- Offers Telehealth in New York, Massachusetts & Maine
We serve high-achieving families throughout Maine who want to strengthen communication, navigate challenges, and create healthier patterns together. Our therapists specialize in family therapy using attachment-based approaches, Internal Family Systems, and systemic family work that honors each person’s experience.
Families come to therapy when familiar dynamics no longer work. Communication feels harder, conflicts happen more often, and the closeness that once felt natural now requires effort that no one seems to have.
What most families want is a way back to understanding each other, where conversations don’t escalate, where everyone feels heard, and where home becomes a place of support rather than tension. Therapists specializing in family therapy help identify what drives disconnection, interrupt cycles that no longer serve the family, and build patterns where every voice matters and connection feels possible again.
Patterns can shift when the right support shows up.
Family therapy creates a space where everyone can be heard without judgment. We help you identify the patterns keeping you stuck, understand what’s driving them, and develop new ways of relating that feel authentic and sustainable.
Our Approach
Connection is possible when families have the right tools and support.
We integrate attachment-based family therapy, Internal Family Systems, structural approaches, narrative therapy, emotionally focused family therapy, and solution-focused methods to address your family’s unique needs and dynamics.
Attachment-Based Family Therapy
Attachment-based family therapy helps you understand how early relationship experiences and family patterns influence how family members connect today. We explore attachment styles within the family system, identify patterns of connection and disconnection, and help everyone feel more secure.
Attachment-based family therapy helps you:
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS helps family members recognize the different parts of themselves that show up in relationships. When each person understands their own internal dynamics, they can show up more fully in the family system and navigate conflict with greater compassion.
You start:
Structural Family Therapy
Structural family therapy focuses on the organization and boundaries within your family system. We examine family roles, hierarchies, and subsystems to identify patterns that may be contributing to dysfunction or distress.
We help you:
Narrative Family Therapy
Narrative therapy helps families rewrite the stories that define them. Instead of being trapped by problem-saturated narratives, you learn to see yourselves and each other through a more compassionate, strength-based lens.
We help you:
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
EFFT helps family members express underlying emotions and attachment needs that often get masked by anger, withdrawal, or blame. Understanding these deeper emotions transforms how families connect.
EFFT helps you:
Solution-Focused Family Therapy
Solution-focused therapy emphasizes strengths, resources, and possibilities rather than dwelling on problems. This approach helps families identify what’s already working and build on those successes.
We help you:
High-achieving families need support that understands both ambition and connection.
We help families work through a range of challenges that disrupt connection and create distress.
Parent-Teen Conflict
Blended Family Challenges
Sibling Rivalry and Conflict
Family Communication Breakdown
Life Transitions and Major Changes
Intergenerational Patterns
Healthier family patterns are possible when you have the right guidance and tools.
Your first session focuses on understanding your family’s story, what brought you to therapy, and what you hope will change. We create a safe space where everyone can share their perspective without judgment, identify patterns contributing to current challenges, and begin building a foundation for the work ahead.
Our Process
Success & Wellbeing provides family therapy in Pennellville, with convenient access for families throughout Brunswick, Bath, Topsham, Freeport, and surrounding Mid-Coast Maine communities. We offer both in-person sessions at our Pennellville location and secure virtual therapy for families who prefer online sessions or live further from our office.
Areas We Serve
When should a family seek counseling, and who might not be suitable?
Families benefit from therapy when communication breaks down, conflicts escalate, or significant life changes create stress that affects everyone. You don’t need to wait until things feel unbearable. However, family therapy works best when all participants can engage safely and genuinely want change.
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that views the family as a system where each member’s behavior affects everyone else. Rather than focusing on one person’s symptoms, family therapists examine communication patterns, roles, and interactions that maintain problems.
Family therapists in Maine hold licenses such as LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), or LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). They complete specialized training in systems theory, communication patterns, and relational dynamics.
When family therapy isn’t appropriate, other options include individual therapy for family members who need personal support first, couples therapy when parental relationship issues need focused attention, parent coaching to address child behavioral concerns without involving children, or safety planning and crisis intervention when abuse or severe mental health issues are present. Your therapist will help assess whether family therapy fits your situation and recommend alternatives if needed.
What are the challenges of family therapy, and what happens in sessions?
