Family therapy involves a psychotherapist working with families who are experiencing difficulties in their relationships. It can help families communicate better, adapt to changes in family life, and resolve conflict.
Family Therapy
What issues can I get help with?
You may be offered family therapy if you are experiencing problems which involve and affect the whole family. This may be the case if just one member of the family is in difficulty, but it is having an impact on everyone. Child behavioural problems, parenting issues and changes in family life such as divorce or separation are also examples of issues which can be effectively worked through with a family therapist.
How do I begin?
After you make an initial enquiry, you will be invited to attend an assessment. You will be asked to talk and answer questions about the difficulties you are experiencing, so that the therapist can plan a course of action best suited to your needs.
The process
After the assessment, you and your family will attend a series of sessions lasting between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. Sometimes only a few sessions are necessary, but it can be a much lengthier process. These sessions will be attended by the whole family, who are usually seen all together in one room, although sometimes therapists will see individuals or combinations of family members depending on areas of difficulty.
Will it be fair?
In family therapy, every member of the family is listened to and taken into account. It is especially important in times of familial conflict for children to be given a voice in decisions about the family, for example, in instances of family separation.
What other help is available?
Relationship counselling, individual counselling and psychotherapy, perinatal mental health support, and specialist help for intercultural couples are some other forms of help available for you and your family.
How much will it cost?
Costs differ between individuals. You will be given a clear idea of fees before any treatment begins.
Make an Enquiry
Complete our short enquiry form and one of our staff will get back to you as soon as possible
Our Specialists
Suzanne Hutchison
Suzanne Hutchison is a UKCP registered Family & Couple Systemic Therapist. She has worked with families experiencing a variety of challenges that may impact them such as physical and/or mental illness, change, loss, abuse and trauma. She has a special interest in helping children, adolescents and their families facing eating disorders.
Her research has focused on understanding the experience of siblings of adolescents with eating disorders. She also has experience in supporting families through grief and bereavements, such as death, divorce/separation and other losses. Suzanne uses a systemic and collaborative approach in supporting families through difficulties. Suzanne is fluent in English and Spanish.
Dr Shadi Shahnavaz
Dr Shadi Shahnavaz is a UKCP registered couple and family Systemic Therapist with over 25 years experience of working with adolescents, individuals, couples and families.
Dr Shahnavaz worked in the NHS for 10 years and currently works at the Anna Freud Center where she is in the Contact and Residence Dispute Team and is also part of the teaching staff there.
Dr Shahnavaz specializes in trauma, loss and working with multicultural families. She also has a lot of experience with working with adolescents.
Dr Shahnavaz is trained in EMDR and trauma work.
She is also trained in working with attachment and parenting and is a ‘Circle of Security’ facilitator.
Dr Shahnavaz speaks French, Farsi and Swedish fluently.
Professor Janet Reibstein
Janet Reibstein is a psychologist , individual psychotherapist , and family therapist. She works with individuals, couples, and families, as well as relationships at work. She is Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter, where she runs postgraduate training in family therapy and systemic practice for The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She was formerly Affiliated Lecturer inSocial and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge where she was also Psychological Consultant to Kings College, Cambridge. She is the author of six books and numerous articles covering her research on various aspects of relationships; couples and families; divorce and separation; and the psychological and emotional effects of illness on families and couples. Professor Reibstein has also contributed documentary series for television and Radio 4.
Reibstein, J. (in preparation): Inter Act: the evidence for relating skillfully. London and New York: Bloomsbury
Reibstein, J. and Sherbersky, H. (in press) ‘Manualising the Exeter Model: couple therapy for depression – a behavioural-systemic approach’, in Mariotti, M., Saba, G. and Stratton, P (eds) Handbook of systemic approaches to psychotherapy manuals: integrating research, practice, and training. New York: Springer
Reibstein, J. and Singh, R. (2020) ‘The Intercultural Exeter Couples Model: making connections for a divided world through systemic-behavioural therapy’. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Blackwell
Stephanie Fattorini
Steph has been working with children and with families since 2005. She has worked as a therapist in various settings, such as a University, in primary and secondary schools, charities for children with Special Needs, a Mediation Centre and in her own practice in Fulham. She enjoys providing 1:1 therapeutic support, family therapy, and has facilitated play-therapy groups. She is an Adult Trainer who co-presents two Separated Parent Programmes in London, one of which she has as co-written and founded.
Her work with children is facilitated by her training in play-therapy. Whilst providing a calm and empathic space for children, teenagers, parents, couples and families, Steph is non directive and follows cues from children and works with all ages. The family sessions are tailored to foster better communication and relationships between children, parents and carers. She likes to increase a person’s self-awareness and self-confidence with various creative mediums. The focus of the sessions can be more on immediate problems, with practical suggestions offered and can be shorter term than psychoanalytic therapy.
