The Family Institute at Northwestern University

What The Family Institute at Northwestern University does

The Family Institute at Northwestern University is a nonprofit clinical, educational, and research institute founded in 1969 and operated as part of Northwestern University. It delivers relationship-based behavioral health services, principally individual, couples, family, child and adolescent therapy, provided by more than 115 licensed therapists across three Illinois locations (Evanston headquarters, Chicago on North Michigan Avenue, and Northbrook) and via a HIPAA-compliant Zoom-based teletherapy platform with encrypted sessions, unique client links, and virtual waiting rooms. The institute pairs clinical practice with accredited graduate programs (Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy and Master of Arts in Counseling, each offered on-campus and online), postdoctoral fellowships, and continuing education, alongside multiple specialized research labs focused on anxiety, couple stress and health, intimate partner violence, gender and sexuality, and mindfulness.

The business model blends fee-for-service clinical revenue, graduate tuition, federal and private research grants, and charitable donations. Services are billed directly to clients and, where applicable, to insurance panels such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Behavioral Health, while the Bette D. Harris Family & Child Clinic offers no-cost therapy to individuals and families unable to pay. The organization invests in measurement-informed therapy and uses the proprietary Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change (STIC) as a feedback instrument across individual, couple, and family work. Patient acquisition is sales-led through phone intake, online appointment request forms, and referrals, supported by content marketing, community events, and consistent earned media presence.

Distribution is regional, anchored in the Chicago metropolitan area, with teletherapy extending effective reach. The institute does not operate a public-facing API, mobile application, or disclosed AI/ML capability, and its commercial surface is concentrated in three Illinois offices plus remote care. Recent strategic activity has emphasized teletherapy institutionalization, online graduate education expansion, new specialized labs, and targeted community partnerships such as the 2025 collaboration with Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Name

The Family Institute at Northwestern University

Legal name

The Family Institute at Northwestern University

Website

https://family-institute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Family Institute at Northwestern University is a nonprofit behavioral health institute that delivers individual, couples, family, and child therapy through 115+ licensed therapists across Illinois and via teletherapy, while also offering accredited graduate programs in Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health and Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL), Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG), Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy Services (EDALAFAB)

Keywords

• Family therapy services
• Couples counseling
• Mental health education
• Behavioral health research
• Psychotherapy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Clinical Therapy Services: Revenue generated from individual, couples, family, and child therapy sessions. Services are billed directly to patients or through insurance, with out-of-network reimbursement options available.
2. Graduate Education Programs: Tuition revenue from Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy and Master of Arts in Counseling programs, both on-campus and online branches.
3. Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from donors and legacy giving programs, plus research grants such as the $450,000 Department of Justice grant for domestic violence intervention research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Family Institute at Northwestern University delivers outpatient behavioral health therapy (individual, couple, family, child/adolescent, group, psychiatry, and neuropsychological assessment) provided by more than 115 licensed therapists across three Illinois locations and via HIPAA-compliant teletherapy. It also operates accredited graduate education programs (MS in Marriage & Family Therapy and MA in Counseling, on-campus and online), postdoctoral fellowships, continuing education, and clinical research labs that translate research into practice.

