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Family Counseling · New York

Family Therapy in New York for the Roles You Did Not Choose

Every family has its jobs: the responsible one, the peacemaker, the one who left, the one nobody worries about. Those roles get handed out early and tend to hold long after they stop fitting — at the holiday table, on the phone with a parent, or in your own head when you try to do something different.

Peace Love Wellness offers two ways to work on family. Karen Garcia, MHC-LP, and Zaire Smalls, MHC-LP, offer family counseling sessions for adults and families with teens ages 16 and older; Karen works in English or Spanish. Both also offer individual therapy for family patterns, for when the work is yours to do on your own.

You may be here because

  • The same argument with a parent, sibling, or adult child has been running for years
  • Your family is going through a change — a move, an illness, a loss, a teen getting ready to leave — and everyone is handling it differently
  • You are the one who holds the family together, and you are exhausted
  • You want a different relationship with your family but feel guilty every time you set a limit
  • Culture, language, or generation has opened a gap between family members who love each other

Some of this work happens with family members in the room, and some of it happens on your own. Part of getting started is figuring out which fits, and it can change over time.

What family therapy can help with

  • Communication that keeps breaking down in the same places
  • Conflict between parents and teens ages 16 and older, or between adult family members
  • Family roles such as caretaker, peacemaker, or the “strong one”
  • Boundaries, guilt, and loyalty
  • Differences across generations, cultures, and languages
  • Adjusting together to illness, loss, separation, or another major change

Family sessions with Karen or Zaire

Karen Garcia, MHC-LP, and Zaire Smalls, MHC-LP, offer family counseling for adults and for families with teens ages 16 and older. Sessions bring family members together online to slow down the conversations that usually go sideways, so each person can say what they mean and hear what the others are saying.

Karen offers every session format in English or Spanish, which matters when family members are most at home in different languages, and offers free 15-minute consultations, with evening and weekend times. Zaire meets in the evenings and brings attention to culture, identity, and community. Both are accepting new clients. We do not offer family therapy that includes children under 16.

Individual therapy for family patterns

You do not need your family in the room to change your part in it. Individual therapy can help you understand the role you were given, where the guilt comes from, and what you want your relationships with family to look like now.

Zaire works with family roles and expectations in the context of culture, identity, and community, and Karen pairs practical next steps with attention to family and work. Both see individuals for this work.

Consejería familiar en español

Karen Garcia, MHC-LP, ofrece consejería familiar en español o en inglés para adultos y para familias con adolescentes de 16 años en adelante. Las sesiones son en línea para personas que se encuentran en Nueva York.

Terapia en español

Online and insurance-friendly

Sessions are online for clients located in New York. Family members can join from the same room or from different places, as long as everyone is in New York during the session. We are in-network with Aetna, Anthem / Empire BlueCross (including Excellus, Highmark, and out-of-state BlueCard plans), Carelon, Cigna, EmblemHealth, MagnaCare, Meritain, and NYSHIP / The Empire Plan. Coverage for family sessions depends on your plan, and we confirm it before you begin. With a supervised clinician, individual sessions are $150 at full fee, with sliding-scale rates of $75–$150; couples sessions are $200, with sliding-scale rates of $100–$200.

Who You Could Work With

Karen Garcia, MHC-LP

Family counseling for adults and families with teens ages 16+, with evening and weekend times, plus individual work on family roles. In English or Spanish.

Currently accepting new clients

Zaire Smalls, MHC-LP

Family sessions for adults and families with teens ages 16+, plus individual work on family roles, with attention to culture, identity, and community.

Currently accepting new clients

Sessions are online for clients located in New York. We review clinical fit, insurance, and current openings before you begin. Insurance & Fees · Get Started

Family therapy FAQ

Questions we hear from people considering family counseling or individual therapy for family concerns.

Do you offer family therapy in New York?

Yes. Karen Garcia, MHC-LP, and Zaire Smalls, MHC-LP, offer family counseling for adults and for families with teens ages 16 and older, online across New York. Karen offers sessions in English or Spanish. Both are accepting new clients.

Do you work with children in family therapy?

No. Family sessions are for adults and for families with teens ages 16 and older. We do not offer therapy that includes children under 16.

What if my family will not come to therapy?

That is common, and you can still do meaningful work. Individual therapy can help you understand your role in the family, set limits with less guilt, and change how you respond, which often shifts the relationship even when no one else changes.

¿Ofrecen terapia familiar en español?

Sí. Karen Garcia, MHC-LP, ofrece consejería familiar en español o en inglés para adultos y para familias con adolescentes de 16 años en adelante.

Can family members join from different locations?

Yes. Sessions are online, so family members can join from different places, as long as each person is located in New York during the session.

Do you accept insurance for family therapy in New York?

Many clients use insurance for therapy at Peace Love Wellness. We are in-network with Aetna, Anthem / Empire BlueCross (including Excellus, Highmark, and out-of-state BlueCard plans), Carelon, Cigna, EmblemHealth, MagnaCare, Meritain, and NYSHIP / The Empire Plan. Coverage for family sessions depends on your plan, and we confirm it before you begin.

A different conversation is possible

Tell us a little about your family and what you're hoping for. We'll help you decide whether family sessions, individual therapy, or both make sense, and match you with a clinician who fits.