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.
Families naturally come to therapy focusing on problems. Eager to address grief, trauma, or conflict in a safe environment, conversations circle what isn’t working—how people hurt others from what they say or don’t say, who is at fault, and what feels broken. Therapists must make space for people to express and hear each other’s
A mother has fallen and broken her hip, and the adult children are trying to decide what to do. One sibling wants to move quickly toward more support; another feels it’s too soon. The parent insists, “I’ll be fine. “ Everyone senses that change is coming. Conversations are tense. The family comes to therapy to
“Why is this so hard?” They were thoughtful, committed, and trying. “We love each other,” one partner said. “But it just feels… tense.” “I feel like I’m always getting it wrong,” the other partner added. “With the kids, with you—everything.” These are familiar moments in stepfamily therapy. There is love, effort, and goodwill, mixed with
Amelia and Hunter hadn’t spoken to each other for a couple of days. An argument about bedtime with their son had lingered, leaving both parents irritable and emotionally distant. A few mornings later, their six-year-old, Felix, asked his father quietly, “Daddy… why aren’t you talking to Mommy?” “I’m busy with work,” his dad replied, gently
When Maya and Daniel came to therapy, they weren’t sure they “belonged” there. They weren’t yelling or on the brink of divorce. But they were missing something—nights of easy laughter, quiet comfort, the feeling of being on the same team. Life had become busy, conversations had grown shallow, and minor irritations filled the space where