Two Way Path
Boundary-focused facilitation for family communication
Two Way Path is a facilitation service designed to respect boundaries while considering clearer communication between family members.
A family member reaches out, typically a parent seeking to understand or reconnect with their adult child. This process begins by gathering facts and separating them from assumptions. The person making initial contact agrees that any subsequent contact with the other person will be confidential to that person.
With permission, I contact the other family member to understand their perspective and boundaries. This conversation is confidential unless they explicitly approve specific information to be shared.
In many cases, this process helps establish or clarify boundaries. Sometimes it leads to improved communication, sometimes to greater clarity about why boundaries exist. Both outcomes can provide relief.
Based on what's discovered, next steps are determined collaboratively—whether that's further careful communication, boundary documentation, or acknowledgment that no further contact is appropriate.
Two Way Path exists to honor boundaries while creating space for clear communication, but only with the consent of all people involved.
This approach is rooted in the belief that boundaries are healthy and necessary. Sometimes the most valuable outcome is greater clarity about why boundaries exist, not necessarily their removal.
This approach maintains a neutral stance, never advocating for reconciliation at the expense of safety or wellbeing. The role is to facilitate understanding, not to push an agenda.
A word about "reunification therapy": This term raises concerns. Courts sometimes mandate it without careful consideration of all perspectives, and significant damage has been done to individuals in its name. That said, trauma-informed and oppression-informed best practices for reunification therapy are developing. Two Way Path is not reunification therapy, but rather a boundary-focused facilitation that prioritizes safety and consent above reunion.
For those who are contacted: You have complete control over what information is shared, if any. There is no cost to you, no pressure to respond, and no obligation to change your boundaries.
I had an unpleasant experience being forced to attend family therapy as a kid. There was an adult family member with a dominant narrative that everyone else seemed expected to adhere to—before, during, and after therapy. I didn't have words for concepts like boundaries, differentiation, or how someone could rewrite history and make you doubt your own experience.
When I became a family therapist myself, I recognized something important: there's often a need for someone who can advocate for keeping boundaries clear, not just for bringing everyone together. As someone who respects the boundaries of family members of all ages, I sometimes found that parents of my younger clients became frustrated or even fired me because I didn't adopt their narrative or push through their children's boundaries.
I realized this dynamic often carries into adulthood. The pattern frequently involves conditional relationships where a parent wants connection, but also has an unexamined narrative that family members must accept to maintain a decent relationship.
What I found as an adult is that boundaries can be the healthiest choice, and getting really clear about boundaries—and the reasons for having them—can be a healing and liberating process.
Sometimes I work with a parent whose child is now an adult, sometimes with their own children. When I meet with the parent, I challenge them to separate facts from opinions and beliefs. I maintain critical thinking about their narrative—the same kind of critical thinking I wished that family therapist had used when I was a kid.
Then I contact the adult (or nearly adult) family member to understand why boundaries may have been established. It's crucial that people know: I do not report any specific information back to the parent that their adult child has not explicitly approved me to share.
In some cases, I'm able to help draft a statement that the adult child approves of, clarifying information about their boundaries. I take that statement back to the parent. This process can feel like a huge relief, though it can also feel stressful or upsetting along the way (my consent forms say more about this).
A note about the term "social worker": Many people associate this with government employees conducting investigations. I am a private, licensed clinical social worker—essentially equivalent to a licensed professional counselor—and do not work for any government agency.
Survey results coming soon
You have complete control. You can choose not to respond, you can set clear boundaries about what you're willing to discuss, and nothing you share will be reported back without your explicit approval. There is no cost to you and no pressure to change your position.
No, this is a limited-scope facilitation service. While I'm a licensed clinical social worker, this work focuses on communication and boundary clarification, not treatment or therapy.
That feedback is important and respected. If you're unhappy with the contact or the process, please bring it to my attention so I can work to make it right. Your boundaries are paramount.
Success isn't necessarily reconciliation. Sometimes success is clearer boundaries. Sometimes it's a parent finally understanding their child's perspective. Sometimes it's an adult child feeling heard without having to engage directly. All of these outcomes can provide relief and clarity.
Each person controls what information can be shared with the other. I maintain strict boundaries about what I communicate, and I always confirm what you're comfortable sharing before relaying information.
Contact can be made with individuals who meet the age requirements for mental health consent in their state: 14 or older in Oregon, 16 or older in Kentucky, and 13 or older in Washington. While this service is not therapy, the same consent standards that apply to outpatient mental health treatment are followed for safety and legal compliance. Specific consent requirements are detailed in the consent forms and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
For inquiries or to begin a conversation:
If you've been contacted by Two Way Path on behalf of a family member and have que