Family Therapy

Family therapy for people throughout Illinois and beyond

Family relationships are deeply important. Afterall, we learn how to relate to ourselves and the world in our families.

While we hope that our home creates a family environment of love and safety, there are times when we experience pain and disconnection due to conflict or overwhelming circumstances.

When families are stuck and need help, it may be time to reach out for family therapy. Your therapist can provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment for your family to begin the process of healing wounds and finding a way forward.

At The Marriage and Family Clinic (The MFT Clinic), our therapists are trained to help families throughout all stages of life, from raising newborns, to navigating teen years, to relating to adult children, and caring for elderly parents. We address a wide range of problems and challenges, including communication breakdowns, conflict resolution, parenting issues, illness and losses, blended family dynamics, and many more.

Anyone can start the process of family therapy, including parents, grandparents, teenagers, caregivers, etc. If you want to find a way to help your family, reach out to us.

Make an Appointment

What can I expect from family therapy?

First, family therapists want to hear from each person in the family. We want everyone to be able to express their feelings and concerns.

Next, your therapist will help your family create a common goal so that everyone is aware of why they are in therapy, and they will know what to expect.

As you work toward your goal, your therapist will focus on the way your family talks to one another and will coach family members through difficult conversations as you learn to share your thoughts, hear each other’s perspectives, and stay connected emotionally.

When family members learn new ways of relating to each other, a new experience happens, where connection grows, and problems become easier to work through.

What type of family therapy will work for us?

At The MFT Clinic, we recognize that every couple is unique, and therefore, our clinicians are trained in a variety of theories and evidence-based interventions so that we can use the approach that works best for you.

Methods include multigenerational family therapy, structural family therapy, narrative therapy, faith-integrated therapy, trauma-informed therapy, psychodynamic approaches and many more.

You are not alone. Many people are afraid to talk directly to their loved ones about the pain they feel in their family relationships. Conversations like these can lead to anger, frustration, disconnection, and sometimes despair. Families can get stuck when there are things that need to be said but there seems to be no way to talk about it.

At The MFT Clinic, we believe that the way to heal family relationships is to work through the pain together. We provide tools and strategies for your family to learn how to communicate with each other while staying calm and connected in the process. This may be the hardest thing your family has ever done, but it can also be the most rewarding and life changing.

It can be very difficult and painful when a family member does not want to come to family therapy. For many people, this can be so discouraging that they wonder if family therapy is even possible.

Our family therapists want you to know that this scenario happens often. Many families experience this challenge when trying to start family therapy.

Our intake team is here to help you talk about this and work through possible ways to move forward. It just takes one family member who wants to change to start the process.

The MFT Clinic at Wheaton College

The MFT Clinic is an Academic Care Center, like a teaching hospital. We provide essential mental health care to people in Illinois (and beyond) while training therapy interns who attend the MFT master’s program at Wheaton College. Our small cohort of intern therapists receive intensive training academically and clinically.

Many clients work directly with an intern therapist. Meanwhile, the therapist receives close supervision by dedicated faculty experts behind the scenes. Together, your intern and faculty provide you with state-of-the art, insightful care.

At The MFT Clinic, you will have a seasoned expert who is carefully thinking through the latest interventions to determine the approach that fits best for you and your loved ones.

We have found this to be an effective and deeply meaningful process. While your therapy intern brings energy, compassion and eagerness to therapy, your seasoned faculty therapist is behind the scenes, infusing insight and expertise into your care, tailoring treatment to meet your unique needs.

Contact Us Today

You can reach us through our inquiry page here, by telephone at 630-733-8161 or email to begin on your transformative journey of couple’s, family, or individual therapy.

Get Started