Family therapy involves discomfort as families address difficult topics and confront painful patterns. Understanding potential challenges helps you prepare, while knowing what actually happens in sessions reduces uncertainty.
Your therapist creates safety and manages sessions so conversations stay productive. Temporary increases in conflict often precede meaningful breakthroughs. Individual family members may need additional support outside sessions, and the therapist helps pace the work so families aren’t overwhelmed.
Families practice skills at home in everyday interactions, notice patterns and bring observations back to therapy, complete brief exercises that support the work, and engage in individual reflection on personal contributions to family dynamics. Sessions typically run 50-60 minutes and focus on current challenges while building long-term skills. Some families also explore group therapy in Maine as an additional source of support.
Research consistently shows family therapy produces positive outcomes for children, adolescents, and families facing behavioral issues, communication problems, and mental health challenges. Studies demonstrate improvements in youth behavioral issues, school performance, emotional regulation, and family cohesion.
What happens in the first session, and how many sessions does family therapy take?
The first session establishes foundation, builds trust, and clarifies what your family hopes to achieve. The total number of sessions depends on your family’s specific challenges, goals, and how quickly new patterns take hold.
Your therapist will invite each family member to share their perspective on what’s happening, ask about family history, major transitions, and strengths, observe how family members interact and communicate with each other, and discuss confidentiality, session structure, and therapy process.
Everyone gets time to speak without interruption or judgment. The therapist manages the conversation so it stays balanced and productive. Families discuss what topics feel most urgent to address, and ground rules may be established for how family members engage in sessions.
The first session focuses on identifying specific changes your family wants to see, clarifying what success looks like for everyone, agreeing on frequency and format of sessions, and discussing any concerns about the therapy process. First sessions often feel vulnerable, but this openness creates the foundation for meaningful change.
Severity and complexity of issues bringing the family to therapy, level of engagement and willingness to practice skills between sessions, whether individual family members also need personal therapy, and how quickly new patterns replace old cycles all affect duration.
Most families start with weekly sessions to build momentum and establish new patterns. As progress develops, sessions may shift to biweekly, then monthly for maintenance and continued support during challenging periods.
How do you choose the right family therapist?
Choosing the right family therapist involves assessing training, fit, and whether their approach aligns with your family’s needs and values.
Trust your instincts about whether this person can hold space for your entire family.
What kind of therapy works best for families, and does credential type matter?
Different therapeutic approaches work for different families depending on specific challenges, communication styles, and what resonates with family members. Both LCSWs and LMFTs can provide excellent family therapy, and the credential type matters less than specific training and experience.
Focuses on family organization, boundaries, and hierarchies. Effective for families where roles are unclear or children hold too much power.
Helps families rewrite problem-saturated stories. Works well when negative labels define family members.
Addresses attachment needs and emotional expression. Effective for families where deeper feelings get masked by anger or withdrawal.
The best approach depends on your family’s specific challenges and goals, ages and developmental stages of family members, whether the family prefers skills-based or exploratory work, cultural background and values around family structure, and what feels authentic and sustainable for your family.
We integrate attachment-based family therapy, Internal Family Systems, structural approaches, and narrative therapy. We tailor our approach to your family’s needs rather than using one-size-fits-all methods.
LCSW Training: Broader mental health training covering individuals, families, and systems. Strong foundation in understanding how social and environmental factors affect families. May have specialized family therapy training through continuing education.
LMFT Training: Specialized graduate training specifically in family systems and relational therapy. Required supervised clinical hours focused on couples and family work. Degree programs centered on systemic thinking and family dynamics.
More important than credential type: postgraduate training in family therapy approaches, years of experience working specifically with families, ongoing education and supervision in family systems work, and personal fit. Ask potential therapists about their family therapy training regardless of degree type.
Family systems often contribute to addiction patterns through enabling behaviors, unclear boundaries, or communication breakdowns. Family therapy supports recovery by educating all members about addiction, establishing healthy boundaries, addressing codependency, teaching relapse prevention strategies, and rebuilding trust. Family involvement significantly improves treatment outcomes for substance use disorders.
CBT techniques can be applied within family sessions to address thought patterns and behaviors that fuel conflict. Families learn to identify cognitive distortions, challenge unhelpful beliefs about each other, develop practical problem-solving skills, and track behavioral changes over time. CBT works well when combined with systems-based approaches.
