Business Details
35 Years
experience
Your Trusted Source for Family Mental Health Therapy in Chicago
For over three decades, the Chicago Center-Family Health (CCFH) has established itself as a global leader in family therapy training and clinical services. Founded in 1991 by Dr. John Rolland and Dr. Froma Walsh, our organization pioneered a resilience-based systemic approach to address the complex challenges facing families in distress. Our mission centers on strengthening families through advanced training programs for mental health professionals, community consultation initiatives, and direct counseling services tailored to diverse populations. Our expert therapists specialize in addressing child, couple, and family dynamics related to trauma, loss, illness, and life transitions. As a non-profit (501c3) organization, we maintain affiliations with academic institutions and professional networks to expand our impact.Our faculty members, recognized internationally for their contributions to family therapy, hold advanced degrees in psychiatry, psychology, and social work. We provide services through both in-person offices in Chicago's loop, neighborhoods, and suburbs, as well as virtual platforms. Our collaborative approach emphasizes identifying and building upon clients' inherent strengths to foster healing and growth. We serve a broad demographic spectrum, maintaining cultural competence in addressing socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and gender identity/sexual orientation diversity. Through our research-informed Family Resilience Framework, we continue to shape best practices in family-centered mental health care.
Services
Family Therapy
Couple Therapy
Counseling Services
Community Consultation
Training Programs
Trauma Therapy
Chronic Illness Counseling
LGBTQ Support
Premarital Counseling
Medical Family Therapy
Details
- Year established: 1991
Highlights and features
- We offer 30+ years of expertise in resilience-based family therapy approaches
- Our faculty includes internationally recognized leaders in systemic therapy
- We provide evidence-based training programs for mental health professionals
- Our services address complex family dynamics related to chronic illness and trauma
- We maintain a culturally competent approach serving diverse populations
Associations and certifications
- 501(c)(3)
Services
Family Therapy
Our family therapy services address complex relational dynamics using evidence-based systemic approaches. Specializing in trauma, loss, and life transitions, we help families develop communication strategies and resilience-building techniques. Our therapists work with diverse family structures to improve relational functioning and emotional well-being.
Couple Therapy
Couple therapy focuses on improving communication, resolving conflicts, and strengthening relationships. We address premarital concerns, remarriage challenges, and intimacy issues using research-backed therapeutic models. Our specialists help couples navigate life transitions and build lasting partnerships.
Training Programs
Our training programs offer advanced education in family therapy for mental health professionals. Featuring internationally recognized faculty, these programs cover systemic approaches, trauma-informed care, and resilience-based practices. Participants gain practical skills through workshops and certificate programs.
Community Consultation
Community consultation services provide expert guidance to organizations working with families in crisis. We offer program development, staff training, and implementation of resilience-focused approaches for schools, healthcare providers, and community agencies.
Chronic Illness Counseling
Specialized counseling addresses the psychological impact of chronic illness and disability on individuals and families. Our team helps clients manage caregiving challenges, treatment stress, and end-of-life concerns through collaborative, family-centered approaches.
People
John Rolland
Co-Founder and Executive Co-Director
Dr. John Rolland is a Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern University and internationally recognized for his integrated clinical model addressing family psychosocial challenges with serious health conditions. He has authored multiple books and received numerous professional awards.
Froma Walsh
Co-Founder and Co-Director
Dr. Froma Walsh is a leading authority on family resilience and Professor Emerita at the University of Chicago. She developed the widely applied Family Resilience Framework and has authored influential books on family therapy and resilience-building practices.
Mary Jo Barrett
Faculty Member
Ms. Barrett is an expert in trauma treatment and founder of the Collaborative Stage Model for family therapy. With over four decades of experience, she specializes in family violence, trauma recovery, and therapist wellness initiatives.
Gene Combs
Founding Faculty Member
Dr. Combs is internationally recognized for advances in narrative therapy. Co-author of influential books on narrative approaches, he has trained therapists globally and maintains a private practice specializing in narrative therapy techniques.
Jay Lebow
Founding Faculty Member
Dr. Lebow is Senior Scholar at Northwestern's Family Institute and former editor of Family Process journal. With over 200 publications, he specializes in couple therapy and difficult divorce cases, contributing extensively to family psychology literature.
Questions
What types of therapy services do you offer?
We provide family, couple, and individual therapy addressing trauma, loss, chronic illness, life transitions, and relational challenges using evidence-based systemic approaches.
Do you offer professional training programs?
Yes, we offer advanced training and certificate programs in family therapy for mental health professionals, featuring internationally recognized faculty and evidence-based approaches.
What community programs are available?
Our community programs include school partnerships, family health initiatives, and consultation services addressing trauma, chronic illness, and resilience-building for diverse populations.
How are donations used?
Donations support our counseling services, community programs, and training initiatives that strengthen families facing crisis, trauma, and chronic health challenges.
Do you serve diverse populations?
Yes, we serve diverse socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and LGBTQ communities with culturally competent care that respects individual challenges and promotes resilience.
