When something is off at home, everything else fades
It does not matter who is in office, what the economy is doing or how the Super Bowl turned out. When there is trouble in your family, very little else registers. The family is the core unit of our lives and our communities, so when it goes awry, it strikes us right where we live.
Recognizing that something is wrong is one thing. Knowing how to address it is another. Parents often sense trouble long before they can name it, and then second-guess themselves, wondering whether they are overreacting. Children usually sense it too.
Family counseling for El Paso, by video
Dr. Audrey Kteily, PhD, LPC-S is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor with more than 20 years of experience. Her practice is fully online, so El Paso families can work with her from home without crossing town on I-10 or waiting for an opening at a local office. She does not have an El Paso office; every session is secure, HIPAA-compliant video.
El Paso runs on Mountain Time, one hour behind Dallas and most of Texas. When you schedule, confirm your appointment in Mountain Time so the whole family logs on at the right moment.
What does family counseling with Dr. Audrey look like?
Dr. Audrey's PhD is in Family Studies, and her approach is rooted in family systems counseling. Family systems theory holds that we first learn about ourselves, our emotions and close relationships in the family we grow up in. Those patterns follow us into every other relationship, which is why she looks at the household as a whole. You can read more about the family systems approach.
In practice, that can mean:
- Sessions with a teen alone, with parents alone, or with everyone together
- Practical parenting strategies for a calmer, more consistent home
- Help for parents dealing with mood disorders or family violence and its effects on every member
- Marriage counseling and couples therapy when the strain sits between the adults
Youth and teen counseling in El Paso
For younger family members, Dr. Audrey helps with self-esteem, school stress and social anxiety, especially where bullying is part of the picture. Through teen counseling, she works with families on cutting and self-harm, sexual orientation and identity questions, depression and suicidal thoughts. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911; the practice is not a crisis service.
She also helps parents of children diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, and she treats obsessive compulsive disorder, autism spectrum concerns and personality disorders. Those are described on the other specialties page.
Why online sessions fit El Paso life
El Paso sits at the far western tip of Texas, hundreds of miles from the state's other big metros. Families here juggle many of the same pressures as anywhere else, plus a few that are more common locally:
- Military families. With Fort Bliss in the city, many households manage deployments, relocations and a parent who is away for long stretches. Online sessions let a family keep the same therapist through those transitions, as long as everyone is in a state where Dr. Audrey is licensed.
- College students. Students at the University of Texas at El Paso and their parents can join sessions from different places within Texas.
- Families spread across homes. Co-parents in different neighborhoods can log in separately to the same session.
- Privacy. No one sees you in a waiting room or recognizes your car in a parking lot.
One practical note for a border city: licensing depends on where you are sitting during the session. If you live in El Paso but happen to be in Las Cruces or Ciudad Juárez at appointment time, Dr. Audrey cannot hold the session. Plan to log on from somewhere in Texas, or reschedule.
What happens in your first session?
Your first appointment is about understanding the whole picture. Dr. Audrey asks what brought you in, who lives in the home, what has already been tried and what you most want to change. With a teen, she usually spends time with the parents and with the teen separately, then together.
Before that session, you receive intake paperwork and a secure video link that opens in your browser. There is no app to download. Find a private spot with a reliable connection, such as a bedroom with the door closed or a parked car, and use headphones if others are home. By the end, you should have a clear sense of what treatment would look like and how often you might meet.
Credentials and approach
Dr. Audrey holds a PhD in Family Studies from Texas Woman's University and a Master's in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University. She has been a Texas LPC since 2001 and an LPC-Supervisor since 2004, and she is also licensed in New Jersey (LPC) and New York (LMHC). She is a Certified Family Life Educator and C-DBT certified. Learn more on the about your therapist page.
Her practice is LGBTQ+-friendly and LGBTQ+-owned. She offers a non-judgmental open door to help identify, validate and resolve family strife.
How El Paso families get started
Dr. Audrey is an out-of-network provider. Rates are shared when you reach out, and she provides a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Have a question first? Visit Ask Dr. Audrey. Existing clients can use the client portal login. New clients can send the secure request form or text or call (917) 905-3183, and the office replies within one business day.