Family Counseling
Counseling and Anxiety Management Therapy for Families
Contemporary parenting is challenging. In the Internet Age, it can also be isolating, as parents may compare their children and family to idealized social media versions of peer families. If left unchecked, anxiety can take hold of one’s body and mind with inevitable repercussions on the family system. In working with Eastern Massachusetts children and youth from kindergarten to age 22, Marina Gonzalez-Ang is often approached by parents who have a concern about their child. Sometimes, these struggling parents have identified a challenge, and sometimes they are not quite sure what is going on. Either way, in family therapy, Marina first works with parents to gain a holistic understanding of the family system and any ways in which anxiety may be manipulating that system.
In consulting with parents, Marina draws on—when appropriate—the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) method developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz of the Yale Child Study Center, which randomized, controlled clinical trials have determined to be effective. Parents are not “doing something wrong” with their kids. However, they may need help in identifying certain modifications that they and/or their children can adopt to make a significant positive change in the daily patterns of life. With a supportive approach, Marina is often able to help parents realize and implement these game-changing pattern modifications.
In family therapy, Marina is especially skilled in reaching young people on their level – even in a literal sense, often playing with younger children on the ground and interacting in a way that breaks down barriers and fosters the trusting relationship that makes progress possible. By identifying techniques and discussions that are most relevant to the family, Marina helps children and families recognize, reduce, and manage anxiety. She also sets realistic expectations, mindful that some degree of anxiety is part of life, and all people – both children and adults – must learn that it is okay to be uncomfortable at times.
Working with Marina, families can learn to move past negative cycles of blame, guilt, and stress and toward more positive responses such as appropriate validation and support. Change can be uncomfortable, but it is also how we grow. When the mental health of children and adults is considered in a holistic way, accounting for the interwoven nature of family dynamics, rewarding results are not only possible in family therapy, but likely.
If your family is ready to make a positive change, please contact Marina now.
To be contacted for a FREE Consultation, fill out an intake form HERE.
photo credits: Jenna Brown Photography www.jennabrownphoto.com
Marina Gonzalez-Ang, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Marina Gonzalez-Ang is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in helping children, adolescents, adults, and families recognize, reduce, and manage anxiety. Serving clients in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Gonzalez-Ang began her private practice in 2023.
Prior to founding her private practice, Gonzalez-Ang successfully counseled many youth struggling with anxiety and a variety of related relationship issues, including trauma, special education needs, and school avoidance/absenteeism. Gonzalez-Ang spent years working with families in their homes to address the many complexities of relationships and family systems.
Informed by her own experiences with taming anxiety as a child, Gonzalez-Ang is recognized as an extraordinarily supportive counselor with a talent for breaking down barriers to progress with children and parents alike. Gonzalez-Ang holds an M.A. in counseling psychology from Lesley University and a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.
Gonzalez-Ang is a leading proponent of the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) method pioneered by Dr. Eli Lebowitz of the Yale Child Study Center; this approach focuses on empowering parents to change their own behaviors in ways that will help their child(ren) overcome anxiety. Marina is a newly trained EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapist. In addition to practicing the SPACE method and traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Gonzalez-Ang enjoys sharing yoga’s anxiety-reducing benefits with interested clients.
She resides with her family in Medford, Massachusetts and together with her two children, she enjoys skiing, baking, and making homemade ice cream.
Professional Credentials
- Licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts (10081) and New Hampshire (5507)
- Specialty: children, parent, and family anxiety management
- M.A. in counseling psychology, Lesley University
- B.A., University of Massachusetts
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) Therapist.
- Trained in Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE),
Yale Child Study Center
- Trained in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety, Beck Institute
- Trained in family therapy, Therapy Training Boston (Watertown, Mass.)
- Trained in yoga for anxiety and depression, Soulful Yoga Therapy (Salem, Mass.)
- Graduate certificate in trauma studies (counseling and psychology), Lesley University
Contact Marina Gonzalez-Ang to discuss how she can help you or your family, or learn more about counseling options.
To be contacted for a FREE Consultation, fill out an intake form HERE.
photo credits: Jenna Brown Photography www.jennabrownphoto.com
Adolescent Therapy
Art Therapy
Child/Youth Anxiety Counseling
Child/Youth Development
Child/Youth Anxiety Disorder
Child/Youth Mental Health
Child/Youth Anxiety Reduction
Child/Youth Anxiety Therapy
Child/Youth Anxiety Treatment
Children’s Yoga
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Family Therapy
Individual Counseling
Mental Health Counseling
Parent-Child Relationships
Parenting and Anxiety
Parent Coaching
Parent Communication
Parent Education
Play Therapy
School Refusal
Student Counseling
Yoga Instruction
Yoga