Family Counseling
In Tempe, AZ
Tempe Family Counseling
Healthy and happy families can be some of the most enriching relationships in someone’s life. However, most families are not healthy or happy all the time. Families are impacted negatively by changing financial situations, new children, death and loss, divorce, and many more challenges. Walking alongside families through difficulty is an integral part of our work at Biltmore Psychology and Counseling. Family Counseling is available to all types and forms of families, as it is rare to find two families that are alike.
Our psychologists and counselors often apply Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) techniques in conjunction with working with families. EFT method has been found to be effective in helping families in distress recover and grow even after counseling has ended.
Every counselor at Biltmore Psychology and Counseling brings a holistic understanding of family dynamics to his or her practice, and all of our counseling services are applicable to LGBTQ+ families and communities.
Topics for Family Counseling include:
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is important for couples when they come to a standstill regarding a divisive issue. For example, couples may have great difficulty figuring out how to discuss having children, how to discipline children, religion, finances, or managing in-law relationships. Though couples may communicate well in other ways, it is not uncommon for them to experience frustration when facing an impasse in a certain area of conflict. These conflicts can be either acute or chronic and can have significant impact on strength and intimacy of a relationship. Additionally, conflicts that are left unresolved can have a negative impact on other members of the family, co-workers, friends or other people close to the situation.
At Biltmore Psychology & Counseling, our psychologists work with couples to help them better communicate through these difficult topics and find resolve for long-standing arguments and places of marital tension.
Medical Counseling Services
Medical Counseling offers support for health-related concerns, including psychological challenges that may accompany medical diagnoses, chronic pain, or aging. with health-related transitions and lifestyle changes for themselves and their close relationships.
Oncology Counseling:
breast cancer, other forms of cancer
Infertility Counseling:
failed ivf, conception difficulties
Cardiology Counseling:
congestive heart failure, heart disease, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis
Neurology Counseling:
alzheimer’s disease, dementia, stroke, brain injury, parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, als or lou gehrig’s disease
Grief and Loss Counseling
Grief counseling focuses on offering support for individuals who are undergoing loss and bereavement. For many of us, the word grief is something that brings up a vast array of emotions from pain and confusion, to discomfort and avoidance. While intuitively we all know that pain and loss is something that we may all encounter at some point in our lives, we are still often left with a loss for words when the tragedy of loss or death does occur. Like many things in life, grief is complex. It comes, it goes, and can surprise us 5 months, 5 years, and even 50 years later. It is a journey that no two individuals can experience in the same way, even in the face of the same loss.
Within our practice, we help people navigate the painful emotions and changes that come from loss and death in a way that is unique for each person. In our sessions, we will help each person understand what normal grief looks like, give tools to heal and grieve freely and provide support and understanding through this difficult time.
Individuals often seek grief counseling related to the following:
• Death of a parent, spouse, partner, child or friend
• Ending of a significant relationship with a spouse or partner
• Significant changes in one’s health or a loved one’s health
• Miscarriage and/or difficulty with fertility
• Recent loss of one’s job
• Loss or death of a family pet
Our counselors are trained to help you through your journey with grief by ensuring you are fully supported, heard and understood. As there is not a “fix” for grief, BPC therapists will not seek to “cure” you but rather accompany as you process through the various parts of grief.
Repairing Communication Difficulties
Communication difficulties are a common reason many individuals seek out Marriage Counseling or Couples Counseling. Though many of us may be very eloquent and articulate in our relationships with colleagues and friends, it is not uncommon to find that we struggle to communicate well with our spouse or partner. So often this relationship, laden with deeper needs and expectations, can leave us pulling our hair out as we try to get our partner to understand what we need and how we feel.
Marriage Counseling or Couples Counseling is a valuable asset for helping individuals overcome these common communication difficulties.
Although communication difficulties in your relationship can be very frustrating and painful, there is hope. In counseling, we will discuss the common patterns that lead to arguments, help partners express their needs in a way that the other partner can hear and understand, and help partners develop skills to overcome communication difficulties that have plagued them in the past.
