Since 1982, the Family Center has helped families grow strong and empowered them to form vibrant communities. As a not-for-profit human service and community outreach agency, we provide therapeutic and family support services to families in Somerville and the Greater Boston Area, as well as training and consultation to schools and social service agencies in New England and New York.


Our Clients

We serve more than 2000 families a year. Many cope with myriad stresses: inadequate housing, health care, and schools; dangerous neighborhoods; under- and unemployment. Some struggle with drug addiction, abandonment, violence, or loss. Many have little faith in their capacity to survive as individuals, let alone as families. Indeed, many have come to the Family Center because they have lost—or are at risk of losing—their children.


Our Staff

Our professional staff is made up of racially and culturally diverse therapists, parent educators, and family advocates. Our staff includes native speakers of Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Portuguese who provide services for families from these cultural backgrounds. We also have openly gay and lesbian therapists who offer a range of services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender families. We are committed to meeting the needs of these diverse groups, both in the clinic and through special sessions of support programs such as the Parenting Journey.


Our Philosophy

At the Family Center, we believe:

• All families have strengths they can tap to build a fulfilling life together and to support their individual members' growth and dreams.
  
  
• Families can be their own healers. With guidance and support, they can draw on inner strengths, develop skills, and reach out for the resources they need to succeed.
  
  
• Families are the center of individual and community healing. No individual—and no family—exists in isolation. When families grow strong, so do the individuals within them and the communities to which they belong.
  
  
• Families need different supports at different times. These range from therapeutic interventions to practical help developing parenting skills, finding a job, or even negotiating a lease.