Family Therapy
Creating a Foundation for Lasting Connection
When Family Feels More Like A Battleground, ABFT Can Help.
Sometimes the people who should feel safest—our family—become sources of pain, conflict, or disconnection. You might feel unheard, unseen, or like you've stopped trying to reach out altogether.
Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is an evidence-based approach designed to repair the trust and connection between parents and teens or young adults. It's not about blame or behavior management. It's about rebuilding the emotional bond that allows families to heal together—and helps young people find their way back to safety, support, and hope.
Understanding Attachment
Before we talk about the therapy, let's talk about attachment. Attachment is the emotional bond that forms between a child and caregiver. It's rooted in a basic biological need for connection, safety, and love. When caregivers are consistently available, attuned, and responsive to their child's needs, a secure attachment develops.
Securely attached children learn that they are worthy of care, that their feelings matter, and that they can trust others to be there when they need support. This becomes the foundation for healthy emotional regulation, self-esteem, and relationships throughout life.
Certain events or interactions in life can cause attachment to be disrupted. This can lead to the child beginning to feel unsafe, unworthy, or like they can't rely on their caregiver for comfort. This is called an attachment rupture—and it can show up as conflict, withdrawal, anxiety, depression, or even suicidal thoughts.
ABFT is designed to repair these ruptures and restore the secure attachment that makes healing possible.
What is ABFT?
Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a structured, evidence-based family therapy specifically designed to treat adolescent and young adult depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and trauma by addressing the family relationships that influence mental health.
ABFT is grounded in the understanding that family conflict, detachment, criticism, or unresolved trauma can cause or worsen emotional distress in young people. When teens or young adults feel disconnected from their parents, they lose access to the very support system that could help them cope.
This therapy doesn't focus on changing behavior first. Instead, it focuses on repairing trust and connection. When these are restored, the relationship becomes a protective factor—helping young people feel safe enough to open up, heal, and grow.
ABFT has been endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and is listed on the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
How Does ABFT Work?
ABFT follows a five-task structure that provides a clear roadmap for healing. Each task has specific goals designed to rebuild trust, repair attachment, and promote healthy autonomy.
Task 1: Relational Reframing The family learns how relationship struggles are contributing to the distress, highlighting a shared journey toward connection, not a fix-it mission for the teen alone.
Task 2: Adolescent/Young Adult Alliance Building In individual sessions, the young person works with the therapist to identify moments when they felt hurt, unsupported, or misunderstood by their parents. The goal is to help them prepare to express these vulnerable feelings in a safe, productive way.
Task 3: Parent Alliance Building In individual sessions with the parent(s), the therapist explores how their own attachment history, stressors, and fears may be affecting their parenting. This builds empathy and prepares parents to listen with openness rather than defensiveness.
Task 4: Repairing Attachment This is the heart of ABFT. The teen or young adult and parent(s) come together in a guided session to have an honest, emotionally vulnerable conversation. The young person shares their unmet needs and experiences of hurt. The therapist helps parents respond with empathy, validation, and care—creating a corrective attachment experience that begins to rebuild trust.
Task 5: Promoting Autonomy Once trust is re-established, the family works together to support the young person's autonomy and competence outside the home. Parents learn to balance support with healthy independence, helping their child navigate challenges while knowing they have a secure base to return to.
Sessions typically last 60–90 minutes and are held weekly for 12–16 weeks, though the length can be adjusted based on the family's needs and treatment setting.
What to Expect in ABFT Therapy
ABFT is different from traditional family therapy. It's not about teaching communication skills or managing behavior—it's about creating space for emotional honesty and repair.
You can expect:
A calm, structured environment where everyone's voice matters
Individual sessions before joint family sessions to prepare and build safety
A focus on emotions, not just actions
The therapist actively guiding difficult conversations with care and intention
Moments that feel vulnerable—and moments that feel deeply healing
A process that moves at the family's pace, with respect and compassion
This work can be emotional, but it's also incredibly powerful. Many families find that as trust returns, the conflicts that once felt impossible begin to soften.
What To Expect Between Sessions
After ABFT sessions—especially the attachment repair sessions—it's normal for emotions to continue processing at home. You might notice:
Feeling emotionally tender or tired
Shifts in how family members relate to each other
Old patterns resurfacing briefly before fading
A sense of relief, hope, or cautious optimism
Moments of vulnerability that feel new or unfamiliar
This is normal. Healing takes time.
During this time, we encourage families to:
Be patient with themselves and each other
Notice small moments of connection
Practice the skills learned in therapy
Reach out if anything feels overwhelming
Trust the process, even when it feels slow
ABFT doesn't promise overnight change—but it does create the foundation for lasting transformation.
Is ABFT Right For My Family?
ABFT is especially effective for families where a teen or young adult is struggling with:
Depression
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Anxiety
Trauma or PTSD
Eating disorders (as an adjunct to treatment)
Family conflict or disconnection
Withdrawal, anger, or emotional shutdown
Low self-esteem or feelings of worthlessness
Identity struggles, including LGBTQ+ youth experiencing family rejection
It's also helpful for families where:
Communication has broken down
There's been a history of rupture, neglect, or emotional unavailability
Parents want to better understand and support their child
A young adult is not launching into adulthood (failure to launch)
The teen feels like they can't trust or rely on their parents
ABFT has been shown to be effective across diverse families and has been adapted for use in outpatient, inpatient, residential, and home-based settings.
The Heart of ABFT—Rebuilding Trust
Begin Your Family’s Healing Here
At its core, ABFT is about one simple truth: when young people feel securely connected to their parents, they are better equipped to face life's challenges.
Depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts often thrive in isolation. But when the family relationship becomes a source of safety again, healing becomes possible.
ABFT helps families move from conflict to connection, from blame to understanding, and from rupture to repair.
You don't have to keep living in disconnection and pain. ABFT offers a structured, compassionate path to repair what's been broken and rebuild the trust your family needs to thrive.
Let's work together to help your family heal—one conversation at a time.