Family Therapy Services In Jacksonville, FL
Strengthen Your Family Bonds with Expert Guidance and Compassionate Care
Meet Our Specialists
Dr. Cathy Colet
Forensic PsychologistAs a Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, Dr. Cathy Colet established Forensic and Clinical PsychExperts, LLC, where she serves as founder and principal practitioner.
Dr. Lauren Miller
Clinical and Forensic NeuropsychologistWith close to two decades of professional experience, Dr. Miller brings extensive expertise as a practicing clinician, consultant, lecturer, and published author in her field.
Dr. Matthew J. Jalazo
Forensic PsychologistA licensed psychologist specializing in forensic practice, Dr. Matthew J. Jalazo has dedicated the past fifteen years to full-time work in forensic psychology.
Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn
TherapistDr. Elizabeth Blackburn is a distinguished Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Compliance Auditor who holds a Doctorate in Social Work, bringing advanced expertise to her therapeutic practice.
Why Choose Our Family Therapy Services
Finding the right support for your family takes courage, and choosing FC PsychExperts means partnering with a licensed professional who understands the unique dynamics that shape family relationships. Dr. Colet, holding Florida psychology license PY9058, has been practicing since 2008 with extensive experience in family law and therapeutic interventions. Our approach combines clinical excellence with genuine compassion, creating a safe space where every family member feels heard and valued.
What sets our family therapy services in Jacksonville, FL apart is our deep expertise across multiple practice areas. With 75% of our work dedicated to forensic psychology and 25% to clinical practice, we bring a comprehensive understanding of family systems, legal considerations, and emotional wellness. This unique perspective allows us to address complex family situations with both therapeutic skill and practical insight. We are active members of the American Psychological Association (APA), Association of Family and Conciliation Court (AFCC), and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), ensuring our methods reflect current best practices.
Our practice serves families throughout Jacksonville and surrounding areas, offering evidence based interventions tailored to your specific needs. Whether you are navigating custody concerns, rebuilding trust after conflict, or seeking to improve communication patterns, we provide structured support that creates lasting change. Every session is designed around your family’s goals, respecting your values while introducing proven strategies for healthier interactions. We understand that seeking help is never easy, which is why we prioritize building trust from your very first contact with our office.
Ten Common Family Challenges We Address
- You feel like your teenager has become a stranger, and communication has completely broken down
- Your blended family struggles with loyalty conflicts and unclear boundaries between households
- Constant arguments with your co-parent are affecting your children’s emotional wellbeing
- You and your spouse can’t agree on parenting approaches, creating confusion for your kids
- Your family is dealing with a recent trauma or loss and doesn’t know how to heal together
- Sibling rivalry has escalated beyond normal conflicts into serious hostility
- You suspect substance abuse issues are tearing your family apart but don’t know how to intervene
- Divorce or separation has left everyone emotionally wounded and unable to move forward
- Your family lacks healthy communication skills, leading to misunderstandings and resentment
- You want to strengthen family bonds before small problems become major crises
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Our Proven Family Therapy Process
Understanding what to expect makes beginning therapy less intimidating. Our structured yet flexible process ensures every family receives personalized care while moving through proven stages of healing and growth. Here is how we guide families from conflict to connection.
Initial Assessment and Goal Setting
Your family therapy journey begins with a comprehensive assessment where we create a safe space for everyone to share their perspectives. During these first sessions, we explore family history, current challenges, communication patterns, and individual concerns. This is not about placing blame but about understanding the complete picture. We identify what is working well in your family alongside what needs attention. Together, we establish clear, achievable goals that give direction to our work. Whether your focus is improving communication, healing from past trauma, or navigating a major transition, we ensure everyone understands and agrees on where we are headed. This collaborative goal setting empowers your family and creates shared investment in the therapeutic process.
Active Treatment and Skill Building
Once goals are established, we move into active treatment where real transformation happens. Each session introduces evidence based interventions tailored to your family’s needs. You will learn practical communication techniques, conflict resolution strategies, and emotional regulation skills that can be applied immediately. We address unhealthy patterns while reinforcing positive interactions, helping family members understand each other’s perspectives more deeply. Role playing exercises, structured dialogues, and homework assignments extend learning beyond our sessions. This phase requires commitment and sometimes feels challenging as old patterns are confronted, but it is where breakthrough moments occur. We celebrate small victories along the way, building momentum toward your larger goals.
Progress Monitoring and Maintenance
As your family develops healthier patterns, we shift focus toward maintaining progress and preventing relapse into old behaviors. We review the skills you have learned and identify which strategies work best for your unique situation. Regular progress assessments help us determine when you are ready to transition out of regular therapy sessions. Some families benefit from periodic maintenance sessions to reinforce gains and address new challenges as they arise. Our goal is not to keep you in therapy indefinitely but to equip you with tools for long term success. By the time we conclude, your family will have a roadmap for handling future conflicts independently and the confidence to use it.