Additional Topics We Help With Include:
Conflict resolution is important for couples when they come to a standstill regarding a divisive issue. For example, couples may have great difficulty figuring out how to discuss having children, how to discipline children, religion, finances, or managing in-law relationships. Though couples may communicate well in other ways, it is not uncommon for them to experience frustration when facing an impasse in a certain area of conflict. These conflicts can be either acute or chronic and can have significant impact on strength and intimacy of a relationship. Additionally, conflicts that are left unresolved can have a negative impact on other members of the family, co-workers, friends or other people close to the situation.
At Biltmore Psychology & Counseling, our psychologists work with couples to help them better communicate through these difficult topics and find resolve for long-standing arguments and places of marital tension.
Medical Counseling Services
Medical Counseling offers support for health-related concerns, including psychological challenges that may accompany medical diagnoses, chronic pain, or aging. with health-related transitions and lifestyle changes for themselves and their close relationships.
Oncology Counseling:
breast cancer, other forms of cancerInfertility Counseling:
failed ivf, conception difficultiesCardiology Counseling:
congestive heart failure, heart disease, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritisNeurology Counseling:
alzheimer’s disease, dementia, stroke, brain injury, parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, als or lou gehrig’s diseaseGrief and Loss Counseling
Grief counseling focuses on offering support for individuals who are undergoing loss and bereavement. For many of us, the word grief is something that brings up a vast array of emotions from pain and confusion, to discomfort and avoidance. While intuitively we all know that pain and loss is something that we may all encounter at some point in our lives, we are still often left with a loss for words when the tragedy of loss or death does occur. Like many things in life, grief is complex. It comes, it goes, and can surprise us 5 months, 5 years, and even 50 years later. It is a journey that no two individuals can experience in the same way, even in the face of the same loss.
Within our practice, we help people navigate the painful emotions and changes that come from loss and death in a way that is unique for each person. In our sessions, we will help each person understand what normal grief looks like, give tools to heal and grieve freely and provide support and understanding through this difficult time.
Individuals often seek grief counseling related to the following:
• Death of a parent, spouse, partner, child or friend
• Ending of a significant relationship with a spouse or partner
• Significant changes in one’s health or a loved one’s health
• Miscarriage and/or difficulty with fertility
• Recent loss of one’s job
• Loss or death of a family pet
Our counselors are trained to help you through your journey with grief by ensuring you are fully supported, heard and understood. As there is not a “fix” for grief, BPC therapists will not seek to “cure” you but rather accompany as you process through the various parts of grief.
Repairing Communication Difficulties
Communication difficulties are a common reason many individuals seek out Marriage Counseling or Couples Counseling. Though many of us may be very eloquent and articulate in our relationships with colleagues and friends, it is not uncommon to find that we struggle to communicate well with our spouse or partner. So often this relationship, laden with deeper needs and expectations, can leave us pulling our hair out as we try to get our partner to understand what we need and how we feel.
Marriage Counseling or Couples Counseling is a valuable asset for helping individuals overcome these common communication difficulties.
Although communication difficulties in your relationship can be very frustrating and painful, there is hope. In counseling, we will discuss the common patterns that lead to arguments, help partners express their needs in a way that the other partner can hear and understand, and help partners develop skills to overcome communication difficulties that have plagued them in the past.
Additional Topics We Help With Include:
Family Counseling FAQ
Family therapy can be a helpful approach to almost any area of distress, conflict, or mental health concern. Yet, most commonly, people will keep family counseling for the following reasons:
• Parent-Child Conflict
• Sibling Conflict
• Support after a Traumatic Event
• Loss of Another Family Member
• Planning for an Aging Parent or Medical Issue
• Blended Family Dynamics and Step-Parenting
• Co-Parenting
• Behavioral or Mood Difficulties in a Child
• Communication Difficulties with Adult Children
• Politics and Family
• Parenting through Divorce
Learn more reasons why people seek family therapy.
