Family life in Willowood, one stage at a time
Willowood families tend to know each other through the rhythms of childhood: school drop-off, weekend games, birthday parties in the park. Then, almost without warning, the rhythm changes. The child who wanted you at every event now wants you to wait in the car. The high school senior is counting down the days until leaving. The college graduate is back in their old bedroom, unsure what comes next.
Other transitions arrive from outside the parent-child relationship altogether:
- A divorce, a new partner or the blending of two households
- A new baby, or an aging grandparent moving in
- A job change, layoff or relocation that upends routines
- The loss of a family member, friend or pet
- A diagnosis such as ADHD or autism spectrum disorder that changes how the family understands a child
Each of these shifts asks something new of a family. Rules that worked at age nine fail at fifteen. Parents who were partners in the busy years may realize they have drifted. Siblings who were close may start to compete or pull apart. When a family does not adjust together, conflict fills the gap.
Dr. Audrey Kteily works with families in Willowood and across the Coppell area, where her long-standing practice is based. Her practice is now completely online, so families meet with her by secure video rather than squeezing an office visit into an already full week.
What changes when a child becomes a teenager?
Adolescence is supposed to involve some pulling away. Teens are building an identity separate from their parents, and that process naturally brings more privacy, more opinions and more pushback. The hard part for parents is telling the difference between healthy independence and a teen who is struggling.
Signs that a teen may need more support include lasting changes in sleep or appetite, dropping friendships or activities they used to enjoy, sudden declines in grades, secrecy around self-harm or substances, panic attacks, or statements of hopelessness. Teens dealing with questions about sexuality or gender identity may also need a safe, affirming place to talk. Dr. Audrey's practice is LGBTQ+-friendly and LGBTQ+-owned.
Dr. Audrey works with teens ages 12 to 18, often with a blend of individual time and family sessions. You can read about her approach on the adolescent issues page and in this article about teen counseling for Coppell adolescents. For teens with intense emotions or self-harm, she may teach skills from dialectical behavior therapy, in which she is C-DBT certified.
Balancing a teen's privacy with a parent's need to know
Parents often worry they will be shut out once their teen starts therapy. Dr. Audrey sets clear expectations at the start: teens have room to talk privately, and parents are told if there is a serious safety concern. She also coaches teens to share important things with their parents themselves, which tends to build more trust at home than any report from a therapist could.
Supporting young adults and the parents watching them launch
The years from 18 to 29 bring their own pressures: leaving home, starting college or a first job, managing money, building relationships and, for many, moving back home for a while. Young adults may feel behind their peers or unsure of who they want to be. Parents may not know whether to step in or step back.
Dr. Audrey offers young adult therapy for people ages 18 to 29 and can also bring parents and young adults together to renegotiate roles. Practical topics often include household expectations, financial support, privacy and how to talk about plans without every conversation turning into a lecture. Because sessions are online, a young adult at a Texas university can keep working with her through the school year.
What does a PhD in Family Studies bring to family therapy?
Dr. Audrey Kteily earned her PhD in Family Studies from Texas Woman's University, where she also completed her Bachelor's in Psychology. Her Master's in Counseling is from Dallas Baptist University. A doctorate in Family Studies centers on how families develop over time, how they respond to stress and how relationships within them shape each member. That training is the backbone of her family systems counseling work.
She has been a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor since 2001 and an LPC-Supervisor since 2004, and is also licensed as an LPC in New Jersey and an LMHC in New York. Her other credentials include Certified Family Life Educator status from the National Council on Family Relations and C-DBT certification from Evergreen Certifications, and she has written published work on family dynamics. She brings more than two decades of clinical experience to this work. Read more on the About Dr. Audrey page, and see how her solo practice works.
Families who like to read up on the field can explore the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Social Workers and the American Psychological Association's topic pages.
How online sessions work for Willowood families
Sessions take place over a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. The link opens in your browser, so there is nothing to install. Each person can join from their own device, which makes it simple to include a parent at work, a teen at home and a young adult living elsewhere in Texas.
Dr. Audrey is licensed in Texas as an LPC-Supervisor, so anyone physically in Texas during a session can take part. Appointments are scheduled flexibly in Central Time. All you need is a private space, a camera and a steady internet connection.
Beyond convenience, online family therapy has a quieter benefit: it happens where family life actually happens. Patterns that might stay hidden in an office often show up naturally at home, which gives Dr. Audrey a clearer view of what is going on.
Online sessions also fit around the realities of family schedules. A session can start soon after a teen gets home from practice or after younger children are in bed, without anyone rushing through dinner to make a drive. When a family member is sick or the weather turns, the appointment can usually go ahead as planned instead of being cancelled.
What to expect in the first session
The first session is a chance for Dr. Audrey to understand your family and for you to see whether her style fits. She will ask what prompted you to reach out, how each person sees the situation and what you would like to be different. She will explain confidentiality, especially if a teen is involved, and suggest who should attend upcoming sessions.
Many families leave the first session with one or two concrete ideas to try at home. Parents who want guidance of their own may find this article on how parent counseling improves parenting skills useful, and what a family counselor does for Coppell families describes the process in more detail. Other concerns Dr. Audrey treats, such as ADHD, autism spectrum needs, grief and addictions, appear on the other specialties page.
Getting started
Dr. Audrey is an out-of-network provider. She provides a superbill you can submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement; check your out-of-network mental health benefits ahead of time. You can also send a question through Ask Dr. Audrey or use the home page request form.
Texting is the easiest way to begin. Keep health details out of the message; a note that you are a Willowood family interested in family therapy is enough. She replies within one business day.
Request a family therapy session, or text or call (917) 905-3183.