Family dynamics don’t end when we grow up—they evolve. Even in adulthood, relationships with parents, siblings, and extended family can awaken old wounds, unresolved conflicts, and long-standing communication patterns that were never fully healed.

You may love your family deeply, yet still feel misunderstood, dismissed, or stuck in roles that no longer reflect who you are today. Adult family therapy offers a safe, neutral space to unpack these dynamics with compassion, curiosity, and structure. Whether your family is navigating long-standing tension, emotional distance, estrangement, or the complex love that keeps drawing you back, therapy can help you reconnect on healthier, more authentic terms.

I provide adult family therapy and relationship therapy in New York City for parents, adult children, siblings, and extended family members seeking greater understanding, emotional safety, and connection.

How to Find the Best Adult Family Therapist in New York City

Finding the right therapist for adult family therapy in New York City means working with someone who understands complex family systems, communication patterns, attachment dynamics, and generational differences.

The right family therapist will:

• Help you navigate conflict with skill and care

• Support healthier communication and boundaries

• Address unresolved relational wounds

• Tailor evidence-based approaches to your family’s needs

Therapeutic approaches may include emotion-focused therapy, family systems work, attachment-based therapy, mindfulness practices, and cognitive-behavioral techniques.

In a fast-paced city like NYC, having a therapist who combines professional expertise with personal insight into family relationships—particularly parent–adult child dynamics—is invaluable. With the right fit, therapy becomes a space for families to strengthen connection, foster mutual respect, and move forward with clarity, empathy, and resilience.

What Adult Family Therapy Can Help With

Adult family therapy supports parents, adult children, siblings, and extended family members in addressing:

• Communication breakdowns — Feeling unheard, dismissed, or misunderstood

• Unresolved past conflicts — Old resentments and power struggles

• Life transitions — Marriage, divorce, caregiving, illness, relocation

• Estrangement and reconciliation — Exploring distance or rebuilding trust

• Boundaries and roles — Redefining expectations and independence

• Parent–adult child conflict — Balancing closeness and autonomy

• Mother–daughter and sibling tension — Healing competition and unmet needs

• Cultural and generational differences — Navigating values and identity

If these experiences resonate, adult family therapy can help shift relationships from reactivity and blame toward understanding, repair, and emotional safety.

How Adult Family Therapy Differs from Individual or Couples Therapy

Individual therapy focuses on personal growth. Couples therapy centers on romantic partnerships. Adult family therapy addresses the entire relational system.

The goal is to:

• Strengthen communication

• Establish healthy boundaries

• Identify repeating patterns

• Resolve long-standing conflicts

Family therapy is not about deciding who is right. It is about understanding what has been painful, misunderstood, or left unsaid—and learning to listen with curiosity rather than defense.

Who Seeks Adult Family Therapy?

Adult family therapy is not only for families in crisis. Many families seek therapy when love is present, but connection feels strained.

Parents & Adult Children

• Parents struggling to release control

• Adult children seeking independence without guilt

• Conflict around finances, partners, or values

• Desire to reconnect after emotional distance

Siblings

• Long-standing rivalries

• Caregiving imbalance

• Conflict about aging parents or inheritance

• Grief exposing hidden tension

Aging & Caregiving Families

• Balancing autonomy and support

• Disagreements about care decisions

• Role reversal stress

Blended & Intergenerational Families

• Stepparent–adult stepchild tension

• Multigenerational value differences

• Maintaining connection across distance

Estranged Families

• Exploring whether reconnection is possible

• Understanding why distance occurred

Families Impacted by Trauma or Mental Health Challenges

• Addiction recovery

• Depression or anxiety

• Unresolved grief

• Intergenerational trauma

High-Functioning & Public Families

• Executives, creatives, and public-facing families

• Privacy, visibility, and pressure affecting relationships

How Family Therapy Works

Family therapy may include:

• Guided conversations

• Exploration of attachment and early roles

• Somatic and nervous-system regulation

• Communication and boundary skills

• Mapping family patterns

• Compassion-based practices

Many families notice meaningful shifts within the first several sessions. Some pursue short-term work; others choose ongoing therapy for deeper healing.

Common Concerns Families Bring to Therapy

• Healing emotional wounds

• Rebuilding trust

• Managing caregiving and role shifts

• Addressing inherited trauma

• Developing emotional intelligence

• Learning to show love without control or guilt

Therapy supports families in moving from cycles of criticism, withdrawal, or silence into more conscious, emotionally attuned relationships.

