Family Therapy in Los Angeles

When the whole family is struggling — not just one person, not just the marriage, but the entire system — individual therapy isn't enough. You need someone who can see the full picture and help everyone get on the same page.

I'm Dr. Jené Verchick, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 26 years of experience. I hold a Master's degree in Child, Adolescent, and Family Therapy from USC in addition to my doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I work with families throughout Los Angeles and California via secure video sessions.

How I Work With Families

Family therapy isn't group therapy where everyone takes a turn talking. It's about the dynamic — the way you interact as a unit. Who speaks. Who shuts down. Who plays peacemaker. Who carries the emotional weight for everyone else. Who gets scapegoated when things get tense.

I'm active in session. I don't let the loudest voice dominate while the quietest person disappears. I make sure everyone is heard — and then I help you see the patterns that are keeping the family stuck. My goal isn't to assign blame. It's to change the way you function together.

What Brings Families to Therapy

The families I work with typically come in when something has disrupted the system and the usual way of coping isn't working anymore:

A teen in crisis. Anxiety, depression, defiance, substance use, school refusal, self-harm — and the rest of the family doesn't know how to respond without making it worse.
Divorce and co-parenting. The marriage ended but the family didn't. I help parents create a functional co-parenting relationship and help kids process the transition without being caught in the middle.
Blended families. Stepparents, stepsiblings, loyalty conflicts, competing household rules. Merging two families is one of the hardest things people do — and most try to do it without help.
Communication breakdown. Everyone talks but no one listens. Conversations escalate within minutes. Family dinners feel like minefields.
Caregiving for aging parents. Siblings disagreeing about care decisions, one person carrying the burden, guilt and resentment building. I help families navigate this with the aging parent's dignity intact.
A family secret or crisis. Addiction, infidelity, financial problems, legal issues — something that affects the whole family but nobody knows how to talk about.
Enmeshment or boundary issues. Parents who are too involved in their adult children's lives. Adult children who can't separate from their parents. In-laws who don't respect boundaries. These patterns are deeply ingrained and almost impossible to change without a therapist in the room.

Family Therapy vs Couples Therapy vs Individual Therapy

People ask me this a lot. Here's the simple version:

If the issue is between two partners → couples therapy. If the issue is inside one person (anxiety, depression, trauma) → individual therapy. If the issue involves the whole family system — parents, kids, siblings, in-laws — family therapy.

Many families benefit from a combination. I might see the parents as a couple, the teen individually, and the whole family together. We figure out the right configuration based on what the situation needs.

26+ Years of Experience

I've spent over two decades working with families in crisis. I have specialized training in family systems through my USC master's program, and I've seen every version of family conflict there is — from the quiet, polite family where no one says what they actually feel, to the loud family where everyone says too much and nothing gets resolved.

The families that make the most progress are the ones who find a therapist willing to be honest with all of them. Not just supportive. Honest. That's how I work.

What Clients Say

"Our family was falling apart after my husband and I separated. The kids were angry, I was overwhelmed, and we couldn't have a conversation without someone storming out. Dr. Verchick got us all in the room and helped us actually hear each other. The kids are doing so much better. So am I." — Mother, Beverly Hills

"My 16-year-old son's anxiety was running the whole household. We were walking on eggshells, canceling plans, rearranging our lives around his panic attacks. Dr. Verchick worked with him individually and then brought us in as a family. She helped us stop enabling the anxiety without abandoning him. The difference has been enormous." — Parents, Calabasas

"Three adult siblings, one aging mother, and a mountain of resentment about who was doing what. Dr. Verchick helped us divide responsibilities, set boundaries, and stop weaponizing guilt. My mother is being cared for and we're speaking to each other again." — Adult daughter, Encino

"We're a blended family — two sets of kids, two sets of rules, and two adults who love each other but couldn't agree on how to run a household. Dr. Verchick didn't take sides. She helped us build one set of expectations that everyone could live with. It's not perfect, but it works." — Stepmother, Manhattan Beach

Frequently asked questions about family therapy

Does the whole family have to come to every session?

Not necessarily. Some sessions involve the whole family. Others might be just the parents, just the teen and one parent, or just the siblings. We adjust the configuration based on what the situation needs. The important thing is that everyone is willing to participate in the process.

My teenager refuses to come. Can we still do family therapy?

Yes. I can start with just the parents. Often, when the parents change how they're responding at home, the teen's behavior shifts too — and they become willing to join. Forcing a teen into therapy rarely works. Creating conditions where they choose to engage does.

How is family therapy different from just talking at home?

At home, you're all inside the pattern. You can't see it while you're in it. I can. I see who shuts down, who escalates, who rescues, who gets blamed. I stop the pattern in real time and help you practice a different way of interacting. That's something you can't do on your own.

Do you work with families going through divorce?

Yes. Divorce doesn't end the family — it restructures it. I help parents navigate co-parenting, help kids process the transition, and help the whole family find a new way to function. I also work with couples considering separation.

How long does family therapy take?

It depends on the complexity. Some families come in with a specific crisis and make progress in a few sessions. Others have deeply entrenched patterns that take months to shift. There's no set program — we go at whatever pace fits your family.