Ackerman Institute For Family Therapy

What Ackerman Institute For Family Therapy does

Ackerman Institute for the Family is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1960 and headquartered at 936 Broadway, New York, with 51-100 employees. It operates as a premier family therapy training institution and clinical provider, delivering two principal product lines: (1) clinical services — couple and family therapy delivered in-person at the New York clinic, accepting 25+ insurance plans including Medicaid, with 4,770+ therapy sessions delivered to date and intake conducted via an online screening form; and (2) training and continuing education — a portfolio including the Ackerman Core Training (Seminar Courses, Live Clinical, Clinical Fellowship, Foundations in Family Therapy), post-master's certificate programs in Couples Therapy, Sex Therapy, and Faith-Based Couple and Family Therapy, plus CE workshops delivered live-online, in-person, and on-demand. Course-level tuition ranges roughly $1,350-$2,500, with payment plans, financial aid up to 50%, and applied AASECT/APA approvals.

The underlying "technology" is a proprietary clinical methodology rather than a software platform: the Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA), a systemic framework that views individuals within intimate relationships, family, and broader sociocultural contexts, supplemented by specialized models such as the Family-Centered Treatment Model for Relational Trauma, the Sculpting Impasses Technique, the Vulnerability Cycle Framework, and an Integrative Multicultural Framework for Couple Therapy. The go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging a 60+ year alumni network, partnerships with Hunter College, NYU, and Columbia social work schools, and hospital partnerships (Memorial Sloan-Kettering, North General, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Maimonides, The Family Center) to drive training enrollment and clinical referrals. Distribution combines a single NYC physical site with hybrid in-person/online/on-demand delivery for training, supported by donor and grant income (annual Sapphire Gala, NextGen Professionals program, scholarship funds) that subsidizes tuition below full operating cost.

Name

Ackerman Institute For Family Therapy

Legal name

Ackerman Institute for the Family

Website

https://ackerman.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ackerman Institute for the Family is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1960 in New York City that provides clinical couple and family therapy services and trains mental health professionals through certificate programs, core training, and continuing education workshops based on its proprietary Ackerman Relational Approach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Program Tuition: Revenue from professional training programs including certificate programs in Sex Therapy, Couples Therapy, Faith-Based Therapy, and the Ackerman Core Training program. Programs have tiered tuition structures with deposits, payment plans, and per-course options.
2. Clinical Therapy Services: Direct revenue from providing family and couples therapy services at their New York clinic, accepting 25+ insurance plans including Medicaid
3. Workshop Fees: Continuing education workshops offered in-person, live online, and on-demand formats generate revenue from mental health professionals seeking CE credits
4. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the institute relies on donor support and charitable contributions to subsidize training expenses. Includes annual fund, monthly giving, legacy planning, and scholarship awards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ackerman Institute for the Family delivers direct clinical couple and family therapy services at its New York City clinic (accepting 25+ insurance plans including Medicaid) and operates professional training programs for mental health professionals, including the signature Ackerman Core Training, post-master's certificate programs in Couples Therapy, Sex Therapy (AASECT-approved), and Faith-Based Couple and Family Therapy, plus continuing education workshops, a practicum program, parent workshops, and specialized research-driven projects (Gender & Family Project, Center for the Developing Child and Family, Multiracial Family & Couples Project). The training portfolio is delivered in in-person, live online synchronous, and on-demand formats to a global audience.

Product overview

Ackerman Institute for the Family is a premier family therapy institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of training programs and clinical services. The core educational offering is the Ackerman Core Training, which includes Seminar Courses, Live Clinical Training, Clinical Fellowship, and Foundations in Family Therapy. Specialized certificate programs include Post-Master's Certificates in Couples Therapy and Sex Therapy (AASECT-approved), and Faith-Based Couple and Family Therapy. The institute also provides clinical therapy services, CE workshops, parent workshops, and operates research centers including the Center for the Developing Child and Family and the Gender & Family Project. The portfolio is structured as training programs supplemented by clinical services and specialized research initiatives serving diverse family communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA): A comprehensive systemic framework for viewing relationships within broader contexts of family, society, culture, power and privilege.
• Gender & Family Project (GFP)
• Ackerman Core Training

