Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT)
Contact Us
Do you answer Yes to one or more of the following questions:
- Has your son or daughter recently been found to be using drugs or alcohol?
- Has their mood, motivation, and peer group dramatically changed in recent weeks?
- Are you worried the impact these activities are having on their schooling or extracurricular activities?
- Has there been a change in their connection with family and overall physical and mental health?
Does your family need help?
Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) is a 3 - 6 month fee-for-service intensive outpatient program for adolescents and their families for the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse.
MDFT is effective in helping adolescents ages 11-18 with substance abuse problems as well as other behavioural and emotional difficulties including:
- Disrespect and disobedience
- Aggressive behavior
- Legal involvement
- School problems
- Depression
- Anxiety
MDFT focuses on all of the areas and relationships that shape a young person’s life:
- Family
- Peers
- Neighbourhood and Community Networks
- School Performance
These areas help families eliminate drug and alcohol use and strengthen relationships. Family members and therapist design a program collaboratively to meet goals and needs in all four of these domains. This creates a productive therapeutic relationship for both the adolescent and family and creates opportunities for meaningful change.
The MDFT program provides a combination of the following services to adolescents and families based on their unique strengths and needs:
- Weekly family therapy
- Individual sessions with adolescent
- Individual sessions with parents
- Identifying and involving other family members and support systems
- Drug and alcohol dependency assessment and treatment
- Ongoing voluntary drug screening
- Coordinating activities with school systems, youth probation, employment and/or other social service agencies
- Individualized case management
- Ongoing contact by therapist with family and adolescent via phone, e-mail, etc.
- Referral of parent(s) to other counseling and support options if presenting with own addictions and mental health concerns
MDFT is internationally recognized as one of the most promising interventions for substance abuse for adolescents and their families and the first program of its kind in Canada.
Registered and provisional psychologists are available for evening appointments.
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