Sue Whitely

Getting on together, communicating and understanding each other as a family or couple can be difficult and sometimes coming to see a trained professional to talk, together or separately, really helps.

Family Therapy, also called systemic therapy, helps people in close relationship help each other. It enables family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, to understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on family strengths and make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.

I have worked with young people and families in schools and mental health services for over twenty years as well as running a private practice. I offer sessions for individuals as well as for couples and families.

In family therapy, the aim is not to take sides, blame, judge or provide simple answers. The aim is to work together with the family or couple to find shared understandings and to explore ways forward that work for them.

Different combinations of family members can be seen separately as well as together to ensure that everyone can be heard and talk through what is on their mind before ideally coming back together.

The goal of the work is to improve communication, relationships and understanding of each other.

I have a wide experience of working with children, young people, couples and families in many areas where families face difficulties such as family communication problems, child and adolescent behaviour difficulties, separation, divorce and step-family life, anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders, fostering, adoption, kinship care and the needs of ‘looked after’ children, self harm and the effects of trauma.

I  also offer supervision sessions for individuals or groups across the South West.

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