Family Conflict Therapy
Family dynamics can be a source of serious stress, especially when communication and understanding break down. In therapy, we work through these conflicts together and build clarity and healthy boundaries.
Who You'll Work With
Hi, I'm Corinne.
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist (PsyD) with extensive experience supporting trauma survivors and marginalized communities. You'll work directly with me at every step. I run every session and sign every evaluation myself. More about me →
- PsyD, Licensed Psychologist
- Online in 45+ states
- In person in Denver & Santa Ana
The argument that never resolves anything
Family conflict can involve one specific relationship or an entire family system, and it can be recent or something that's been building for years:
- The same argument keeps happening with a parent, sibling, or adult child, and it never resolves anything.
- Setting a boundary feels like it costs more than it's worth, between the guilt, the backlash, and being labeled "difficult."
- There's distance or estrangement with someone in your family, and you're not sure how you feel about it.
- You end up in the middle of other people's conflicts, translating and managing everyone's feelings but your own.
- Holidays and required family contact bring dread instead of anticipation.
- You're carrying resentment or grief over dynamics that never changed the way you hoped they would.
This is the kind of situation family conflict therapy is for.
Sessions about your family, with no one else in the room
This is individual therapy focused on your relationship with your family. Other family members don't attend. We work on understanding the patterns at play, then on communication and boundaries. The aim is to figure out what's within your control, and build the skills to change how these relationships affect you, whether or not anyone else changes.
Understanding the Pattern
Family conflict often repeats the same dynamic in different clothing. We identify the underlying pattern beneath the latest version of the argument.
Boundaries Without Guilt
We build the skills to set and hold boundaries in a way that's sustainable, even with people who push back.
Self-Determination Theory
Family systems can pull hard on your sense of autonomy. This approach helps you stay grounded in what's yours to decide.
A Personalized Plan
We build the plan around your particular family, its history, and what you want to be different.
What the first few sessions cover
Here's what the process looks like, from the first call on.
Free 15-Minute Consultation
We talk about what's going on, what you're hoping changes, and whether we're a good fit.
Intake Session
Your first full session is a conversation. I'll ask about the family history, the current conflict, and what you want to be different.
Weekly Sessions
50-minute sessions over secure, HIPAA-compliant video, typically weekly to start. We build both practical boundary and communication skills, and a clearer understanding of the pattern itself.
Adjusting Over Time
Once things settle, many clients move to biweekly or monthly sessions. Family situations flare up and calm down, and the schedule can follow that.
“The aim is to figure out what's within your control, and build the skills to change how these relationships affect you, whether or not anyone else changes.”
— Dr. Corinne Votaw-Freer, PsyD
Session fees & insurance
Individual sessions are $225, available to clients in 45+ states through my PSYPACT license.
For a full breakdown of rates and accepted insurance carriers by state, see Rates & Insurance.
Questions about estrangement, boundaries, and who attends
Do you see multiple family members together, like family therapy?
No. This is individual therapy focused on your experience of the family relationship. It's built for people who want to change how a family dynamic affects them, without requiring anyone else to participate.
Can this help with estrangement, or a relationship that's already ended?
Yes. Whether you're in the middle of an active estrangement, considering one, or processing grief after a relationship has already ended, that's squarely within the scope of this work.
What if the conflict involves my whole family, not just one person?
That's common. Even though sessions are individual, we work with the full system as you experience it, including triangulation, being caught in the middle, or handling several relationships at once.
Will you tell me to just cut off my family, or to reconcile?
Neither. The goal is to help you make decisions that reflect your own values and wellbeing, not to push you toward a predetermined outcome. What's right varies a great deal from one family to the next.
