What does a family therapist do?
A family therapist treats the family as the unit of change. Instead of asking only what is wrong with one person, the therapist looks at how everyone's reactions fit together: who steps in, who withdraws, which topics never get discussed, and how stress moves from one person to the next. When those patterns shift, individual symptoms often ease as well.
Dr. Audrey Kteily is a family therapist whose PhD is in Family Studies, and family systems counseling is the center of her work. She serves Colleyville families entirely online, through secure, HIPAA-compliant video, so parents, teens and even relatives in other cities can take part without a drive.
Family life in Colleyville and why online sessions fit
Colleyville sits in northeast Tarrant County between Grapevine, Keller and Bedford, close to DFW Airport. Many families here balance demanding careers, frequent business travel and full schedules at Grapevine-Colleyville ISD schools, with sports, music and church commitments in between. It is a community with high expectations, and families often feel pressure to look like everything is going well.
That combination makes traditional therapy hard to schedule. Getting four people into one car at the same hour each week can be the reason families never start. With video sessions, a parent can log in from a hotel room on a work trip, a teen can join from their bedroom, and a college student can join from campus, as long as each person is in Texas, New Jersey or New York at the time.
Situations Dr. Audrey often helps Colleyville families with
A teen who has stopped talking
Many parents describe a child who used to share everything and now answers in single words, spends hours behind a closed door or explodes over small requests. Dr. Audrey works with adolescent issues such as anxiety, depression, school stress, self-harm, identity questions and performance pressure, while helping parents adjust how they respond. Her article on teen counseling for adolescents in the area explains what this work involves.
Parents who are not on the same page
One parent is stricter, the other more lenient, and children learn to play the gap. Parent counseling helps you build a shared approach without either of you feeling overruled. Read more in how parent counseling improves parenting skills.
Divorce, remarriage and blended households
Children moving between two homes, new partners and step-siblings can strain even well-meaning families. Online sessions make it easier to include adults in separate households.
A diagnosis that changes the household
ADHD, autism spectrum differences, sensory processing challenges or a mood disorder can reshape daily routines. Family therapy helps everyone understand the diagnosis and adjust expectations so siblings do not feel overlooked.
Grief, trauma and big transitions
The loss of a grandparent, a frightening event or a cross-country move can affect each family member differently. Dr. Audrey helps families talk about it in a way that fits each person's age.
Siblings in constant conflict
Some sibling rivalry is normal. When fights become physical, one child seems to be the constant target, or parents spend every evening refereeing, the pattern usually involves more than the children. Family sessions look at roles, attention and fairness so that each child feels seen without needing to compete for it.
A marriage under strain from parenting
Raising children, especially a child with big needs, can leave little energy for the partnership. Couples often realize that they only talk about logistics and that small disagreements turn into the same fight. Dr. Audrey also provides marriage counseling and couples therapy, and strengthening the parents' relationship often steadies the whole household.
Young adults finding their footing
The years after high school bring new freedom and new pressure. A young adult who has moved home, is struggling at college or is unsure of their direction can create tension with parents who are unsure how much to step in. Sessions help both sides renegotiate expectations as the relationship becomes more adult-to-adult.
How family therapy sessions are structured
There is no single format. Depending on the concern, Dr. Audrey may meet with:
- The whole family to observe patterns and practice new ways of talking.
- Parents alone to work on strategy, consistency and their own stress.
- A teen alone so they have private space to speak openly.
- Subgroups, such as a parent and one child, to repair a specific relationship.
She often blends family systems work with skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, in which she is C-DBT certified. DBT gives families a common vocabulary for calming down, validating each other and asking for change without a fight. For an overview of the role itself, see what a family counselor does for local families.
Public health agencies recognize how much family stress affects children's wellbeing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Mental Health both offer accessible information on children's and adults' mental health, and the American Psychological Association covers family relationships and parenting in depth.
How online family therapy works in Texas
Dr. Audrey is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and has held a Texas license since 2001. She can work with anyone who is physically in Texas during the session, which includes every family member in Colleyville. She is also licensed in New Jersey and New York, helpful when a family member lives or studies there.
Sessions are on Central Time and scheduled flexibly around school and work. Each person needs a device with a camera, a private space and a stable connection. The link opens in a browser; there is nothing to download. Many families use one laptop in a shared room, while others join from separate devices.
Dr. Audrey has served the DFW metroplex for more than two decades and keeps a long-standing Coppell business address, but all sessions now take place online.
Credentials behind the care
Dr. Audrey Kteily earned a PhD in Family Studies and a bachelor's in psychology from Texas Woman's University and a master's in counseling from Dallas Baptist University. She is a Texas LPC-S, a New Jersey LPC and a New York LMHC. She is a Certified Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations, holds C-DBT certification and has published on family dynamics. The National Board for Certified Counselors explains the professional standards counselors follow nationwide.
She has more than 20 years of clinical experience, and her practice is LGBTQ+-owned and affirming. Read her full background on Dr. Audrey's bio page, learn about how her solo online practice works, or explore other specialties such as trauma, grief and addictions. Have a question first? Try Ask Dr. Audrey.
What should your family expect at the start?
In the first session, Dr. Audrey usually meets with parents to understand the history, current concerns and what each person hopes will change. Children and teens join in the next sessions, often first with the whole family and then individually. Within a few weeks, you will have shared goals and a clear sense of how sessions will run.
Dr. Audrey is an out-of-network provider and provides a superbill your family can submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Check your plan's out-of-network mental health benefits before you start.
How to get started
Use the appointment request form on the home page or the secure request form on this page. Dr. Audrey will respond within one business day to find a time that works for your family.
You can also text or call (917) 905-3183. Texting is the easiest way to reach her; please keep health details out of texts.