HEAL Family Services with Brenda Benning, MSW, LICSW provides counseling and therapy to families with adopted children throughout the Minnesota Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as greater MN and WI.

In Home Family Therapy

Helping Families in their own Environment

In home family therapy is the primary focus of HEAL. Working on healing the family, especially parents, after sometimes years of struggles is the most rewarding. Many times, families are suffering from what is called secondary trauma due to children’s difficult behaviors and they have developed strong emotions related to their children. These emotions create a disconnect and prevent further healing from happening. By providing services in the home, parents and children are in their comfort zones and are more receptive to new ideas.

Counseling is critical for helping families to rediscover all that brought them to adoption in the beginning. Therapies will vary depending on the dynamics of the family and where they are at emotionally. Experiential techniques will be used along with education on trauma and attachment. Other modalities may also be used depending on different variables.

Parents begin the process of healing without children present. Parents need to feel heard and validated before the healing can even begin. If they do not feel the therapist understands their perspective, they will not be open to hearing anything else, let alone trying it. We work hard to help parents feel validated and comfortable before any therapeutic work is done. Parents drive the treatment, not the therapist, as they are ready to move forward to try a new technique or work toward a new goal. The healing process is not short term.

When children are in their own environment, they tend to let their guard down a bit. This can allow therapists a more realistic view of the dynamics at home versus an office setting.

Additional services associated with in home services include diagnostic assessments to determine the needs of the family for counseling. Treatment plans are also developed with the family to set realistic goals for what they want to accomplish in therapy. Phone consulting is available on a limited basis and determined at the assessment appointment (this is a private pay service). 

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