Parenting and Family Counselling in New Westminster

We offer parenting and family counselling in New Westminster, in person or online. Your mornings may end in shouting, leaving everyone worn out before the day has properly begun. You may also have tried every approach you have read about, only to find that none of it lasts beyond the weekend. Either way, we meet you without judgement and start by looking at what may be driving the conflict, rather than focusing only on what happened. What shows up at the breakfast table is usually carrying something older, something that made sense once, and that is gentler ground to begin on than most families expect.

 

When Home Feels Like A Battleground

When family life becomes a matter of bracing for the next blow-up, it is exhausting, but it can also get better. The tension often starts before breakfast, in what mood they woke up in, what you will say, and what it will cost you, and you are not the only family living this way.

  • Everyday moments start to feel like a test rather than something to enjoy

  • The conflict cycles get tighter, with more shouting, more shutting down, more walking on eggshells

  • Big feelings come out as behaviour, because there is no other route yet

Whether what you are dealing with is anxiety, low mood, OCD, substance use, or a specific behaviour like bullying, we can help you rebuild connection at home.

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Lifespan Integration and EFFT

Lifespan Integration is a gentle, neurobiological approach that helps your nervous system process earlier experiences at its own pace, without requiring you to describe painful details aloud. Many of the parenting strategies we use are subconsciously rooted in the parenting you received. We can help you understand your own family of origin so that you can parent from a place of intention.  Or perhaps you would like to try family therapy? We are trained in many modalities, one of which is Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, which puts you at the centre of your child's progress, coaching you to meet big feelings with connection rather than conflict.

 

Children, Teens, Parents, Whole Families

Difficulty at home rarely affects only one person, because worry, conflict and shame can spread through the whole household. We work with children, teens, parents, and whole families, regardless of your child's age. That might mean reducing the conflict itself, showing parents how to respond without policing, or helping a family talk to each other in ways that actually land. We work in a trauma-informed and relational way with every family who comes through the door, and part of that is supporting emotional regulation for the adults as much as the children.

 
 
 

Your New Client Request Form

The New Client Request Form is only a starting point, a way to tell us what is happening at home with your child, your teen, or your whole family without having to explain everything at once. Your answers help us match you with the Registered Clinical Counsellor, Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychologist whose background fits your situation. New clients begin with a form, while returning clients can continue to book online. If filling one in feels like too much right now, call us at 778-653-5253 instead.

 
 

Our Columbia Street Office

Our New Westminster office is at Suite 206, 304 Columbia Street in Sapperton, where we offer in-person parenting and family counselling. If getting in is difficult, we will meet you online instead, wherever you are in British Columbia. Give us a call at 778-653-5253 or email kellyadlercounselling@gmail.com, and know that you belong here.

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A Team Built for Family Work

Family patterns rarely follow a straight line, so experience counts here. Our team includes registered clinical counsellors, registered social workers, a registered psychologist and a registered dietitian, each with years of experience in their field. Kelly brings more than fifteen years of experience supporting people through trauma, difficult emotions and changes in how they cope. We keep track of how things are going over time, because what your family needs at the start is rarely what it needs six months in.

Support for You, Not Just Your Child

Parenting through a hard stretch takes something out of you, so we make room for that too. Many parents arrive focused entirely on their child and later find that support for their own stress and family patterns can change how the whole household relates. Your own stress, grief or old family patterns get space here at whatever pace suits you, and that can happen alongside your child's sessions or entirely separately.

Your Questions About Privacy

Most parents want to understand what will be shared, especially when their teen is the one receiving counselling. We talk that through with all of you at the start, so everyone understands what stays between your child and their counsellor and what comes back to you. Within our team of counsellors, psychologists and dietitians, we share only what your family's care actually needs. There are limits we are required to hold, mostly around safety, and we will be upfront about those before you begin rather than after. If you have questions about any of it, ask us before you book and we will answer them.

Questions Often Asked

  • No, you do not need a diagnosis to see us. If home feels harder than it should, or your child is struggling and you are not sure what with, that is reason enough to get in touch. There is no threshold to meet and no label to bring with you, and we will start wherever your family is and go at your pace.


  • Many extended health plans reimburse sessions with our counsellors, social workers and registered psychologists, though it is worth checking your own plan since benefits vary from one to the next. We provide receipts you can submit to your provider, and we are glad to help you work out what you are entitled to.

  • Our virtual sessions are open to anyone in British Columbia, so whether you are in Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam or somewhere further out, you can still work with us. Plenty of families tell us that logging on from home is far easier to keep up with week to week, particularly around school and work schedules.