OLIVER DRAKEFORD, LMFT, CGP. 
Family Therapy, Couples Counseling and Individual Therapist- West Hollywood
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

This week in the multifamily group, I asked the families I work with to think about the importance of emotional communication. As human beings, we are wired for connection, yet intimate honest relationships seem difficult for us. Adolescents in particular are craving this type of connection from their parents, I believe in the form of vulnerable, and meaningful interactions. My goal in family sessions is to help my clients achieve more moments like this. As a family therapist

This week in the multi family therapy group I challenged families to work together in a race against other families to complete the Spaghetti and Marshmallow Tower Challenge. The challenge is based on TED talk by Tom Wujec “Build A Tower, Build A Team” which has been viewed over 4 million times. Build A Tower- Build A Family The challenge is for everyone, from CEOs to infants to high school graduates: all are given 20 pieces of dry spaghetti, a meter or so tape and string, on

In a report from the UK released in 2016, a staggering 71 percent of respondents in the music industry believed they had suffered from panic attacks and/or high levels of anxiety, while a significantly high 69 percent reported they had suffered from depression. This comes as no surprise to those who have some experience in the music industry- it highlights the familiar and intense love-hate relationship artists and executives have in this field. The struggle of balancing the

In todays multifamily group, we discussed active listening and used a couple of fun and interactive exercises to demonstrate why it's such an important tool in family therapy. Once we'd established and experienced active listening, we moved into the process section. I prepared some fairly hard hitting questions to provoke clients into sharing vulnerably. The reaction was very moving at times, and some deep moments of connection in group therapy occurred. Try these questions o

Even when your children, and particularly your teens, push you away, they still need the support and love from parents and care-givers. In my experience as a family therapist, a commitment to family therapy from you is one of the most loving, supportive and transformative decisions you can make to show up for them. Family therapy is a unique and specialized approach to changing family dynamics and impacting the family unit, and is often faster and more effective than individu

Many of the families I work with, have trouble communicating effectively. If one member of the family is struggling with a mental health issue or an addiction, it’s common for communication to be further stunted. ​ Learning how to communicate more clearly and more respectfully can help avoid the bad feelings that go along with fighting and arguing and helps the entire family start to feel better. Active listening is an essential part of effective communication with others, a

Teenagers are often not rushing to open up to their parents which makes the adolescent years even harder. Most teens have questions they need answers to, or support in some areas of their life. As a family therapist, I stress the importance of parents learning to communicate effectively with their children, and their co-parents. In the multifamily group I run. we practice these in a game I like to call 'So You Think You Can.... Use I Statements'. 'I' statements were invented

In the family therapy sessions I run, the feelings wheel has become a bit of a running joke, but it's a vital part of the work that I do. I'll often ask a question like, 'and what's the feeling behind that?' or 'What was your reaction when that happened?'. Most often people reply with a thought, and not a feeling. That's because we have enormous difficulty in differentiating between our thoughts and feelings. This is one of the essential pieces of family systems theory that c