Family Therapy in Boston, MA
Break the patterns keeping your family stuck with evidence-based Emotionally Focused Family Therapy
Whether you're navigating parent-teen conflict, adult family estrangement, or co-parenting challenges, I help Boston-area families rebuild trust and connection through EFFT–all available online throughout Massachusetts.
Why families in Boston start therapy
High-achieving teens under immense pressure
Your teen is excelling academically but emotionally shut down. You want to support them, but every conversation turns into a fight about college, grades, or their future.
Adult children and their parents still have struggles & unfinished business
Your parents need more support now, but old dynamics keep getting in the way. You're trying to help, but it triggers all the same old patterns from your childhood.
Emotional distance that's become the norm
You're all in the same house, but it feels like you're living separate lives. Meals are silent. Everyone is looking at a screen. Conversations are transactional. The warmth is gone.
Blended families trying to merge households
You thought love would be enough, but everyone's struggling to find their place, co-parenting is a minefield, and the family bond you hoped for just isn't forming.
Co-parenting conflicts after divorce
You and your ex can't get on the same page about the kids, and the tension is affecting everyone.
Family stress caused by transitions, illness, or loss
A divorce, a death, a move–something changed, and your family hasn't found its footing again.
Between demanding careers, academic pressure, and the logistics of daily life, family relationships can get lost in the shuffle. If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone. And there's a way through.
How Emotionally Focused Family Therapy works
EFFT isn't about teaching you to "communicate better" or giving you a list of strategies to try at home. It's about understanding the emotional pattern–the “cycle” as it’s called in EFFT–that keep your family stuck.
In our work together, we'll:
Map your family's cycle so everyone can see the pattern clearly
Help each person understand their own emotional responses and triggers
Create new ways of responding that break the cycle instead of feeding it
Address old wounds that are still affecting current relationships
Build a more secure emotional foundation for your family
Understand how multigenerational patterns get passed down and how to interrupt them.
Why EFFT is different from other types of family therapy
EFFT goes beyond looking at behavior. We look at what's happening underneath the behavior–the fears, the unmet needs, the ways each person is trying to protect themselves (and how that ends up pushing everyone further apart).
This isn't about blame. It's about seeing the system clearly and giving everyone the tools to change it.
What to expect from family therapy
01
Free consultation (15 minutes) We'll talk by phone to understand what's happening and see if EFFT is the right fit for your family.
02
Initial individual sessions I typically start by meeting one-on-one with each family member. This gives everyone a chance to share their perspective without the pressure of the whole family dynamic.
03
Family sessions with flexible configurations Once I understand the landscape, we'll meet as a family–but not always all together every time. Sometimes I'll work with just the parents, just the kids, or dyads (e.g. two siblings, etc.).
04
Weekly or bi-weekly meetings Most families start with weekly sessions, especially when things are acute. As patterns shift, we might move to every other week or once a month.
Why work with me
I'm Paula Zerfoss, and I've been doing Emotionally Focused Therapy for over 20 years. I'm a Certified EFT Therapist and Supervisor, which means I'm trained specifically in EFFT–and I also train other therapists in this approach.
I understand what it's like when family relationships feel stuck. I've been there myself. I know what it's like to keep showing up in the same old pattern no matter how hard you try to change it. That lived experience shapes everything I do in this work.
I work with you, not on you. This isn't a large practice where you get shuffled between providers. It's just me, giving you my full attention and following your family's unique needs.
What clients say
"Paula has been phenomenal to work with for family therapy. Because of the global pandemic…the majority of our work has happened remotely over Zoom. I was skeptical at first, but the online therapy sessions have been incredibly helpful and productive in working through decades of ruptures in our relationships and starting to lay the foundation for healthy patterns of communication with those I love. Two months ago, the thought of getting together with my extended family would bring on days of anxious preparations and arguments with my spouse leading up to the visit. After less than ten sessions, we are now in a place where we can approach family visits with a clean emotional slate and comparatively little emotional stress before and after. It feels like a new beginning! Therapy is hard work, but it's also some of the most important work we can do. Paula, thanks for guiding along this path and helping us to get to a better place."
— M.C
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Serving families online across Massachusetts
I work with families throughout the Greater Boston area and across Massachusetts, including Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Newton, Lexington, Wellesley, and beyond. All sessions are online, via secure, HIPAA-compliant video, so location within the state isn't a barrie–no commute, no logistics stress, just log in from home.
Common questions from Boston families
Common questions from Boston families
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Most families start to see shifts in the first 4-6 sessions. Full treatment typically runs 12-20 sessions, but some families stay longer if they're working through deep-rooted patterns or multigenerational issues.
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That's more common than you'd think. Sometimes I'll start with the parents and bring the teen in once they're ready. Sometimes a brief one-on-one with the teen helps them feel less defensive. We'll work with whoever's willing and build from there.
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Yes. While I prefer everyone to be together when possible (especially for parents and teens in the same household), we can work with family members joining from different locations if needed.
Please note: I am licensed in the states of North Carolina and Massachusetts so at least the parent must be located in one of those states at the time of the session.
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I work with families with older teens (high school age and up) and adult children. I don't work with young children directly.
Older teens especially appreciate EFT because they get to be active participants in the process, and the model doesn't "blame" any one person for the problems.
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Absolutely. Adult children and parents often get stuck in old patterns, and college transitions can bring that into sharp relief. We can work with whoever's available and do sessions during breaks or virtually.
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I work with all family configurations. What matters is that there are relationships that matter to you and patterns that are getting in the way.
Have other questions?
Ready to start?
Your family doesn't have to stay stuck in the same patterns.
When you're ready to see things differently and start building the relationships you actually want, here's what to do:
Step 1: Reach out for a free consultation
Step 2: We'll talk briefly to see if we're a good fit
Step 3: Start the work of understanding and breaking your family's cycle