The family system is a complex entity with multiple periods of transition and adjustment. At each stage of the family cycle emotional and behavioral processes occur that must be resolved in order to facilitate a healthy developmental progression: The birth of a child for first-time parents requires negotiating a difficult set of tasks: the new child must be accepted into the family unit. The couple must collaborate on child rearing, financial matters, and household tasks. This is often a difficult time for new parents as they adjust to the complex emotions that follow the birth of a child, such as joy, anxiety, and fearfulness. This is in marked contrast to the emotions of seasoned parents in the process of sending children off to college. The emotions that follow this transition are often feelings of grief, loneliness and depression, which is commonly referred to as the "empty nest syndrome." I view my principle task as helping you to identify, explore and resolve periods of impasse within the family life cycle.