Moving Families Forward
Training
One of most highly regarded training facilities for family therapists in the United States.Therapy
We deliver couple and family therapy services for families of all backgrounds, at all stages of life.Research
Ackerman's clinical research projects & centers respond to the changing needs of families.Helping Families Thrive
Founded in 1960, the Ackerman Institute for the Family is one of the premier institutions for family therapy and one of the best-known and most highly regarded training facilities for family therapists in the United States. The Institute serves families from all walks of life at all stages of family life.
Our programming and services continue to operate while the Ackerman offices are closed. Our therapy services have transitioned to teletherapy, and our training programs are now held online. Read Ackerman’s COVID-19 Action Plan.
Core Curriculum: Applications are Open!
This 30-week introductory course is for those who wish to learn about family systems theory and technique. This course provides the foundation for more advanced training in family therapy. Learn more…
This 30-week course offers the opportunity for hands-on supervision. Trainees participate as part of a consultation team that evaluates and plans treatment. Learn more…
Trainees take both Foundations of Family Therapy & Live Clinical Supervision the same year. Learn more…
Community Training
Workshops
Ackerman’s online workshops are interactive, easy to attend, and provide top-tier training from innovative and diverse leaders in the field of family and couple therapy.
Short Courses
Ackerman Short Courses are multi-day intensive trainings that explore a variety of topics in the field of couple and family therapy.
Join us for special events hosted by the Ackerman Training Department. Events are free and open to the public.
January Book of the Month | My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Our January Book of the Month is My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem.
December Book of the Month | Covering by Kenji Yoshino
Our December Book of the Month is Covering: The Hidden Assault on our Human Rights by Kenji Yoshino. In Covering, the author draws on both his personal experiences as a gay Asian American and expands upon these experiences to examine common ways many individuals downplay aspects of their identities that are based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability to become mainstream.
The Future of Live Supervision: Marlene F. Watson Speaks with Psychotherapy Networker
Ackerman’s Director of Training, Marlene F. Watson, PhD spoke with Psychotherapy Networker about the future and business of live clinical supervision. In the article, The New Supervision: Are We Meeting the Needs of Today’s Therapists?, Dr. Watson explains that Ackerman’s nonprofit model allows for in-depth therapeutic training that is becoming exceedingly rare in today’s educational climate.
In 2020-21, The Ackerman Institute for the Family:
Supporting Diversity in Family Therapy
Created in 1992, Ackerman Institute’s Social Work & Diversity Program has trained more than 100 therapists of color. The program is partnered with with the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, the NYU Silver School of Social Work and the Columbia School of Social Work.
Graduates of the program are working locally and nationally in community agencies, hospitals and academic institutions.
