Staff Therapist - Family Systems Therapist - Child, Adolescent and Family Team

The Family Institute at Northwestern University • Chicago, IL

13d • $56,667 - $117,222 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Family Therapist provides relationally informed mental health care with a primary focus on family systems across the lifespan, including working with families with young children, adolescents, emerging adults, and adult children. This role requires advanced clinical skills in assessing and intervening with complex family structures, intergenerational dynamics, developmental transitions, and changing family roles over time. The Family Therapist supports the mission of The Family Institute, the vision for Clinical Services, and the organization’s core values of relational health and systemic wellness. This position assumes comfort and competence working with families at varying developmental stages and levels of complexity, including intact, blended, multigenerational, and nontraditional family systems.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a license eligible discipline
• Minimum of one year of postgraduate clinical experience, with direct experience providing family or relational therapy
• Ability and willingness to work some evenings and Saturdays to accommodate families across schedules and developmental needs
• Must be able to compose written reports clearly and effectively
• Must be able to be in a stationary position due to attention to computer screen
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer) to perform work-related duties
• Must be able to apply established protocols in a timely manner
• Must be able to determine solutions to problems
• Must be able to operate successfully while handling multiple projects

Responsibilities

• Provide psychotherapy that is empirically informed, theoretically grounded, culturally responsive, and explicitly rooted in family systems theory, with families spanning early childhood through adulthood.
• Conduct comprehensive family assessments that account for developmental stage, family life cycle transitions, attachment patterns, intergenerational influences, and cultural context.
• Develop and implement systemic treatment plans that address family dynamics, relational patterns, and individual goals, adapting interventions appropriately for families with young children as well as families with adult children.
• Demonstrate clinical competence in working with: Parents and caregivers of young children navigating early development, parenting stress, and family adjustment
• Families with adolescents and emerging adults addressing autonomy, identity development, communication skills, conflict resolution, and boundary renegotiation
• Families with adult children managing intergenerational conflict, caregiving roles, estrangement, reunification, or family-of-origin concerns
• Provide timely responses to current or prospective families and offer appropriate referrals when needs fall outside the scope of services.
• Document all clinical services accurately and in a timely manner within the EHR, in accordance with organizational and regulatory standards.
• Build and maintain a clinical caseload that includes family therapy cases while meeting established productivity and revenue expectations.
• Participate in weekly individual supervision, if required, and a weekly peer clinical consultation group with a focus on systemic and relational practice.
• Attend monthly Clinical Services meetings and all other required organizational meetings.
• Collaborate effectively with families, colleagues, operational staff, and external systems (e.g., schools, healthcare providers, social services) in a culturally attuned and relationally ethical manner.
• Maintain compliance with organizational policies, confidentiality standards, and ethical guidelines.
• Demonstrate ongoing commitment to professional development, particularly related to family systems, lifespan development, and relational intervention.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the manager for business necessity.

Benefits

• The Family Institute provides competitive benefits, including health, a 403(b) retirement savings plan, generous time off, and professional development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level