Family joy – psychotherapy, counseling and training with a systems theory focus

We need more joy in our lives and in our relationships. Joy is born and grows when we feel safe. I have chosen to name this page, and my business Family fun – Because that’s what I want for you and me: for us to experience even more joy in our families, and for those of us who work with families to find ways to help families build joy.

Services provided

I offer family psychotherapy, couple psychotherapy and individual psychotherapy where we explore together how you can feel more secure with each other and how joy can grow in your lives. I am also a trained family reconstructionist and offer family reconstruction – a way to explore in a group how previous generations have influenced my life.

I offer trauma recovery for individuals, couples, families and groups based on my model Safety Stories.

I offer guidance where safety and joy are key words, both during the supervision and in the theories and interventions the participants get to use in their work. I also offer supervision for supervisors.

I offer lectures, brainstorming sessions and webinars where we, among other things, explore the interpersonal neurobiology that scientifically explains how security and joy are created and why it is so important for our well-being, and where we get to discover how we can use creative language, play and movement as a means to bring in security and joy. I am happy to lecture for social services and schools, in churches and other non-profit associations, in organizations and companies.

Every semester I invite you to webinar series. One about Third Culture Kids, an om Creative conversations with families and one about Safety stories. Each training includes three to four sessions of two hours each. In spring 2025, the webinar on Safety Stories will start in March. Write to ulrika.ernvik@gmail.com for more info and registration.

For those who want to deepen their relationship with nature, I offer Ecopsychotherapy. If you are a Christian or want to explore your relationship with God, I offer psychotherapy on a Christian basis, respecting the faith that each person carries with them. I also offer spiritual guidance on a Christian basis for all ages, for individuals and groups. I bring in the Christian perspective only when there is an expressed desire to do so.

I work from interpersonal neurobiology, including the polyvagal theory that helps us understand why we react the way we do in relationships, and shows how we can find peace and security through movement and security with others. I offer safe-and-sound sound therapy (SSP), which is based on research on the autonomic nervous system and the polyvagal theory. By listening to specially processed music, the social structures of the brain can be developed. The treatment can be offered to both adults and children.

I would be happy to meet with you, your family or your group to help you find new ways to bring more joy into your lives and relationships. Under the tabs conversations and guidance – group joy you can see how I work with individuals, couples, families and groups. Under the tab lectures – brainstorming – webinars you can read about knowledge and experiences I like to share.

I live in Mariestad and have a reception where I can receive for calls – family and couple psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy and trauma work. I also offer talks on video link, and for tutorials and lectures I can come to you. You can follow me on Facebook at Familjeglädje/Relationsverkstan where I regularly write about what is current and going on.

The website

In addition to information on what I offer, this website features eight knowledge tracks:

Family psychotherapy – here you will find those who work with family therapy and those who want family therapy information about how I work with family therapy. Family psychotherapy is a systems-theoretical approach to psychotherapy where we explore and strengthen relationships within the family.

Ecopsychotherapy – here you will find thoughts on how nature can contribute to joy in our lives and also in psychotherapy. Ecopsychotherapy is a systems-theoretical approach to psychotherapy where we deepen the relationship with nature.

Psychotherapy and spiritual guidance on a Christian basis – here you will find thoughts and ideas on psychotherapy and spiritual guidance on a Christian basis for all ages. Christian-based psychotherapy is a systems-theoretical approach to psychotherapy where we explore our relationship with God. Christian spiritual direction is about seeing God in the midst of our lives, and is actually something very mundane.

Need-focused psychotherapy – here you will find information about the therapy approach that has emerged in my work with children and adults, based on the fact that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are based on what we need.

Parenting – here you will find thoughts on parenting and what we can do to better understand our children, both children we have lived with since they were born and children who have come to us later in life.

Third Culture Kids – Here you will find ideas to help families living in many cultures. Especially for those who are, have or work with missionary children.

Children and trauma – here you will find ideas for parents and professionals working with children to help children and families process events they have experienced that triggered trauma.

Interpersonal neurobiology – here you can read about the scientific theories that help us understand what we need to build safe and strong relationships.

Joy does not grow automatically because we read about it, but when we start doing things together! Therefore, there are also tips on several activities to do together to better understand each other and have fun together.