QUICK ANSWER: In family therapy at Northeast Family Services, the first session is a conversation where everyone describes what is happening, the second maps the pattern behind the conflict and sets a shared goal, and the third begins practicing a different response with the therapist in the room. Sessions run 50 minutes at our Worcester, West Springfield, North Andover, Dorchester, and Fall River offices. No referral is needed, MassHealth and major commercial plans are accepted, and most families are seen within the same week they reach out.
Booking family therapy is uncomfortable partly because nobody knows what they are walking into. Parents worry about being blamed. Teenagers assume they are the reason for the appointment. Below is the actual shape of the first three sessions, so you can tell your family what to expect before you go.
Who should attend family therapy?
Whoever is part of the pattern. That often means both parents and the child at the center of the concern, and it can include siblings, a stepparent, a grandparent who provides daily care, or an adult child. Attendance can also change week to week, with the full family in one session and just the parents in the next.
You do not need agreement from everyone before you book. Many families start with the people who are willing, and the reluctant member joins once they see that the sessions are not a trial.
Family therapy at Northeast Family Services is available to families of all structures and backgrounds at each of our Massachusetts offices, and it can run alongside individual outpatient therapy for one member.
What happens in the first family therapy session?
The first session is about the story, not the solution. Your therapist will ask each person present what brought the family in, how long it has been happening, and what a better week would look like. Everyone gets floor time, including the youngest person in the room.
Practical ground is covered too: confidentiality and its limits, what your therapist can share with a school, how often you will meet, and what you would like handled differently from any past therapy.
Expect your therapist to ask about the last specific incident rather than the general problem. “Tell me about Tuesday night” produces something workable. “We fight a lot” does not.
Sessions are 50 minutes, and appointment times run from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM on weekdays, with weekend availability at select locations.
What happens in the second session?
Session two moves from story to pattern. Your therapist starts naming the sequence: what usually happens first, who reacts, how the household ends up in the same place by 9 PM. Families often recognize the loop immediately, and that recognition is itself part of the work.
By the end of the second session you should have a shared goal in concrete language. “Get along better” becomes something like “Homework starts by 6:30 without a shouting match four nights out of five.” A goal you can count is a goal you can tell has moved.
Your therapist may also meet briefly with the parents alone, or with a teenager alone, to understand what is difficult to say in front of everyone.
What happens in the third session?
Session three is where the family practices. Instead of describing an argument, you have a version of it in the room with your therapist there to slow it down, point out the moment it turns, and try a different move.
You will usually leave with one small assignment. Not a worksheet packet, just one change to run for a week, such as a five-minute check-in after school, one parent handling bedtime instead of both, or a phrase to use when a conversation starts sliding.
Most families notice something shift here, often less in the child’s behavior at first than in how the parents respond to it. Behavior tends to follow.
How many sessions does family therapy take?
There is no set number. Families working on a focused issue often see meaningful change in 8 to 12 weekly sessions. Families managing something long standing, such as a child’s mental health condition, a separation, or a loss, may stay longer and move to every other week.
Your therapist should review progress with you against the goal you set in session two. If nothing is moving after several weeks, that is a conversation to have out loud, and it can lead to a change in approach, a change in who attends, or adding a service such as in-home therapy if the difficulty lives at home more than in the office.
Videoconference research is relevant here as well. If getting everyone into one room on the same evening is the barrier, telehealth therapy is available, and a systematic review of videoconferencing psychotherapy for couples and families in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy found the format feasible, acceptable, and effective as a delivery method for couple and family work.
Does insurance cover family therapy in Massachusetts?
In most cases, yes. Northeast Family Services accepts MassHealth along with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Tufts Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim, Fallon Health, United Healthcare, Tufts Public Health, Mass General Brigham Public Health, and Anthem in Massachusetts. The current list lives on our accepted insurance page.
MassHealth covers medically necessary behavioral health services, and as of April 1, 2024 there are no copays for MassHealth-covered services, according to the state’s covered services guidance. With a commercial plan, your cost depends on your copay and deductible, and our team can verify benefits before your first appointment.
Where can my family be seen?
Northeast Family Services offers family therapy at five Massachusetts offices:
We also serve families in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and New York. Northeast Family Services was founded in 2003 and is CARF accredited.
Couples who want to work on the relationship rather than the household can start with couples therapy instead.
How do we book?
Complete the form on our Get Started page or call 774-206-1125 between 8:30 AM and 8 PM Monday through Friday. Tell us who would attend, which office is closest, and what evenings work, and our team will match your family with a therapist and verify your insurance. Most families are seen within the same week.
If your family is in crisis, call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call or text the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line at 833-773-2445, free and available 24 hours a day.
Frequently asked questions
What happens in the first family therapy session?
Everyone describes what is happening in their own words, your therapist asks about a recent specific incident, and you cover confidentiality and scheduling. Sessions are 50 minutes and no preparation is required.
Does the whole family have to come?
No. Family therapy works with whoever is willing to attend, and the group can change from week to week. Many families begin without one member and add them later.
How long does family therapy take to work?
Families with a focused goal often see change within 8 to 12 weekly sessions. Longer standing issues take longer, and your therapist should review progress against the goal you set together.
Does MassHealth cover family therapy?
Yes, when it is medically necessary, and there are no copays for MassHealth-covered services as of April 1, 2024. Northeast Family Services accepts MassHealth at all five Massachusetts offices.
Can teenagers speak privately with the therapist?
Yes. Therapists commonly meet with a teenager alone for part of a session, and the limits of confidentiality are explained to everyone in the first appointment.
Is family therapy available by video?
Yes. Northeast Family Services offers telehealth appointments, which many families use when schedules or distance make one shared room difficult.
Do we need a referral?
No. Contact us directly and book.
Ready to start? Get started with Northeast Family Services or call 774-206-1125 and we will find a time that works for everyone.