What are the stages of family therapy?
Family therapy typically progresses through distinct stages, though the process isn’t always linear and families may revisit earlier stages. While models vary, many family therapists use a five-stage framework that guides treatment from initial contact through termination.
The therapist builds rapport with all family members, creates safety, and establishes a therapeutic alliance with the family system as a whole. Building trust with all family members, understanding family history, patterns, and strengths, and clarifying what brings the family to therapy happens during this stage.
The family and therapist identify specific concerns, map family patterns and dynamics, and collaboratively establish clear goals for therapy. This involves mapping communication cycles and interaction patterns, recognizing how roles and family organization contribute to problems, and understanding how each person’s behavior affects the system.
Active work on changing patterns, building new skills, and addressing core issues that maintain family distress occurs here. Families practice new communication skills in session, disrupt old patterns and try alternative approaches, and process emotions that surface as change begins.
New patterns become more natural, families practice skills independently, and the therapist’s role becomes less central as the family’s competence grows. This stage reinforces new patterns until they feel natural, prepares families for challenges that might trigger old cycles, and builds confidence in the family’s ability to navigate difficulties.
Therapy ends when goals are met, progress is consolidated, and the family feels equipped to manage challenges without ongoing support. This involves reviewing progress and celebrating change, discussing how to maintain gains, and planning for periodic check-ins or returning to therapy if needed. Some families schedule periodic check-ins.
How do I find a family therapist near me in Maine?
Finding the right family therapist in Maine involves using directories, getting referrals, and evaluating whether a therapist’s approach fits your family.
Many Maine families find virtual family therapy effective and convenient, especially when coordinating schedules or traveling to appointments is challenging. In-person sessions work well when families prefer face-to-face interaction or when younger children participate.
Some Maine schools partner with mental health agencies to deliver family therapy directly in educational settings. These programs integrate therapeutic support within the school environment, making services more accessible for children and teens experiencing behavioral or emotional challenges.
Maine offers mobile and community-integrated models that bring services directly to families in their environments. Programs like Multisystemic Therapy (MST) provide intensive support in home settings, particularly for families in rural areas where transportation to office-based services creates barriers.
Success & Wellbeing serves families throughout Maine with both in-person sessions in Pennellville and secure telehealth options. For more questions about family therapy, visit our comprehensive FAQ page.
What about insurance and the investment in family therapy?
Many family therapists operate as out-of-network providers, and understanding both insurance coverage and the value of investing in your family’s wellbeing helps with planning.
Many therapists work out-of-network, which means families pay the full fee at the time of service and may receive reimbursement from insurance for a portion of the cost. Reimbursement rates depend on specific plan benefits.
While cost matters, investing in family therapy often provides long-term value by preventing deeper crises that are costlier to address later, reducing stress-related health issues, improving communication patterns that affect all relationships, and building skills that benefit the family for years to come.
Rural and conservative areas of Maine sometimes carry cultural attitudes that deter families from seeking mental health support. Normalizing therapy as a resource for healthy families, not just those in crisis, helps reduce stigma. Connecting with providers who understand Maine’s cultural context supports engagement.
Our team includes Paul Sullivan and Patty Walker Monical, therapists trained in working with families navigating complex dynamics, high achievement pressure, and relationship challenges. We bring expertise in attachment-based family therapy, Internal Family Systems, structural approaches, and systemic family work.
We understand the unique pressures high-achieving families face. Balancing success, family connection, and individual wellbeing requires support that honors ambition while addressing the relational costs of constant striving. We help families create dynamics where everyone can thrive.
We’re a group practice serving high-achieving families throughout Maine and beyond. Our team includes therapists trained in attachment-based family therapy, Internal Family Systems, structural family therapy, and narrative approaches.
We create a supportive, collaborative environment where families can explore challenges, strengthen connections, and build patterns that support everyone’s growth. We offer both virtual and in-person family therapy options.
Families thrive when they have the right support to navigate challenges together. Family therapy in Maine gives you practical tools, clearer communication, and pathways to the connection you’re looking for. Whether you’re in Pennellville, Brunswick, or anywhere throughout Maine, we’re here to help you build healthier patterns that last.
