Every Family Has Some Dysfunction!

In a college course I teach at Stevenson University on Family Dynamics & Therapy (HSR 430), I observe that every family is dysfunctional! Like the idiom, “Nobody’s perfect”, it’s a fact of life. Every family has some level of “dysfunction”.

Families also go through stages. Here they are:

Stage 1: Coupling – Two people join (often in marriage).
Stage 2: Having Children
Stage 3: Raising Pre-Teen Children
Stage 4: Teenagers in the Family
Stage 5: Launching Children & Empty Nesters
Stage 6: Midlife, Aging & Grand-Parenting
Stage 7: End of Life

Cultural influences, mental health issues, social expectations, financial worries, and individual circumstances are just a few additional factors which make “family life” a complicated but fascinating phenomena. My adult career has been focused on studying these phenomena.

I am a “FAMILY FOCUSED” therapist who also has a law degree. I am also a lawyer & mediator who is a counselor. I think you’ll find my focus and approach useful & transformative. For a free phone consultation, call me at (410) 750-2655.

Thomas K. Swisher, J.D., Ph.D.

About Thomas K. Swisher, J.D., Ph.D.

As a Family Therapist I help families address and cope with challenges which inevitably arise in family systems and for the children and adults who make up a family. I am an Associate Professor at Stevenson University where I teach courses in "Family Studies" and "Family Therapy". In addition to a Ph.D. in counseling, I have a law degree and I use these two areas to help couples navigate the stormy waters of separation and divorce through MEDIATION and conflict resolution. I have been the lead researcher in studies involving the following variables: "Stress Related Growth", "Satisfaction with Life", "Hope", and"Adaptation to Stress". In addition, I have studied ways in which "Coping", "Spirituality", and "Personality" help individuals adapt to life stressors. I love all the things I do and am passionate about each. Mostly, I am passionate about working directly with individuals and families who are seeking ways to live full, healthy, and happy lives.

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