5 Chicago Family Therapists [Available Now]
Family is supposed to be a safe place, but sometimes it's also the source of your deepest pain. If things at home feel stuck, strained, or broken, you're not alone, and it doesn't have to stay this way. At Watch Hill Therapy, our Chicago family counselors are here to help you find your way back to each other. Here, we’ll introduce you to our team—along with two other local family therapy practices we highly recommend—so you can find the right fit for your situation.
Jump to a therapist
Jenna Salsedo: Good fit for families rebuilding trust after betrayal or conflict
Angie Zara: Good fit for families processing grief, trauma, or substance abuse
Tovah Means: Good fit for families carrying complex or multigenerational trauma
Focht Family Practice: Good fit for intensive family therapy sessions
Nosh Family Therapy: Good fit for families with Aetna, United Healthcare and Cigna insurance
Meet our Chicago family counselors
Jenna Salsedo, MA, LCSW
Good fit for families rebuilding trust after betrayal or conflict
I work with families navigating painful emotional terrain, helping them rebuild trust and cultivate relationships that are more honest, connected, and resilient. What sets my work apart is a dual focus on the practical and the relational: you'll leave sessions with real tools you can use, grounded in a therapeutic relationship built on genuine compassion and mutual respect.
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker #149030785
Specialty areas: Families, couples, conflict resolution, feelings of disconnection, depression, trauma
Angie Zara, MA
Good fit for families processing grief, trauma, or substance abuse
My clients often come to me carrying things they've never been able to say out loud: grief that's gone unnamed, trauma that's shaped how they move through relationships, or substance use that started as a way to cope with family pain. I offer a warm, strengths-based space where clients from all walks of life can finally be honest about what's hurting. Plus, my background in forensic psychology gives me an unusually nuanced lens for understanding how harm happens within systems, and how real healing requires more than surface-level coping.
Credentials: MA in Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Specialty Areas: Family therapy, depression, grief, substance use, trauma, anxiety
Tovah Means, MS, LMFT
Good fit for families carrying complex or multigenerational trauma
I founded Watch Hill Therapy because I knew that too many trauma survivors were being failed by systems that didn't understand what trauma actually does to people. My clinical framework is deeply systemic: I look at the whole family, the relationships within it, and the ways that one person's pain ripples outward to affect everyone. I've also spent over a decade developing an approach that is culturally sensitive, somatically grounded, and genuinely relational. If your family has tried therapy before without lasting results, my approach offers something deeper.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #166000881
Specialty Areas: Family therapy, complex and developmental trauma, dissociation, family systems, somatic integration, multigenerational trauma
Other Chicago family counseling practices we recommend
We know that finding the right support for your specific situation matters. In case our practice isn’t a match for what your family is experiencing, we’ve highlighted some other local family therapy practices that we personally trust and refer clients to.
Focht Family Practice
Good fit for intensive family therapy sessions
While recurring sessions can be helpful for many therapies, sometimes an intensive session is a better fit. Focht Family Practice offers exactly that: one-time, two- to three-hour sessions where families can take the first steps toward healing. If scheduling conflicts or other barriers to an ongoing commitment are in the way of getting the support you need, we highly recommend Focht Family Practice’s intensive sessions. Plus, they are staffed exclusively by marriage and family therapists, who have specialized training in relationship dynamics.
Credentials: Marriage and Family Therapists
Specialty Areas: Family therapy, intensive family therapy, relationships, couples therapy, marriage preparation, individual therapy, child and adolescent therapy
Nosh Family Therapy
Good fit for families with Aetna, United Healthcare and Cigna insurance
For many families, therapy isn’t accessible without the use of insurance. While Watch Hill Therapy is in-network with BCBS PPO and can help with potential out-of-network reimbursement for other plans, we recognize that some families may exclusively look for in-network care. If you want to use your Aetna, United Healthcare, or Cigna benefits, we recommend Nosh Family Therapy. They’re another local family therapy practice we trust and have personally referred to, so we feel confident recommending them here.
Credentials: Various
Specialty Areas: Family therapy, couples therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, relationships, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, blended families, attachment, divorce, adoption, immigration, multicultural issues
What sets our practice apart from other Chicago family therapy providers
At Watch Hill Therapy, trauma-informed care is the foundation of everything we do. Our team brings a depth of clinical training and lived experience that goes well beyond traditional family counseling.
Trauma and dissociation specialists: We are leaders in Chicago for beyond trauma-informed trauma treatment, working with some of the most complex presentations other practices decline to treat.
13 years in practice: Founded in 2012, we bring over a decade of refined clinical expertise and institutional knowledge.
Diverse, expert team: Our clinicians reflect a wide range of identities, specialties, and therapeutic modalities so families of all backgrounds can find the right fit.
Hybrid availability: We see clients in-person and via telehealth, with evening and weekend hours to meet families where they are.
Convenient downtown Chicago location: Located in the heart of the city at 25 E Washington St, our practice is easily accessible for families across the metro area.
What to expect from the therapy process
Step 1:
Free consultation call
Before anything else, we want to make sure we're the right fit. You'll speak with a member of our team to share what's bringing your family to therapy, ask questions, and get a sense of how we work before you commit to the process.
Step 2:
Intake & assessment
Your first session is about getting to know your family's full story. Your therapist will gather information about your history, goals, and what isn't working right now, so that treatment is tailored to your unique needs from day one.
Step 3: Ongoing treatment
Family therapy is collaborative and relational. Your therapist will work with you to identify patterns, build skills, and process difficult experiences at a pace that feels safe and sustainable for everyone involved.
Step 4:
Transition & closure
As goals are met and your family finds more stability, sessions will naturally taper. Closure in therapy is intentional. We'll reflect on the progress you've made and make sure you feel equipped to continue growing beyond our work together.
FAQs about family counseling
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The terms are often used interchangeably, but family therapy may refer to a structured, clinically-informed process led by a qualified therapist and focused on deeper relational patterns and healing. Family counseling may be shorter-term and more solution-focused. At Watch Hill Therapy, we offer both, depending on what your family needs.
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If your family is experiencing repeated conflict, communication breakdowns, a traumatic event, a major life transition, or if one family member's struggles are affecting the whole household, therapy can help. At the same time, you don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from getting support. Many families start therapy as a proactive investment in their relationships.
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Our family therapists are equipped to support a wide range of challenges, including:
Divorce, separation, and co-parenting conflict
Death, grief, and loss within the family
Trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, and sexual trauma
A family member's mental illness, disability, or substance use
Parent-child conflict and communication breakdowns
Blended family stress and adjustment
Cultural oppression and its impact on family functioning
Identity and acceptance within the family system
This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list. If you’re unsure whether we can help with what you’re going through, schedule a free consultation.
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Family therapy creates a structured, safe space where members can finally say what they've been unable to say at home and learn to actually hear one another. Over time, it builds communication skills, deepens understanding of how each person's history shapes their behavior, and strengthens the relational bonds that help families survive and grow through hardship.
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Family therapy may not be the right starting point if a family member is in active crisis requiring immediate psychiatric care, or if safety concerns (such as ongoing domestic violence) make group sessions unsafe. In those cases, individual care or higher levels of support may need to come first. We're happy to help you think through next steps during a consultation call.
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Family therapy sessions may be covered depending on your specific plan and the diagnosis codes used. Watch Hill Therapy accepts BCBS PPO. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to understand your benefits. For clients not using insurance, we are happy to discuss fee options during your consultation.