DEPARTMENT: Clinical Services 

REPORTS TO: Director of Child, Adolescent and Family Therapy 

LOCATION: Hybrid work arrangement from home office and any office location in Chicago, Evanston, or Northbrook 

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: [EXEMPT] 

THE ORGANIZATION 

Through clinical services, education, and research, The Family Institute at Northwestern University is one of the nation’s leading relationship-based behavioral health organizations committed to strengthening and healing children and adolescents, couples, families, and individuals. When you join The Family Institute, you are joining a team of over 230 collaborators comprised of clinicians, educators, researchers, therapists-in-training, partners, and administrators across three service sites. We are a strong, independent organization focused on advancing the world of behavioral health.    

Learn more about our culture. 

THE ROLE 

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.   

ESSENTIAL JOB 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: 

1. Parents and caregivers of young children navigating early development, parenting stress, and family adjustment 
2. Families with adolescents and emerging adults addressing autonomy, identity development, communication skills, conflict resolution, and boundary renegotiation 
3. 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. 
• Apply AI and/or automation tools that streamline or improve processes, efficiency and quality while exercising discretion and ethical judgment.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the manager for business necessity. 

Optional Job Responsibilities 

1. Contribute to a class (e.g., guest lecturer) 
2. Supervise therapist in-training 
3. Participate in a clinical, educational, or research program 
4. Present a topic to external groups (workshop, presentation) 
5. Receive meta vision 
6. Develop and disseminate a “product” (e.g., workshop, talk, blog) that drives referrals to The Family Institute 

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS  
Knowledge and Skills 

• Demonstrated training and clinical experience in family systems therapy, with the ability to adapt interventions across developmental stages and family structures  
• Strong understanding of developmental and intergenerational dynamics within family systems  
• Ability to maintain clear professional boundaries while engaging in complex relational work 
• Effective interpersonal, teamwork, and collaboration skills, particularly in multidisciplinary environments  
• Strong organizational, time-management, and clinical documentation skills 

MINIMUM HIRING SPECIFICATIONS 

• 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 

 PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

1. Must be able to compose written reports clearly and effectively  
2. Must be able to be in a stationary position due to attention to computer screen   
3. The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations 
4. The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer) to perform work-related duties  
5. Must be able to apply established protocols in a timely manner  
6. Must be able to determine solutions to problems  
7. Must be able to operate successfully while handling multiple projects   

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

The Family Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected class. We strive to create a working environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and one that promotes human dignity and mutual respect among all staff. We believe every member of our organization enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, to identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions.  

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please direct your inquiries to the HR Team. 

Compensation is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: scope and responsibilities of the position; a candidate’s applicable work experience, key skills and qualifications, as well as internal and external market considerations. The pay range for this full-time, exempt position is $56,667.00 - $77,750.09 (for unlicensed applicants) and $70,060.00 - $117,221.87 (for licensed applicants). Clinicians only: This position is eligible for a clinical productivity bonus. The Family Institute provides competitive benefits, including health, a 403(b) retirement savings plan, generous time off, and professional development. For a more inclusive list of benefits, please visit our Careers page at https://www.family-institute.org/about-us/careers.