FAMILY SUPPORT

Families can get stuck in patterns too.

Conflict within families often carries years of history, loyalty, hurt, expectations, and misunderstandings.

Family relationships can become caught in recurring patterns, misunderstandings, difficult transitions, and conflicts affecting more than one person. Susan helps family members understand what is happening underneath those patterns and explore whether licensed family psychotherapy or a distinct neutral mediation process may be appropriate.

Susan M. Regan, LMFT
California License #31600 · Massachusetts Marriage and Family Therapist License #1924
Psychotherapy is available to eligible clients who are physically located in California or Massachusetts at the time services are provided.

Service distinction. Mediation and psychotherapy are distinct services. Susan will clarify whether her role is licensed psychotherapist or neutral mediator, and establish separate professional agreements before work begins. Mediation eligibility and scope depend on the nature of the matter and applicable professional and jurisdictional requirements.

Schedule an Inquiry Call15 minutes · No fee

THE RELATIONSHIP BENEATH THE CONFLICT

When the same family conversations keep breaking down

Families change through parenting transitions, separation, illness, grief, changing values, adulthood, and new relationships. A familiar disagreement may involve deeper concerns about belonging, fairness, autonomy, loss, or being understood.

Before trying to solve every issue, it can help to recognize the patterns each person brings into the room.

Watch: Family Therapy & Mediation — The Dynamics in the Structure. A short educational discussion of family patterns, roles, and difficult conversations.

TWO DISTINCT PATHWAYS

Different kinds of family support serve different purposes

Not every family conflict calls for the same professional service. Susan offers family psychotherapy and, where appropriate, a separate family mediation process. Families do not need to select a professional modality before making an inquiry.

Family Psychotherapy

Licensed clinical family psychotherapy may address recurring family conflict, communication patterns, emotional reactivity, relationship ruptures, changing roles, adjustment to separation, divorce or remarriage, and difficulties involving parents, adult children, siblings, or other family members when appropriate to Susan's practice scope.

Susan M. Regan, LMFT
California License #31600
Massachusetts Marriage and Family Therapist License #1924

Psychotherapy is available to eligible clients who are physically located in California or Massachusetts at the time services are provided.

Family psychotherapy has its own clinical assessment, informed consent, confidentiality arrangements, and professional relationship. Participation in family therapy does not automatically make each family member Susan's individual psychotherapy client. Fit and the composition of the therapeutic relationship are determined before clinical work begins.

Family Mediation

Susan acts as a neutral mediator to facilitate structured conversations and help family members explore family decisions, communication agreements, recurring disputes, roles and expectations, post-separation concerns, and other appropriate conflicts, including those involving adult family members.

Mediation is distinct from psychotherapy. Susan does not provide legal advice. She does not represent one family member against another. Availability depends on the matter, participant locations, jurisdiction, Susan's professional role, and applicable requirements.

Family Mediation: $275 per 50-minute session. This fee applies to mediation, not psychotherapy.

Not sure which kind of support fits?

You do not need to determine whether psychotherapy or mediation is appropriate before contacting Susan. An inquiry conversation helps clarify who is involved, what is happening, what family members hope to accomplish, participant locations, whether a licensed clinical or neutral mediation role may fit, and whether Susan is the appropriate professional.

This inquiry is a fit and scope conversation, not psychotherapy intake, and it does not itself establish a therapist-client relationship. Family psychotherapy and mediation have different roles, confidentiality terms, consent requirements, and professional agreements. Susan will determine whether a proposed role is appropriate; she does not simultaneously serve as a participant's psychotherapist and neutral mediator in the same matter when those roles conflict.

Schedule an Inquiry Call15 minutes · No fee

Adult family members in thoughtful conversation

COMMON FAMILY THEMES

Where families may need a new conversation

Parent–child conflict, including the years after separation or divorce
Adult children and parents navigating independence and expectations
Sibling conflict, in-law relationships, and extended family strain
Estrangement, distance, or repairing communication
Grief, loss, illness, mental health challenges, and major family transitions
Differences in values, responsibilities, loyalty, or life choices
Difficult decisions involving multiple family members

HOW THE WORK BEGINS

Making room for different perspectives

Susan may speak with participants separately before inviting family members into a joint conversation when that helps clarify concerns, boundaries, and the purpose of the work. Separate meetings are not required in every case.

In family psychotherapy, Susan works in a licensed clinical role on emotional and relational patterns underneath conflict. In family mediation, Susan acts as a neutral facilitator of a structured process around a specific issue or possible agreement. Participation, confidentiality, and professional obligations depend on the selected service and its separate agreements.

As understanding grows, family members may work toward clearer boundaries, expectations, roles, communication agreements, and more constructive ways of responding when familiar conflicts arise.

The goal is not to decide who is right.

The work is to better understand what each person is experiencing, identify the patterns keeping the conflict stuck, and determine what kind of conversation or agreement may help the family move forward.

IMPORTANT SERVICE INFORMATION

Clear expectations before work begins

Different professional roles. Family psychotherapy is licensed clinical care. Family mediation is a separate neutral process, not therapy, treatment, legal advice, or legal representation. Susan will clarify which service may be appropriate, who is participating, the relevant consent and confidentiality arrangements, and any role limitations before work begins. She does not act as one participant's therapist and neutral mediator in the same matter where those roles would conflict.

Susan M. Regan, LMFT · California License #31600 · Massachusetts Marriage and Family Therapist License #1924.

Psychotherapy is available to eligible clients who are physically located in California or Massachusetts at the time services are provided. Clinical intake and informed consent are separate from the inquiry call. Mediation eligibility is considered separately according to the matter, participants' locations, and applicable professional and jurisdictional requirements.

Family Mediation: $275 per 50-minute session. This mediation rate does not establish the fee for family psychotherapy.

Family psychotherapy does not automatically establish individual therapist-client relationships with every family member. Confidentiality and participant roles are addressed within the applicable service-specific agreements.

BEGIN HERE

Explore the next conversation.

Families do not have to decide on psychotherapy or mediation before reaching out. Susan can help clarify the family concern, who would participate, relevant locations, whether a clinical or neutral role is appropriate, and next steps within the appropriate scope.

If your primary concern is parenting across households, explore Co-Parenting Support. For the broader divorce process, see Divorce Mediation. If the central question is whether a couple should remain together, see Relationship Clarity & Discernment. You may also Explore Current Groups & Guided Support when a current group is relevant.

The inquiry is for fit and professional scope. It is not psychotherapy intake, does not itself establish a therapist-client relationship, and does not replace separate clinical or mediation agreements.

Schedule an Inquiry Call15 minutes · No fee