuff, but, honey, I’ll tell you what

You can’t count all the ways it touches me 

As McKenna’s song graphically illustrates,  the tragedy and disruption accompanying compulsive or destructive behaviors or the use of substances can devastate individuals, families, and loved ones. People with addiction may neglect caretaking, vocational, and other responsibilities; they may withdraw emotionally, lash out verbally or physically, and get in legal trouble. Family members may experience painful anger, hurt, loneliness, and anxiety and have problems functioning. They often live in despair of meeting their needs or fear what may happen next. Loved ones may even develop unhealthy coping behaviors; others may unwittingly enable addiction, often out of the desire to avoid conflict.  

But just as they suffer from addiction, family members can be crucial to healing. The love, compassion, and insight of loved ones can powerfully influence the recovery of those with addiction. Family therapy, often used in conjunction with other interventions, can help families break cycles of behavior that are a part of addiction and provide a forum for relationship healing.

Here is what families can expect from family therapy when addiction is involved:

How Effective Is Family Therapy in Addiction Treatment?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Addiction, Families and Society, Family Therapy Tagged With: addiction, family therapy, Jonah Green

January 13, 2021

How to Prevent Politics from Destroying Your Family

Working as an individual, couples, and family therapist gives me a unique front seat to conflicts of all forms.  I have witnessed politics play a part in many disagreements throughout immediate and extended families in my career.  Still, I have never seen the degree of political division that has infected American culture over the past several years.  Although this issue has always existed, the concerns facing America today are personal, painful, and more disturbing than most of us have ever witnessed.  I hope that we one day emerge from this with relationships remaining intact.

Families Arguments Kids Fights

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Families and Society, Family Therapy

November 20, 2017

Why We Need Thankfulness This Thanksgiving

What are the first associations that pop into your mind when you think of the traditional American Thanksgiving holiday?  Turkey and pumpkin pie?  Football?  The long and tedious hours of travel that you are about to endure?  The family arguments about politics you are about to suffer through?  While many things come to mind for most of us, the ideas of “thankfulness” or “gratefulness”, which are inherent in the Thanksgiving holiday, can often seem to be mostly forgotten.

Image result for grateful family on thanksgiving

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Families and Society, Family Therapy Tagged With: family time, holidays, Thanksgiving

August 13, 2017

“How do I tell my child that he/she is going to a therapist?”


This is a very common and appropriate question that parents ask me when scheduling the first session for their child. They might state concerns such as “I don’t want him/her to feel like something is wrong with him/her.” While this is understandable, therapy is usually a lot more anxiety-producing for parents than it is for their child. In fact, most children who come to see me appear relieved to be in my office, and quickly understand my role in helping him/her/their family feel better about whatever it is they are struggling with. Nonetheless, at times children and teens may resist therapy, and these suggestions for how to talk to children about starting therapy can be helpful:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Family Therapy, mental health, Parenting, Relationships, Therapy Tagged With: Kathy Voglmayr, Therapy, treatment child

April 6, 2017

One Step to Better Communication with Your Family

I think we have all heard it before. A teen says, “My parents don’t get me.” A spouse says, “I wish you would just listen and stop trying to fix things.” It feels like there is a block in communication and nothing ever changes. If you are feeling frustrated and stuck, utilizing validation in your communication with family members can get the ball rolling in a more positive direction. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Family Therapy, Relationships Tagged With: communication tips, family therapy

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Check it out – Topics

  • The Benefit of Numbers: Group Therapy for Children and Adolescents
  • A Closer Look at Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
  • Play Therapy: Questions and Answers
  • Choosing a Therapist for Your Child
  • Treatment Orientation in Child and Family Therapy
  • Tackling Teenage Depression
  • The Healing Power of Family Therapy
  • The Power of the Parenting Consult
  • The Co-Parenting Cure
  • Addressing ADHD
  • Overcoming Anxiety Disorders
  • Getting Your Teen to Treatment
  • Step by Step Towards Step Family Success
  • Couples Therapy

Services Offered

  • Family Therapy
  • Couples Therapy
  • Individual Therapy
  • Group Therapy
  • Referral and Advocacy
  • Parenting Consultations

Jonah Green and Associates, LLC

Jonah Green and Associates, LLC is a highly regarded group of mental health clinicians who treat children, teens, and families with a variety of emotional, behavioral, and relationship concerns... read more
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