If Not Everyone Is Ready to Participate

Change can still occur when one person begins therapy. Learning new communication strategies, regulating your nervous system, and setting healthier boundaries often creates ripple effects that gradually shift the entire system.

My Integrative, Mind–Body Approach

I integrate:

• Family Systems Therapy

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

• Attachment-Based Therapy

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• CBT and Mindfulness Practices

This approach addresses both emotional and physiological layers of family connection.

Cultural & Generational Understanding

Differences in culture, identity, values, and communication styles often underlie conflict. Therapy offers space to explore these differences with respect. The goal is not agreement—it is mutual understanding and relational safety.

Virtual Adult Family Therapy in New York & Montana

I offer secure virtual family therapy throughout New York and Montana, allowing family members in different locations to participate. Online therapy is confidential, accessible, and effective.

What Healing Looks Like

Healing often appears in small moments:

A calmer conversation.
A boundary respected.
A parent listening.
An adult child speaking with less fear.

Over time, these moments become trust. Healing does not always mean reconciliation—but it does mean relief, integration, and greater peace.

Family Therapy with Adult Children – Frequently Asked Questions

What is family therapy with adult children?

Family therapy with adult children is a form of psychotherapy that supports families in addressing longstanding relational patterns, communication breakdowns, and unresolved emotional dynamics. The focus is on understanding how past experiences continue to shape present relationships and creating healthier ways of relating moving forward.

How is family therapy different when children are adults?

When children are adults, family therapy focuses less on parenting strategies and more on boundaries, autonomy, mutual respect, and emotional accountability. Therapy acknowledges adult children as independent individuals while exploring how family roles and patterns persist over time.

What kinds of issues bring families with adult children to therapy?

Common concerns include chronic conflict, emotional distance, difficulty communicating, unresolved resentment, boundary challenges, differing values or life choices, estrangement, or tension around caregiving, finances, or life transitions. Therapy offers a structured space to address these issues thoughtfully.

Does family therapy mean assigning blame or revisiting the past?

No. Family therapy is not about blame. While past experiences may be explored, the goal is understanding—not accusation. Therapy focuses on how patterns developed and how they continue to affect relationships, with an emphasis on responsibility, repair, and forward movement.

What if not everyone wants to participate?

Family therapy can still be helpful even if not all members are willing or able to attend. Individual sessions or partial family involvement can support insight, boundary-setting, and relational change within the broader system.

Can family therapy help if there has been estrangement or long periods of distance?

Yes. Family therapy can be particularly helpful when families are considering reconnection or navigating contact after periods of distance. Therapy provides a contained, supported environment to explore readiness, expectations, and emotional safety.

How does an integrative approach support family therapy?

An integrative approach considers relational dynamics alongside nervous system regulation, trauma history, attachment patterns, and life context. Therapy may draw from trauma-informed psychotherapy, relational and psychodynamic frameworks, and strategies that support emotional regulation and communication.

Can family therapy help when adult children are dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma?

Yes. Family therapy can be supportive when individual mental health concerns affect family dynamics. While family therapy does not replace individual treatment, it can help families understand how to support one another without over-functioning or reinforcing unhelpful patterns.

Is telehealth effective for family therapy with adult children?

Yes. Telehealth can be very effective for family therapy, especially when family members live in different locations. Remote sessions allow for flexibility, consistency, and participation without the added stress of travel or coordination.

Do you offer family therapy for adult children in New York via telehealth?

Yes. Family therapy is offered to individuals and families located in New York through secure telehealth sessions, in accordance with state licensure requirements.

How many family members attend sessions?

This varies depending on the situation. Some families attend with two members, others with several. The structure is discussed collaboratively to ensure sessions feel safe, productive, and manageable for everyone involved.

How long does family therapy typically last?

There is no fixed timeline. Some families seek short-term support around a specific issue, while others engage in longer-term work to address deeper relational patterns. Therapy is paced collaboratively and revisited as needs evolve.

When is a higher level of care or different support recommended?

If family conflict involves safety concerns, active abuse, or severe emotional instability, alternative or additional supports may be recommended. Ethical practice includes careful assessment and appropriate referrals when needed.

How do we get started with family therapy?

You can begin by requesting an initial consultation. This allows us to discuss your family’s concerns, determine whether family therapy is the right fit, and outline next steps in a supportive, structured way.

Start the Conversation

If you’re ready to move toward more honest, compassionate connection within your family, I would be honored to help. Together, we’ll create a space for healing, repair, and growth—where every voice can be heard and respected.

You don’t have to keep repeating the same story. Let’s create a new chapter—one grounded in understanding, empathy, and care.