Products and services

• Ackerman Core Training The signature immersive training path for relational excellence in family therapy, providing hands-on learning grounded in over 60 years of leadership in relational practice. Designed for mental health professionals seeking advanced certification in relational, couples, and family therapy.
• Post-Master's Certificate Program in Couples Therapy A post-master's program that provides practitioners with a unifying theoretical foundation and road map for couples' therapy. Offers 30 CE credits for Module I and 30 CE credits for Module II, with application deadline of October 30, 2025.
• Post-Master's Certificate Program in Sex Therapy A post-graduate sex therapy certificate program consisting of four sequential courses providing mental health professionals with sex therapy training and professional development. Approved by AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) for 110 continuing education credits.
• Faith-Based Couple and Family Therapy Certificate A certificate program designed to enhance therapeutic skills of clergy, priests, rabbis, imams, and other religious leaders in couple and family therapy. Includes deposit-based enrollment and 10-month interest-free payment plan.
• Foundations in Family Therapy A 14-week fully online course introducing core principles of family therapy while engaging in realities that shape how individuals and families experience the world, with focus on the relational approach. $2,500 tuition with a $500 deposit and flexible payment plan/financial aid available.
• Clinical Therapy Services Couple and family therapy services delivered by trained therapists at the NYC clinic for families of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Accepts 25+ insurance plans including Medicaid; online intake screening available.
• Family Engagement and Acceptance Training (FEAT) Training program focused on family engagement and acceptance, supporting families and professionals in navigating relational dynamics.
• Practicum Program Advanced systemic training program offering practicum opportunities for MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy) graduate students seeking practicum placements.
• Continuing Education (CE) Workshops Continuing education workshops available in live online, in-person, and on-demand formats for mental health professionals seeking CE credits approved by AASECT, APA, and NYS social work boards.
• Parent Workshops Workshops led by family therapy experts to help parents and caregivers strengthen relationships and support their children's emotional well-being.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,770+ family therapy sessions delivered to families
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Academic partnership for the Social Work & Diversity Program created in 1992. The program has trained more than 100 therapists of color and graduates work locally and nationally in community agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions.
• NYU Silver School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for the Social Work & Diversity Program supporting training of therapists of color and advancing multicultural competency in family therapy.
• Columbia School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for the Social Work & Diversity Program. Columbia University students and graduates benefit from the training program and contribute to the diverse therapist community.
• North General HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Center for Families and Health serving low-income families dealing with diabetes, asthma, chronic pain, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. The Center provided training and family therapy services.
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering services to families with head and neck cancer and families with adolescents post-cancer treatment. Also sponsored research with National Cancer Institute grant.
• Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia-Presbyterian HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering Multiple Family Discussion Group for families with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, providing psychosocial support and family therapy.
• The Family CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership working with families coping with the loss of a parent to cancer or HIV/AIDS, providing family-centered support services.
• Maimonides HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership dealing with couples in which one spouse has cardiac illness, providing family systems approach to medical illness.
• Columbia University School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and education partnership where Couples and Intimacies Project materials and ideas are used to teach and train students.
• The Mental Health Corps of NYCsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partnership using materials and ideas developed in the Couples and Intimacies Project for professional development.
• The Institute for Contemporary PsychotherapysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partnership using project materials for professional education in couple and family therapy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Family Service of Westchester: Nonprofit human services agency in the greater New York region providing family counseling, mental health, and community-based services. Comparable as a regional nonprofit family services provider with similar clinical mission.

Direct peers

• Minuchin Center for the Family: Training and treatment center for structural family therapy founded by Salvador Minuchin's collaborators. Comparable as a methodology-driven family therapy training and clinical services organization.
• Multicultural Family Institute: New Jersey-based family therapy training and clinical services nonprofit with emphasis on multicultural competence and underserved communities. Comparable niche focus on diversity-driven family therapy training and treatment.
• Family Institute at Northwestern University: Operates both an MFT training program and an outpatient couple/family therapy clinic affiliated with a major university. Closely mirrors Ackerman's dual training-plus-clinical model and academic-partnership structure.
• Gottman Institute: Provides couples therapy training, certification programs (Gottman Method), clinical referrals, and CE workshops. Highly comparable training-and-certification business model in the couples therapy space.
• Council for Relationships: Philadelphia-based nonprofit offering couple and family therapy clinical services alongside an MFT training institute affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. Closely comparable hybrid clinical-plus-training structure.
• International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT): Global training organization for Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, offering certification, externships, and CE events. Comparable as a methodology-driven couples therapy training organization serving clinicians worldwide.
• Bowen Center for the Study of the Family: Nonprofit dedicated to Bowen family systems theory, offering training programs, workshops, and clinical consultations for mental health professionals — directly comparable to Ackerman's training-led model with proprietary theoretical frameworks.

Emerging players

• BetterHelp: Large online therapy platform providing couples and family counseling via telehealth. Comparable on the therapy delivery side, representing the digital-native competitive threat to Ackerman's in-person clinical model.

Broad incumbents

• AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy): National professional association for marriage and family therapists, providing accreditation, CE approval, and credentialing across the field. Comparable as a sector authority that shapes the training and credentialing ecosystem Ackerman operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AIAckerman
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ackerman.Institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ackerman-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/ackermaninstitute
• Xx.com/ackermaninstitu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ackerman Institute For Family Therapy