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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

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

November 1, 2016

Thriving During the Holidays: Lessons from Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live’s sketch of Adele’s Hello song was the talk of the 2015 Thanksgiving season. The scene opens with a family sitting down for a Thanksgiving meal, with five adults and a child (a young girl who looks about 10 years old). Within a few moments different opinions are flying and the family is in heated argument. The little girl takes a deep breath, gets up, and turns on a cd player. Adele’s newest song, Hello, which had just been released a month prior, begins its melodious chords. The 5 adults straighten. Their faces turn gentle and soft. They begin to reach across the table and hold one another’s hand. “Hello from the other side…,” they sing along. After a few lines, the music fades. The adults compose themselves. Then, in an instant, they begin to squabble again. The girl goes back to the CD player. The ballad resumes. Faces soften and hands reach. It seems that the only way to connect the family is through this song. The sketch is aptly named, A Thanksgiving Miracle.

download

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Families and Society Tagged With: family therapy, family time, holidays

August 8, 2016

Fostering Growth in Others

For many parents, August brings the beginnings of a new school year, and many accompanying changes: outgrown clothes, new school supplies, and another grade level. Even with these clear markers of change, it can be hard for parents to perceive the incremental growth that their kids are experiencing; they might be performing their morning routines more independently, or making friends more easily. As hard as it is to see such growth in our children during times of change, it can be that much more difficult to see everyday growth in others in our lives: siblings, friends, love relationships, and colleagues.

 

Mother, late 30s, and daughter, 15 years, enjoying nature. Focus on woman.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Parenting, Relationships Tagged With: family therapy, fostering growth, parenting

July 6, 2016

Setting Limits With Your Teen

As the parent of a teenager, you may often find yourself thinking about how it used to be so much easier to enforce rules, boundaries, and limits on your young child. Now, your child has grown into a teenager (new territory for everyone!) and your child has learned how to push, and even reject, limits set on them. This can be confusing and frustrating.

limitsteen

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Adolescence and Young Adults, Parenting Tagged With: family therapy, limits, Shana Simkin Shwachman, teens

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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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