Product overview

The Family Institute at Northwestern University operates as a comprehensive mental health organization offering a multi-component portfolio of clinical therapy services, graduate education programs, and clinical research. The core offering consists of individual, couples, family, adolescent, and child therapy provided by over 115 licensed therapists across multiple locations (Chicago, Evanston, Northbrook) and via teletherapy, using evidence-based practices. Supporting the clinical mission are graduate education programs (Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy, Master of Arts in Counseling) offered on-campus and online, postdoctoral fellowships, and continuing education for professionals. The research division operates multiple specialized labs advancing behavioral health science, while the Bette D. Harris Free Clinic provides no-cost services. Educational workshops and a resource library extend the organization's reach beyond direct clinical care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Therapy Services Outpatient behavioral health therapy (individual, couples, family, child/adolescent, group) provided by over 115 licensed therapists using evidence-based and measurement-informed approaches.
• Teletherapy HIPAA-compliant encrypted video therapy sessions delivered via Zoom with unique client-specific meeting links, password protection, and virtual waiting rooms, expanding clinical reach beyond physical offices.
• Adult Trauma Therapy Specialized therapy services for adults who have experienced traumatic events, delivered using evidence-based trauma-focused approaches.
• Child & Adolescent Therapy Mental health services for children and adolescents addressing developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges, with family involvement in treatment.
• Couple & Marriage Therapy Relationship counseling for couples and marriages including premarital counseling and interventions for relationship conflict and life-stage transitions.
• Family Therapy Systemic therapy addressing family dynamics, relational patterns, parenting challenges, and multi-generational issues.
• Individual Adult Therapy Personal mental health services for adults addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, and other psychological concerns.
• Group Therapy Therapeutic group sessions organized around specific topics or populations.
• Neuropsychological Assessments Comprehensive psychological testing and evaluation of cognitive and neuropsychological functioning.
• Psychiatry Services Psychiatric evaluation and medication management integrated with therapy programs.
• Sexuality Services Specialized therapy addressing sexual health, identity, and relationship concerns related to sexuality.
• Bette D. Harris Free Clinic No-cost therapy services for individuals, children, and families who cannot afford mental health care, staffed by licensed and graduate-level therapists.
• Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy Accredited graduate program (on-campus and online branches) preparing students for licensure as marriage and family therapists with clinical training and research opportunities.
• Master of Arts in Counseling Graduate program (on-campus and online branches) preparing students for counseling careers, including supervised field training and a capstone project.
• Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs Advanced training fellowships for recent doctorate recipients in clinical psychology and related fields.
• Continuing Education Professional development courses and workshops for licensed mental health professionals seeking ongoing training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients report meaningful, supportive relationships with their therapist that help create lasting progress and more effective care

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Family Institute partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities to provide mental health support for postpartum mothers with critically ill babies. This partnership addresses both mental and physical health needs of families during challenging times.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thriveworks: Large multi-state outpatient mental health practice offering individual, couples, family, and child therapy with in-person and teletherapy. Comparable to The Family Institute's broad therapy portfolio and geographic multi-site delivery model, though operating at significantly greater national scale.
• UPMC Western Behavioral Health: Large academic medical-center-affiliated outpatient and inpatient behavioral health network offering therapy, psychiatry, neuropsychology, and graduate training. Comparable to The Family Institute's integrated research-education-clinical model embedded within a major university and its full continuum of mental health services.

Emerging players

• Charlie Health: Virtual and hybrid intensive outpatient program for adolescents and young adults with mental health and substance use needs. Comparable to The Family Institute's child & adolescent therapy programs and emerging adults segment, with overlapping focus on family-involved treatment.
• Alma: Therapist network and platform enabling insurance-accepting mental health practices with back-office support. Comparable to The Family Institute as a multi-therapist outpatient mental health practice; Alma represents an alternative operating model for scaling therapy delivery beyond a single institution.
• Talkiatry: Psychiatry-led mental health practice offering medication management and therapy, in-network with most major insurers. Comparable to The Family Institute's psychiatry services component and growing demand for integrated therapy-plus-medication models.
• Brightside Health: Telehealth mental health provider combining therapy and medication for anxiety and depression. Comparable to The Family Institute's individual adult therapy programs targeting anxiety and depression, and its teletherapy infrastructure.
• Resilience Lab: Therapist collective partnering with universities and employers to deliver accessible mental health care. Comparable to The Family Institute's emphasis on training-affiliated therapists, outcomes measurement, and partnerships with external organizations (e.g., Ronald McDonald House).

Direct peers

• Mantra Health: Digital mental health provider focused on college and university students, combining therapy, psychiatry, and coaching. Comparable to The Family Institute's student-oriented graduate programs and emerging adults segment, and its integration of therapy with psychiatry services.
• University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Families: University-affiliated couple and family therapy training clinic offering graduate training and clinical services. Comparable to The Family Institute's combination of accredited graduate MFT program, supervised clinical training, and outpatient therapy services within a research university setting.

Regional players

• Rush Behavioral Medicine: Outpatient behavioral health services at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, providing therapy and psychiatry. Comparable to The Family Institute as a Chicagoland academic medical-center-affiliated mental health provider serving overlapping patient demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tfinu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tfinu
• Facebookfacebook.com/tfinu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/760446
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefamilyinstitute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Family Institute at Northwestern University