Steph is an accredited BACP therapist and has recently specialised in helping families in separation and divorce and writes a monthly blog on related subjects (if interested, please visit: sftherapylondon.com).
Steph has trained in both Integrative and Psychodynamic Therapy. The basis of her work is founded on psychodynamic concepts but values the influences of the humanistic and person centred approaches.
Dr Reenee Singh
Dr. Reenee Singh is a Consultant Family and Couple Systemic psychotherapist with over twenty years experience in working with children, families, couples and individuals. Reenee worked at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust for many years and is the Co-Director of the Tavistock Family Therapy and Systemic Research Centre. She is the Editor of the Journal of Family Therapy. Reenee has published two books and numerous papers in the areas of ‘race’, culture and qualitative research. Reenee presents her work at national and international conferences and teaches all over the world.
Reenee specialises in working with intercultural couples and mixed race families. She is currently the co-director of the London Intercultural Couples Centre at the Child and Family Practice.
Singh, R. and Sim, T. (2021) Families in the time of the Pandemic: Breakdown or Breakthrough? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.1445.
Borcsa, M., Lebow J.L., Singh, R., Larner, G. and Messent, P. (2020) Publication in Family Therapy Journals: Family Process, Journal of Family Therapy, and Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy – A Discussion with Editors. In Ochs, M., Borcsa, M. & Schweitzer, J. (Eds.). Systemic Research in Individual, Couple and Family Therapy and Counseling (EFTA Book Series, Volume 4). pp.17-430, Cham, CH: Springer International.
Rastogi, M. and Singh, R. (2020) Preface. Systemic Family Therapy and Global Health Issues. The Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy. Volume 4. London: Wiley.
Reibstein, J. and Singh, R. (2020) The Intercultural Exeter Couples Model. Making Connections for a Divided World through Systemic-Behavioural Therapy. Wiley: Oxford.
Robinson, D. and Singh, R. (2020) ‘Forced Marriage as a Representation of a Belief System in the UK and its Psychological Impact on Well-being’. In Majors, R., Carberry, K. and Ransaw, T. (Eds). The International Handbook of Black Community Mental Health, pp.489-505. Emerald Publishing: UK.
Singh, R. (2020) ‘Home is where the heart is: Aporias of love and belonging in intercultural couples’, pp.145-157 in A. Abela, S. Vell and S. Piscopo, Couple Relationships in the 21st Century, New York: Springer.
Singh, R., Killian, K., Bhugun, D. and Tseng, C. (2020). ‘Clinical Work with Intercultural Couples’ pp.155-183 in K. Wampler and A. Blow (ed.) Handbook of Family Therapy, Volume 3. Wiley: Oxford.
Wampler, K.S, Rastogi, M. and Singh, R. (2020) The Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy. Volume 4. Systemic Family Therapy and Global Health Issues. Wiley: Oxford.
Singh, R. (2019) ‘Working systemically with family violence’. pp.113-124 in S. Sonpar and N. Kanwar (Eds) Surviving on the Edge. Psychosocial Perspectives on Violence and Prejudice in India. New Delhi: Sage.
Reibstein, J. and Singh, R. (2018) The Intercultural Exeter Model. Psychotherapy Review. Special section on Couples and Families, pp. 56-71.
Singh, R. (2017) ‘Do we need to change the way we measure change? Developments in SCORE -15’. Journal of Family Therapy 39 (1), pp. 1-3.
Singh, R. (2017) ‘Intimate Strangers: working with interfaith couples’. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. Special issue on Spirituality. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 38(1), pp.7-14.
Singh, R. (2017) ‘Valedictory Editorial’. Journal of Family Therapy 39(4) pp.495-497.
Singh, R. and Dada, M. (2017) ‘On the frontline: intercultural couples in a divided world’. Discover Society. May 02. https://www.palgrave.com/de/book/9783319596976
Sim, T., Yi Yang, X., Chan, S., Loy, J.T.C, Sng, S., Lo, R., Chao, W. and Singh, R. (2017) ‘Co-constructing family therapy in the Asian Chinese family diasporas of mainland China, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan’. Journal of Family Therapy. Special issue. 39(2) pp.131-150
Singh, R. (2016) ‘Couples and transgenerational relationships: cultural considerations and connundra’, Journal of Family Therapy, 38(3), pp.301-301.
Singh, R. (2016) ‘The stories we tell: Systemic thinking in a divided world’. Editorial, Journal of Family Therapy, 38(4), pp. 405-466
Singh, R. (2015) A journal in time. Past, present and future themes. Journal of Family Therapy, 37 (4): 407-408.
Singh, R. (2015) Reflections on Practice. Enduring Love? Couple Relationships in the 21st Century. Clinical Implications. Feedback. Journal of the Family Therapy Association of Ireland, (pp. 70 -79).
Singh, R. (2015) Systemic innovators, past and present. Editorial. Journal of Family Therapy 37 (3), pp. 265 -266.