Updates & Announcements

The Family Institute takes your privacy and security very seriously. We understand and are humbled by the confidence you place in us to protect your confidentiality.

With your health and safety, as well as that of our team and larger Chicagoland community in mind, The Family Institute at Northwestern University will be providing teletherapy for all upcoming appointments; in person sessions will not be available following the close of business today, Wednesday, March 18. 

As you are no doubt aware, COVID-19 is affecting communities, gatherings, travel and many planned events across the country. The Family Institute at Northwestern University is closely monitoring these developments and has created a plan that we will adjust as conditions shift.

In the pursuit of mental health, we know that some issues may require a combination of therapy and medication for treatment. The Family Institute is pleased to welcome Smita Gautam, M.D., Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, to see clients at our Chicago and Northbrook locations.

The Family Institute at Northwestern University is pleased to announce our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana!   

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, "the big thing to get by is the stigma of talking to a professional in the mental health industry. There is nothing weak about it whatsoever, it's just another tool to help you become better at what you do."

The Family Institute’s annual Education Luncheon took place on February 25 in downtown Chicago, and was a wonderful way to kick off the celebration of our 50 years leading in the behavioral health space through research, education and clinical practice. This year’s event hosted more than 80 students, faculty, alumni, board members and donors. During the program, students shared about their experiences and visions for how they will apply their degree once they graduate.

In this newly published book, Jay Lebow, senior scholar and senior therapist at The Family Institute, presents his approach to treating difficult divorce that psychotherapists can use when working in various settings — with the whole family, a divorcing couple, a parent and child, or even an adult or child seen in individual therapy.