Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

4,039 people sought family therapy help in California in the last year

Discover how starting family therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

No current openings

All CA providers are fully booked, but check back tomorrow — sessions become available daily!

Starting Family therapy

What is family therapy?

Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.

How does family therapy work?

Thriveworks family therapists in San Jose, CA usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.

What is the most effective family therapy?

The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.

How do I know if my family needs therapy?

This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.

What is included in family therapy?

In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.

What is the success rate of family therapy?

Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.

Is family therapy conducted in person or online?

Thriveworks therapists in San Jose, CA offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does family therapy last?

Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.

Need more help deciding?

Family has never referred to only biological parents and their children. The people you call family can be friends from college, someone who helped you through a difficult time, your next-door neighbor, or members of your cultural communities. Your found family may be as important to your growth and happiness as the one that raised you.

There are plenty of examples of unique family systems on film and TV. In the Full House series, the children are cared for by their father and sweet but sometimes bumbling uncles. A woman raised by a single mother eventually forms a happy family in Mamma Mia! with the three men who might be her biological father. And Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums follows a family of former child prodigies as they reconnect and repair old wounds.

What’s true of all these families, however big or small, is that they experience periods of disagreement or hardship. So if you’re concerned about your family, there’s no need to rely on instinct or random internet tips to guide you through your difficulties.

A trained therapist or counselor at Thriveworks Counseling can help your family work through a wide variety of distressing situations. Call or contact us online to set up an appointment with a licensed mental health professional in San Jose, CA.

Why Do Families Consider Attending Therapy?

Family is there for you through the highs and lows of life. Whether you spend most of your time with them or visit yearly for the holidays, they can provide support and guidance. But sometimes, the issues in your life can come from tense family interactions and unresolved fights.

If that’s the case, you may benefit from connecting with a trained mental health professional on a short or long-term basis. Families attend therapy or counseling for reasons such as:

  • Poor communication
  • Sibling rivalry
  • Behavioral problems
  • Differing parenting styles
  • Major transitions
  • Trouble establishing boundaries
  • Financial strain
  • Coping with shared loss
  • Mental health concerns
  • Substance abuse
  • Divorce or separation
  • Struggling to blend families

Your family’s concerns may not fit snugly into these categories, and that’s okay. No two families operate the same way or experience identical setbacks. Therapists are well-equipped to assist their patients as they tackle specific issues.

How Can Counseling Benefit My Family?

Enduring tough times as a family is not a sign of failure, and there’s no reason to be ashamed of needing support. Fortunately, family therapy or counseling can give you a reason to hope for brighter days and more meaningful time spent with your loved ones.

Although family therapy or counseling sessions are different for every family, there are some common traits and takeaways. A provider typically uses joint sessions to observe family relationships, listen to every person’s needs and goals, and suggest helpful strategies for future issues.

Therapy or counseling sessions may involve:

  • Transgenerational therapy: If you live with your grandparents or are close to your extended family, you may occasionally disagree on who gets to shower first in the morning or which family values to pass down to your children. Transgenerational therapy aims to address the dynamics between family members of different ages and guide healthy conversations about shared culture and traditions.
  • Structural therapy: This method prioritizes interactions between family members. Structural therapy can help a family unlearn negative communication habits and lead to a more cohesive family unit.
  • Milan Therapy: In this form of therapy, a counselor will act as a neutral third party, making space for family members to share their perspectives and reflect on past issues in a judgment-free zone.
  • Psychoeducation: Psychoeducation focuses on helping a family best support its members who live with mental illness. It focuses on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues and allowing families to better handle daily concerns with their loved ones.

Once a therapist or counselor gets to know your family’s concerns and hopes, they can craft a multifaceted approach to improving your relationships. For example, even if a family member is reluctant to attend sessions, a skilled therapist or counselor can help you unpack your experiences with that person.

If you’re considering therapy, reach out to Thriveworks in San Jose, CA today using your cell or our online booking tool.

Schedule Family Therapy Appointments in San Jose, CA

We understand that families come in all shapes and sizes and confront new challenges each day. Thriveworks Counseling offers appointments with mental health professionals that fit your family’s busy schedules, including daytime, evening, and weekend sessions.

Our virtual therapy options (by phone and video chat), alongside the ability to reschedule sessions as needed, make getting help more accessible. We also accept many different forms of health insurance.

The benefits don’t end there. Thriveworks Counseling clients:

  • May contact providers in between appointments (using text or email)
  • View exclusive video content
  • Have access to 24-hour Q+A with a life coach

When you’re ready to get started, consider reaching out to Thriveworks Counseling in San Jose, CA. Contact us using your phone or through our online booking tool to get started.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our San Jose therapists and counselors accept 20 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Shield of California | BCBS

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

  • Humana PPO | EPO | HDHP

  • Imperial Health Plan Medicare Advantage

  • JP Farley Corporation

  • Magellan

Show more
Self-pay costs at San Jose
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Thriveworks San Jose reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
Alexandera provides excellent service. I felt comfortable and safe. She made it easy to open up and talk.
Read more Alexandera provides excellent service. I felt comfortable and safe. She made it easy to open up and talk.
San Jose Jan 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry San Jose is located in Bascom - Forest on Forest Ave where it intersects with Clarmar Way. We are in the same building as Peninsula Oral Surgery San Jose. And just before you reach us, in a separate building, is Communications Workers-America. There are also houses behind us.

Phone number

(669) 238-4947

Languages spoken by CA providers

  • English
  • Spanish
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in PT

Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in PT

6 photos