Ready to Strengthen Your Family?
Don’t wait for problems to worsen. The sooner you reach out, the sooner healing can begin. We understand that taking this first step requires courage, and we honor that courage by providing a welcoming, non judgmental environment where real change happens. Whether you are dealing with communication breakdowns, navigating separation, managing blended family dynamics, or simply want to strengthen your family bonds, we are here to help.
Our Comprehensive Approach
Effective family therapy requires more than good intentions. It demands a systematic process grounded in psychological science and adapted to each family’s reality. At FC PsychExperts, our comprehensive approach to family therapy services in Jacksonville, FL begins with a thorough assessment phase. During initial sessions, we gather information about family history, current challenges, relationship patterns, and individual perspectives. This assessment creates a foundation for targeted interventions that address root causes rather than surface symptoms.
Building Understanding Through Evidence Based Methods
Once we understand your family’s unique situation, we develop a customized treatment plan that may incorporate cognitive behavioral strategies, attachment focused interventions, or systemic family therapy techniques. Our methods are selected based on research effectiveness and your family’s specific needs. We explain each approach clearly, ensuring everyone understands how therapy will progress and what outcomes to expect. Transparency builds trust, and trust accelerates healing.
Throughout treatment, we monitor progress closely and adjust strategies as needed. Families are not static, they evolve, and our approach evolves with you. Regular check ins ensure that therapy remains relevant and effective. We also provide practical tools you can use between sessions, extending therapeutic benefits into your daily life. These might include communication exercises, conflict resolution frameworks, or emotional regulation techniques that family members can practice at home.
Our extensive experience, including testimony in thousands of cases throughout Florida courts in the 19th, 15th, 17th, 20th, and 1st circuits, informs our clinical work with families. We understand legal and psychological complexities, allowing us to navigate sensitive situations with appropriate care and professionalism. This background is particularly valuable for families dealing with custody evaluations, parenting coordination, or other court involved matters. We maintain the highest ethical standards while advocating for what serves your family’s best interests.
Serving Families Throughout Jacksonville
FC PsychExperts is proud to serve families across Jacksonville and the surrounding communities. Whether you live near the historic Riverside and Avondale neighborhoods with their beautiful tree lined streets, or closer to Jacksonville Beach where families gather along the coast, our practice is accessible to you. We understand the diverse communities that make Jacksonville home, from the cultural vibrancy of Springfield to the family friendly atmosphere of Mandarin.
Jacksonville families face unique pressures, from military deployments at Naval Station Mayport to the challenges of balancing work and family life in a growing metropolitan area. Our family therapy services in Jacksonville, FL are designed with these realities in mind. We work with families from all backgrounds, honoring the rich diversity of our community while providing culturally sensitive care. Location should never be a barrier to getting the help your family deserves, which is why we maintain flexible scheduling and accessible office locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect during the first family therapy session?
Your first session focuses on understanding your family’s unique situation. We will discuss what brought you to therapy, gather background information, and begin identifying goals. Everyone will have a chance to share their perspective in a safe, structured environment. This initial assessment typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes and sets the foundation for your treatment plan.
How long does family therapy usually take?
The duration of family therapy varies based on your specific challenges and goals. Some families see significant improvement in 8 to 12 sessions, while others benefit from longer term support. We regularly assess progress and adjust treatment length accordingly. Our focus is always on achieving meaningful, lasting change rather than extending therapy unnecessarily.
Will you take sides or favor certain family members?
Absolutely not. As a trained family therapist, I maintain neutrality while advocating for the family system as a whole. Every family member’s perspective matters, and our role is to facilitate understanding and healthier interactions, not to judge or take sides. Creating a balanced, safe space for everyone is fundamental to effective family therapy.
Do all family members need to attend every session?
While we encourage full family participation when appropriate, it is not always necessary or beneficial for everyone to attend every session. Sometimes we meet with parents alone, work with specific subsystems like siblings, or have individual sessions. We will discuss the best approach for your family’s situation during the assessment phase.
Is family therapy confidential?
Yes, with some important limitations. What you discuss in therapy is generally confidential, but there are exceptions required by law, such as when there is risk of harm to yourself or others, or suspected child abuse. We will explain confidentiality limits clearly at the start of therapy, and for families involved in legal matters, we will discuss how therapy may intersect with court processes.
Take the First Step Toward Family Healing
Your family’s journey toward stronger relationships and better communication starts with a single phone call. Let FC PsychExperts guide you through the challenges you are facing with professional expertise and genuine compassion. Our family therapy services in Jacksonville, FL are designed to meet your family exactly where you are and help you reach where you want to be.