For the first session, the family usually meets with their therapist together to discuss the family history, current challenges, unsuccessful attempts to heal, and the goals for therapy. The therapist will provide feedback on the strengths that he or she sees in the family and will propose a treatment plan.
In the following sessions, the therapist may meet with each person individually to gather a more in-depth personal history. Family counselors will usually state there are no secrets in family counseling. Any information shared in an individual session cannot be kept secret from the other family members.
Learn More: How to Prepare for Family Counseling Sessions
By definition, short-term counseling is considered to be 12 sessions so most family counseling lasts between 12-24 sessions.
Factors that predict success and length of session:
- Timing – How recently was the injury or change to the family. Since time does not heal all wounds but instead causes them to fester, the greater the length of time between the incident and counseling, the greater the recovery.
- Motivation – Highly motivated family are usually able to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances and may be able to do so in substantially fewer sessions.
- Fit – Finding a therapist that the family connects with and feels understood by is key to a more brief and efficient therapy.
Most therapists will see each person individually for one session to gather a more in-depth personal history. Beyond this initial individual session, the future individual session will depend on the goals outlined. It is important to note that there are no secrets in family counseling, meaning that information shared individually cannot remain confidential from the other family members.
Each family has its own unique dynamic, structure and history. It is important that the family members that are committed to counseling are a consistent part of the counseling process. However, many topics may not be appropriate for children under the age of 18. Therefore, BPC recommends that you discuss your situation directly with your therapist in the first session to determine if the participation of your minor childern is appropriate.
Our office is out-of-network, so we do not accept insurance directly. However, if your insurance plan offers out-of-network benefits, we can provide you with a receipt so that you can bill your insurance directly.
Depending on the individual insurance plan, many will be reimbursed for a percentage of their payment. To determine if you have out-of-network mental health coverage, contact your insurance and ask about whether your plan includes out-of-network mental health coverage. Feel free to contact our office at (480) 999-7070 with any questions.
Each family has their own specific reason for coming to family counseling. So, the price for family counseling sessions varies, depending on the family’s needs. If you have questions about pricing, please contact our offices for pricing: (480) 999-7070.
Meet Our Team
Dr Melissa Estavillo
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology M.A. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology B.S. Psychology, Grand Canyon University
Dr Audrey Sessions
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology M.A. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology M.S. Mental Health Counseling, Walden University
Dr. Linda DeBiase
Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Lake Forest College, B.A. Psychology California School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Nicole Elliott, LPC
M.C. Counseling, Arizona State University B.A. English (Literature), Arizona State University
Elizabeth Felix, LPC
M.A. Professional Counseling, Ottawa University
M.A. Human Resources and Substance Abuse, Ottawa University
B.A. Psychology, Ottawa University
Heather Wheeler, LCSW
Masters in Social Work, Arizona State University B.A. Psychology, Arizona State University
Laura Reed, LPC
M.S. Professional Counseling, Grand Canyon University B.S. Psychology, Grand Canyon University
Dr Melissa Estavillo
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology M.A. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology B.S. Psychology, Grand Canyon University
Dr Audrey Sessions
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology M.A. Clinical Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology M.S. Mental Health Counseling, Walden University<
Dr Linda DeBiase
Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Lake Forest College, B.A. Psychology California School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Nicole Elliott, LPC
M.C. Counseling, Arizona State University B.A. English (Literature), Arizona State University
Elizabeth Felix, LPC
M.A. Professional Counseling, Ottawa University M.A. Human Resources and Substance Abuse, Ottawa University B.A. Psychology, Ottawa University<
Heather Wheeler, LCSW
Masters in Social Work, Arizona State University B.A. Psychology, Arizona State University
Laura Reed, LPC
M.S. Professional Counseling, Grand Canyon University B.S. Psychology, Grand Canyon University
