Family psychologist or family therapist: what is the difference?
Many Irving parents type "family psychologist" into a search bar when what they want is someone to help their family communicate, calm conflict, or support a teenager who is struggling. That is a reasonable search. The title, though, has a specific legal meaning. In Texas, "psychologist" is a protected title reserved for people licensed by the state as psychologists.
Dr. Audrey Kteily is not a psychologist. She is a doctorate-level clinician with a PhD in Family Studies from Texas Woman's University and a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor. Her training and more than two decades of clinical work focus on exactly what most families searching for a family psychologist need: family therapy, teen counseling, parent guidance and couples therapy.
There are times when a licensed psychologist is the right choice, especially if your child needs formal psychological testing, such as an evaluation for a learning disability or a diagnostic assessment. Dr. Audrey does not provide testing. If that is part of your need, she can talk with you about how an evaluation and ongoing family therapy can work together.
What can a PhD family therapist help your Irving family with?
Family systems work is the heart of her doctoral training; read more about family systems counseling. Rather than treating one person as the problem, she looks at how everyone's reactions fit together and helps the family change those patterns. Families in Irving reach out for many reasons:
- Frequent arguments, power struggles or a household that feels tense all the time
- A teen with anxiety, depression, self-harm or school refusal
- A child with ADHD, autism spectrum traits or behavioral challenges
- Parents who are not on the same page about rules and consequences
- Separation, divorce, remarriage and blended family transitions
- Grief, illness, or a recent move to the area
- The aftermath of domestic violence, assault or another trauma
She explains the work in plain terms in her article on what a family counselor does day to day.
Teens, parents and couples in one practice
One advantage of working with a family therapist is that you do not need a separate provider for each person. Dr. Audrey works with teens ages 12 to 18, young adults 18 to 29, parents, couples and whole families. A teen can have individual sessions while parents attend their own guidance sessions, and the family can come together when the time is right.
For teens, she addresses anxiety, depression, identity, school stress and self-harm. Her adolescent issues page and her post on teen counseling for local adolescents describe that work. For parents, she offers practical coaching; see how parent counseling helps parents. For couples, she provides marriage counseling and couples therapy, often because tension between partners is affecting the children.
When strong emotions or self-harm are part of the picture, she uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy, in which she holds C-DBT certification. Her other specialties include trauma and complex PTSD, grief, addictions and mood disorders.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911. This practice is not a crisis service.
Online family therapy for Irving families
Irving is a large city in Dallas County, stretching from the older neighborhoods near Loop 12 to Las Colinas and Valley Ranch in the north, with DFW Airport on its western edge. Families here often include parents who travel for work, long commutes on Highway 114 or the George Bush Turnpike, and kids in Irving ISD and other districts that serve parts of the city.
Dr. Audrey's practice is entirely online, which makes it far easier to gather a busy family. Every session takes place over secure, HIPAA-compliant video that opens in a browser with no download. One parent can join from a hotel room in New York, the other from home, and a teen from their bedroom. Under her Texas license, sessions are scheduled in Central Time, and each participant needs to be physically in Texas, New Jersey or New York during the session.
There is no waiting room and no office visit, which also matters for privacy. Families who would rather not run into coworkers or classmates appreciate that the work stays at home.
What to expect from the first sessions
The first session is an assessment. Dr. Audrey asks what prompted the call, what each person hopes will change, and the family history behind the current struggles. She may meet everyone together first, or start with parents and then invite a teen.
Over the next few sessions, she shares her understanding of the patterns at play and sets goals with the family. Sessions usually end with something concrete to try at home: a different way to handle bedtime battles, a script for a hard conversation, or a plan for what to do when an argument starts to escalate. Progress is reviewed regularly so the plan can be adjusted.
If you want background reading on family mental health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and SAMHSA offer family-friendly information. Published research on family therapy is indexed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
How to compare family therapy options in Irving
Whatever title you end up searching for, a few checks help you choose well. First, confirm the license. Texas publishes an online license lookup for counselors, psychologists, social workers and marriage and family therapists, so you can see that a provider is licensed and in good standing. Second, ask about training in family work specifically. Many therapists see individuals well but have little experience with a whole household in the room.
Third, ask how the therapist handles teens and confidentiality, since that shapes whether your teenager will trust the process. Finally, ask how progress is measured and how often goals are reviewed. Dr. Audrey is glad to answer each of these questions before you commit, and if she is not the right fit for your situation, she will say so.
A good match should leave you feeling that someone understands your family, not only the person who seems to be struggling. That sense of being understood is often what makes the next hard conversation at home possible.
Dr. Audrey's education and licenses
Dr. Audrey 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 has been a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor since 2001 and a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor since 2004, which means she is also qualified to supervise other counselors. She holds a New Jersey LPC and a New York LMHC as well.
She is a Certified Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations, is C-DBT certified through Evergreen Certifications, and is a published author on family dynamics. Her long-standing practice address is in Coppell, next door to Irving. Read more on her biography or about the practice, and send a general question through Ask Dr. Audrey. The practice is LGBTQ+-friendly and LGBTQ+-owned, aligned with GLSEN and the Human Rights Campaign.
How to get started
Use the appointment request form on the home page, or text the practice. Texting is easiest; please keep health information out of texts. You will hear back within one business day.
Dr. Audrey is an out-of-network provider. She provides a superbill you can submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement, so check your out-of-network mental health benefits ahead of time.
Request an appointment, or text or call (917) 905-3183. You can also email [email protected].