Perinatal mental health care for women across Los Angeles County
Our Approach

Family therapy for the wider system around the perinatal year.

Becoming a parent doesn't happen in isolation. Grandparents, in-laws, siblings, blended-family dynamics, and the patterns we inherited from our own families of origin all show up at the bedside, the kitchen table, and the group chat. Family therapy is the format for working with that wider system honestly — without pretending it isn't part of the picture.

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Family Therapy at Pasadena Clinical Group, Los Angeles County
What it is

Sessions that include the people who are actually shaping the situation.

Family therapy at our practice involves multiple family members in session — typically the new parents and one or more relatives whose role in the perinatal year is meaningful. Sessions are clinically structured by a licensed clinician trained in systemic and family therapy frameworks. The format is well-suited for situations where the issue isn't really inside one person; it's in the way the system is organized.

Family in supportive perinatal setting
Common situations

What family therapy can hold.

Boundaries with extended family

When parents-in-law, in-laws, or grandparents are involved in ways that feel difficult to navigate — visits, advice, expectations, caregiving roles — and direct conversation isn't moving things.

Blended-family dynamics

When older children, co-parents, or stepfamily relationships are part of the perinatal system, and existing dynamics are surfacing under the load of a new baby.

Cultural and intergenerational transitions

When values, expectations, or postpartum traditions held by older generations are colliding with what the new parents want for their family.

Grief in the family system

When perinatal loss or fertility difficulty is being carried differently across the family, and the silence is becoming part of the problem.

How it works

Practical, contained, with clear edges.

Family therapy doesn't require everyone to be in every session. Your clinician helps decide who is in the room when, what the focus is for each meeting, and how to move between full-system sessions and smaller subgroups. The goal isn't to dissolve everyone's individuality into a "family" — it's to help the system function in ways that protect the new parents, the baby, and the relationships that everyone wants to keep.

Most family therapy at our practice runs 6–12 sessions, sometimes alongside individual or couples work. Family therapy is also frequently a complement to individual therapy for the new parent.

Mother and family in supportive setting
Related

Other ways we work

Group Therapy

For perinatal-specific work in a small therapist-led cohort.

Frequently asked

Questions clients ask before starting

If your question isn't here, our care coordinator can answer it directly — call or send a message.

Who participates in family therapy sessions?
Family therapy involves multiple family members in session — typically the new parents and one or more relatives whose role in the perinatal year is meaningful. Your clinician helps decide who attends each session; it is not required that everyone attend every session.
How is family therapy different from couples counseling?
Couples counseling focuses on the dynamic between two partners. Family therapy expands the scope to include extended family members, blended-family relationships, and multi-generational patterns. Many families benefit from both at different points.
What if a family member is unwilling to attend?
Family therapy can still be productive when not every family member participates. Your clinician helps shape the work around who is in the room, and may also support the present family members in addressing what the absent member's pattern means for the system.
How long does family therapy take?
Most family therapy at our practice runs 6–12 sessions, sometimes alongside individual or couples work. Length depends on the goals and the complexity of the system.
Is family therapy confidential?
Yes — the same confidentiality protections that apply in individual therapy apply in family therapy, including the limits required by California law (mandated reporting, imminent danger, Tarasoff). Confidentiality between family members within the family system is a separate question your clinician will address explicitly at the start of the work.
What kinds of issues fit family therapy best?
Common situations include boundaries with extended family or in-laws, blended-family dynamics in the perinatal year, cultural and intergenerational tensions around postpartum traditions or expectations, and grief carried differently across the family after perinatal loss or fertility difficulty.
Begin When You're Ready

You don't have to figure this out alone.

Our care coordinator can verify your insurance benefits and help you book a first session — usually within the same week.

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