Family Therapy That Brings You Back Together
Family relationships can be the most meaningful and the most complex. Over time, families may find themselves stuck in unhelpful patterns that cause distress, tension, and emotional distance. It’s common to experience regular arguments, feel unheard, or notice escalating conflict among multiple family members. The demands of daily life: school, work, social obligations, and other time-consuming responsibilities can stretch even the most loving families thin.
Family therapy provides a space to pause, reflect, and rebuild. At CBTAA, we will work to bring the family system to a more cohesive and positive place. All family members influence one another; therefore, when we work with an entire family, or most of its members, we can better enact change. We help family members see how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors feed off each other and how overly negative views of one another creates conflict. Furthermore, we work to improve communication and interaction styles, alter problematic behavior patterns, learn to compromise, and help family members meet their needs.
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What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the family unit as a whole. It recognizes that each member of a family affects, and is affected by, the others. Rather than placing blame on one individual, family therapy helps everyone see how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected. Through this lens, we work together to shift patterns, resolve conflicts, and support the family’s collective well-being.
Sessions are collaborative and tailored to your family’s needs. You may attend together as a group, or in smaller configurations depending on the situation. The goal is to bring your family system to a more cohesive and positive place where each member feels respected, understood, and supported.
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What Issues Can Family Therapy Help Address?
Each familial situation is unique, but there are common challenges that can disrupt family functioning. And, many of these can be effectively addressed through family therapy.
Some families are navigating strained relationships or ongoing tension between members. Others face chronic stress, anger, or unresolved conflict that affects day-to-day life. Communication issues are especially common, whether it’s constant arguing, avoidance, or feeling misunderstood, and can quickly spiral into broader emotional disconnection.
Family therapy also supports families coping with trauma, whether physical or emotional, including the aftermath of an accident, illness, or other significant life events. We work with families navigating grief after the loss of a loved one, as well as those dealing with life transitions such as divorce, separation, job loss, incarceration, or moving to a new location.
Therapy can also be especially helpful when a family member is living with a mental health condition. Family therapy can be a vital part of treatment and support when someone is experiencing:
- Anxiety disorders (including OCD)
- Depression or other mood disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Substance use disorder
Families with neurodivergent members, such as those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also benefit from therapy, as it provides a structured space to learn new approaches and respond with greater empathy and consistency.
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Why Focus on the Whole Family?
While individual therapy can be a powerful tool for personal growth, family therapy takes a different approach. It’s not about “fixing” one person, it’s about understanding the system and creating meaningful change across the group.
Because families are deeply interconnected, changes made by one member often influence everyone else. In therapy, we explore those connections and identify opportunities to improve how you communicate, resolve conflict, and support each other. When the family system shifts, each individual benefits.
What to Expect in a Family Therapy Session
During your first few sessions, your therapist will take time to learn about your family’s history, current challenges, and goals for therapy. This may include speaking to members individually and as a group to ensure everyone has a voice. You can expect your therapist to serve as a neutral guide — someone who doesn’t take sides but instead helps everyone feel seen, heard, and understood.
Sessions often include guided conversations to identify areas of friction, patterns of miscommunication, and unmet needs. We may use strategies such as reframing, role-playing, mindfulness techniques, or structured exercises to improve how family members relate to each other. Progress looks different for every family, but with consistency and openness, many families begin to experience positive change early in the process.
Key Techniques Used in Family Therapy
Mental health professionals use several forms of family therapy, and many professionals specialize in certain types. There is also a good amount of similarity between these approaches, which means your therapist may combine techniques from different models to best support your family’s needs. The choice of therapy depends on your unique circumstances, but the focus is always on improving communication, strengthening relationships, and addressing patterns that may be causing stress or conflict. Some forms of family therapy include:
- Functional family therapy (FFT): Therapists most often use this type to help families with children who have behavioral issues. FFT assesses the family dynamics that have contributed to a child’s problematic behavior, improves family communication and parenting skills, and supports positive reinforcement.
- Marriage counseling/couples therapy: This therapy involves you and your spouse or romantic partner. Issues may be related to communication, raising children, finances, reigniting intimacy, navigating life transitions,understanding your or your partner’s mental health condition and more.
