Couple and Family Therapy
At the Ackerman Institute clinic, trained therapists help families from all ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds. We serve families and couples of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Couple and Family Therapy
At the Ackerman Institute clinic, trained therapists help families from all ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds. We serve families and couples of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Therapy at Ackerman
At the Ackerman Institute Clinic, our therapists help families from all ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds. We serve both heterosexual and same sex headed families and couples.
Family therapy is a way of understanding and treating emotional problems and personal crises by working with the entire family rather than the individual. Therapy sessions focus on understanding individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behavior within the context of their families. The goal is to harness and strengthen family resources, and help family members work collaboratively toward solutions to their problems.
We help couples and families with problems including, but not limited to, school difficulties, child and adolescent problems, gender and LGBTQIA+ topics, marital issues, divorce, bereavement, learning disabilities, conflictual family relationships, child abuse and incest, and chronic medical illness including AIDS. Families from all boroughs of New York City and from the larger tri-state area are welcome. Fees are on a sliding scale based on family income. Ackerman is an in-network provider for a wide range of insurances. Medicaid is accepted.
Make an Appointment
Start Here: Read our Welcome Page.
For more information, contact the Intake Department at 212 879-4900, ext. 2 or intake@ackerman.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Arthur Maslow, who was a member of the faculty at the Ackerman Institute for many years and former chair of the Board of Directors, once said: “Family therapy works because it’s reality. The greatest support a child can get is from the family.”
In family therapy, family members work together to reconnect, harness and strengthen existing resources, and find inventive solutions to tough problems. The connection that takes place may be between parents and children, between siblings, or between couples. The issue that brings a family to therapy may be a problem a child is having in school, the serious physical illness of a family member, depression in an adolescent, or dissatisfaction in a marriage.
Some of the families that come to the Ackerman Institute are traditional nuclear families. Others are single-parent families. Some are families headed by gay couples or families in which the parents are straight and the children are gay. Some are intergenerational families, stepfamilies, or families with mixed ethnic or religious backgrounds. At the Ackerman Institute, we are committed to recognizing diversity in all of its forms and working with all kinds of families in ways that are sensitive to their specific needs.
Family is a powerful concept. The word family can be highly charged because, while many of our problems can stem directly from our family relationships, just as often, the solution to our problems lies within our family relationships.
This is because the one thing all families have in common is the fact that each family is the single most powerful resource available to all of its members as they try to cope with all kinds of concerns and issues at all stages of life. Family therapy works because no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, and no matter where you want to go… it all starts with the family.
The Ackerman Clinic helps families navigate a broad spectrum of challenges, including couples issues, relationship strain, and family communication hurdles. We provide comprehensive support for child and adolescent behavioral concerns, school difficulties, and major life transitions like divorce, co-parenting, and grief. Additionally, our specialized offerings include trauma care, LGBTQIA+-affirming therapy, and dedicated services for Latino immigrant families, provided in both English and Spanish.
We provide therapy services to families living throughout New York State, including all five boroughs of New York City.
Please complete our online Intake registration and screening form here.
Should you require additional assistance, please call the Intake Department at (212) 879-4900, ext. 2 and leave us a voicemail. An Intake Coordinator will connect with you at their earliest convenience.
Appointments (subject to the therapist’s availability) are in-person or virtual from 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and virtual from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturdays.
In-Network Insurances: Beacon Health · BCBS (except plans whose member IDs start with JLJ, JLH, or BCBS Medicaid) · Emblem Health · GHI · Healthfirst · MetroPlus · MHAP · NY State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP) · Optum · Oxford · United Behavioral Health · United Behavioral Health Community Plan · UMR · United Healthcare · Value Options
Please consult with your insurance company to confirm coverage for mental health services.
We accept straight Medicaid and Medicaid plans attached to a plan we are in network with (aside from BCBS as indicated above). We are not in-network with Medicare and are unable to accept a secondary plan if your primary plan is Medicare.
We also offer out of pocket options and sliding scale based upon need.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please reach out to your therapist as soon as possible. Please note that missed appointments without prior notice will be charged as a full session.
Therapy sessions are offered in-person and virtually, based on clinician availability.
The Ackerman Institute for the Family is located on the second floor of an office building at 936 Broadway, between 22nd and 21st Streets. The Institute is one block of the F, M, N, R, and 6 trains. NYC buses M1, M2, M3, M5 run on 5th and Park Avenues and the M23 runs cross town on 23rd Street.
To request a copy of your medical records, please submit your request in writing to medicalrecords@ackerman.org. Please include your full name, date of birth, contact information, and a brief description of the records you are requesting.
For your privacy and security, additional information or authorization may be required to verify your identity and process your request. Our team will provide any necessary forms or instructions and will respond to your request in accordance with applicable privacy laws and organizational policies.
Medical Records: medicalrecords@ackerman.org
If you have a concern regarding the ethical or professional conduct of a therapist, staff member, or any aspect of your care, we encourage you to report your concern. Visit the Ethics and Compliance Program page for more information.