Family Therapy
YOUR FAMILY DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY STUCK IN THE SAME PATTERNS.
One conversation turns into an argument. Someone shuts down. Everyone means well, but somehow you keep ending up in the same place.
Family therapy can help you understand what’s happening beneath the conflict, communicate differently, and find a way forward together.
At Third Wave, our family therapists help families navigate conflict, parent teen tension, grief and loss, separation, changing family roles, and seasons when it feels harder than it should to reach one another. We offer family therapy in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and online across North Carolina.
When family therapy may help
Every conversation about school, rules, or responsibilities turns into a fight.
A child or teen is struggling, and the whole family is feeling it.
Grief, divorce, a move, or another major change has shifted how you relate.
Trust has been strained, and you want to feel like a team again.
You don’t have to agree on who is “the problem” before starting family therapy. Your therapist will help you understand the patterns underneath the conflict, make space for each person’s perspective, and practice new ways of responding to one another.
What happens in a session?
We’ll start by understanding what’s been happening in your family, who is being affected, and what you hope will feel different at home.
Depending on your family’s needs, your therapist may meet with everyone together, with certain family members, or use a mix of both over time. You’ll talk about the patterns that keep showing up, practice new ways of communicating, and work toward changes that feel realistic outside of the therapy room.
Before you begin, we’ll also make sure you understand what to expect around scheduling, privacy, and fees.
Family therapy or parent coaching?
If the relationship between family members is what feels stuck, family therapy may be the better starting point.
If you’re mainly looking for practical support around your child’s behavior, routines, boundaries, or big emotions, parent coaching may be a better fit.
You don’t have to figure that out on your own. Tell us what’s going on, and we’ll help you decide where to begin.
Locations and next steps
We offer family therapy in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Garner, as well as online therapy when appropriate and available in the state where your clinician is licensed.
Not sure who should attend or where to start? Tell our Wellness Coordination team what’s going on, who may be involved, and which location you prefer. We’ll help you understand your options, check availability, and review expected costs before scheduling.
Family therapy faqs
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No. Not every family member needs to attend every family therapy session. Your therapist may meet with the whole family, certain family members together, or different combinations of people depending on what is happening and what would be most helpful.
You also don’t need everyone to be equally enthusiastic about therapy before reaching out. We can help you think through who should participate and what a realistic starting point might look like.
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Yes. Parents can sometimes meet with a family therapist without their child present, depending on the concerns you’re working on and the therapist’s recommendations.
In some situations, starting with the parents gives the therapist a chance to understand the bigger picture and identify changes that may help at home. If what you primarily want is practical guidance around behavior, routines, boundaries, or big emotions, parent coaching may also be a better fit.
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You can still reach out. One family member being hesitant about therapy does not necessarily mean your family cannot get help.
Your therapist can help determine whether it makes sense to begin with the people who are willing to participate, involve someone later, or consider another approach. You do not need to solve the participation problem before contacting us.
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Insurance coverage for family therapy depends on your specific plan and how the treatment is structured and billed.
Before you schedule, our Wellness Coordination team can help you understand your benefits, expected costs, and any options available to you. We want you to have a clear picture of the financial side before beginning care.
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Yes. Our family therapists work with many different family structures, including blended and stepfamilies.
Therapy may focus on changing roles, parenting differences, loyalty conflicts, communication, boundaries, relationships between stepparents and children, or the stress that can come with bringing two family systems together.
You do not need to fit a particular definition of “family” to benefit from family therapy.
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You don’t have to know before you reach out. If something feels stuck in your family, our team can help you figure out the best place to start.
Tell us what has been happening, who is involved, and what you would like to be different. We can help you determine whether family therapy, individual therapy, parent coaching, or another service makes the most sense and match you with an appropriate clinician.