- Strategic family therapy: This is a short-term family therapy that focuses on making positive structural and behavioral changes in the family environment. It’s based on the foundation that the family plays the most important role in the life and development of children. Therapists may use this therapy form for families with children who have behavioral issues.
- Structural family therapy: This type of therapy looks at the inner relationships, boundaries and hierarchies within a family unit (its structure). It focuses on direct interactions among your family members as the primary way to bring about positive change. The main foundation of structural family therapy is that when guided by a therapist, families will discover their own alternatives to their problematic patterns of relating to one another.
- Systemic family therapy: The foundation of systemic family therapy is considering the family’s issues in the different contexts in which they live. For example, the therapist will consider how one family member functions as a partner in a romantic relationship, as a parent and as a child to their parents. Context also includes cultural, religious and political views, and socio-economic status. This approach regards context as having the most significance for your psychological development and emotional well-being.
For families who are participating in therapy due to a mental health condition, psychoeducation is a crucial part of the therapy. Psychoeducation is the way that mental health professionals teach people and their families about mental health conditions. It involves basic information about the condition, causes, treatment and prognosis (outlook).
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What are the Benefits of Family Therapy?
Family therapy offers more than just conflict resolution — it helps families reconnect and grow stronger over time. One of the biggest benefits is improved communication. As family members learn to express themselves clearly and listen with empathy, misunderstandings decrease and trust is rebuilt.
Therapy can also reduce tension at home. When people feel heard and supported, it becomes easier to let go of defensiveness and meet each other with compassion. Families often find they can solve problems more effectively and work as a team — even in stressful situations.
Beyond solving immediate issues, therapy helps build long-term resilience. Families develop healthier ways of managing stress, navigating life transitions, and supporting one another’s emotional needs. Over time, this creates a more peaceful, supportive environment where each person feels valued and understood.
What Is the Success Rate of Family Therapy?
Research shows that family therapy is highly effective for a wide range of concerns, from communication issues to serious mental health conditions. According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), over 90% of clients report improved emotional health, and most families see better functioning in their relationships after treatment.
Success in therapy depends on several factors, including the nature of the issues, the family’s willingness to engage in the process, and the skills of the therapist. When families show up with openness and a willingness to grow, real change becomes possible, and often, transformative.
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How Long Does Family Therapy Take to Work?
The timeline for family therapy can vary depending on your goals and the complexity of your concerns. Some families begin to see improvement after just a few sessions, especially when the focus is on communication skills or resolving a specific conflict. For others, deeper patterns may take longer to understand and shift.
Most families attend therapy for several months, often meeting weekly or biweekly. The therapist will regularly check in with you to assess progress and adjust the plan as needed. In some cases, therapy is short-term and goal-oriented; in others, it may continue on a longer-term basis to provide support through ongoing life changes.
At CBTAA, our approach is always personalized. Your therapist will work with you to set clear goals, track your progress, and make sure therapy is moving at a pace that feels both effective and sustainable.
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How Can I Find a Family Therapist?
Finding the right family therapist starts with looking for someone who is licensed, experienced, and trained in working with family systems. It's important to choose a therapist who understands the complexities of family dynamics and can support all members with care and neutrality. Look for someone who uses evidence-based approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), structural family therapy, or systems theory, and who takes the time to understand your specific needs and goals.
If you're in New York City, New Jersey, or Connecticut, CBTAA offers expert family therapists who specialize in helping families reconnect, communicate better, and create lasting change. We offer both in-person and virtual sessions to meet your schedule and comfort level. Our team can match you with the right therapist based on your concerns, preferences, and availability.
You don’t have to figure it out alone, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Why Families and Individuals Choose Us.
We combine deep clinical expertise with a commitment to delivering clear, actionable results quickly. Our team’s experience, empathy, and dedication to individualized care have made us a trusted partner for families, schools, and professionals across the NY Metro Area. We take on a limited number of clients at a time to ensure focus and speed of report delivery.
We’re ready when you are. Let’s take the first step together.
Book a consultation with our team at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Assessment Associates (CBTAA).
