Treatment to Address Severe Family Disturbances

We excel at helping individuals and families weather the most difficult times.

At The Family Recovery Institute in San Rafael, we specialize in helping families weather the most difficult, disruptive, and destabilizing moments of their lives. Severe disturbances in family life—like the sudden unraveling of a relationship, the shock of a diagnosis, or the deep impact of addiction—can fracture connection, challenge communication, and create patterns of pain that echo across generations. These are not “everyday” stressors; they are life-altering events that shake the foundation of a family system.

We are here to help you face those moments with honesty, skill, and compassionate support.

Examples of Severe Disturbances

Severe disturbances are often sudden, overwhelming, and deeply personal. They come in many forms, but all tend to have a common thread: the sense that something essential has been broken or is at risk of breaking. At the Institute, we work with families facing:

  • Addiction and Substance Abuse: Whether it’s a teenager’s escalating drug use, a partner’s alcohol dependency, or a parent's relapse after years of sobriety, addiction affects every member of the family. We understand the fear, betrayal, confusion, and exhaustion that can come with loving someone who is struggling with substance use.

  • Contested Divorce and High-Conflict Separation: When separation becomes more than just a parting of ways—when it is charged with anger, control, legal battles, and custody disputes—children and parents alike can feel caught in a cycle of blame and loss. We work to protect the emotional wellbeing of every family member during this painful transition.

  • Terminal Illness or Sudden Death: The diagnosis of a life-limiting illness or the unexpected loss of a loved one can create grief so intense it seems impossible to bear. These events can unearth old wounds, magnify relationship tensions, and leave families frozen or fragmented. Our work provides space to grieve, speak the unspeakable, and find a path forward.

  • Serious Mental Illness: When a family member is diagnosed with a condition such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or a severe mood disorder, it can feel like the whole family has been taken hostage. We help families learn how to live alongside mental illness, reduce stigma, and build healthy ways of relating through the chaos.

  • Trauma and Violence in the Home: Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse leaves behind more than physical wounds—it disrupts trust, identity, and the very meaning of safety. We provide trauma-informed care that allows families to begin repairing what’s been broken.

No matter what the crisis looks like in your home, if it feels unbearable or impossible to fix, you are not alone. These are exactly the situations we are trained to help you face and these are the forms of therapy we offer:

Therapy for Individuals

For individuals living through family crisis—whether you’re a parent, partner, or adolescent—we offer a space that is confidential, grounded, and focused on your experience. Whether you’re overwhelmed by grief, numbed by trauma, or just trying to keep going in the midst of chaos, we help you connect with your own needs and strengths. Our goal is to help you stabilize emotionally and begin to build clarity around the next right step for you and your family.

Therapy for Couples

Severe disturbance often places enormous strain on a couple’s relationship. One partner may feel alone in shouldering the burden. The other may feel blamed, misunderstood, or shut out. Whether you are trying to repair, reconnect, or co-parent through divorce or addiction, couples therapy can be a powerful space to rebuild trust and find new ways of working together under pressure. We help couples move from survival mode to mutual understanding and renewed purpose.

Therapy for Families

When a family is in crisis, members often retreat into silence, conflict, or blame. Our work with families is about rebuilding connection. We create a space where everyone can be heard, where pain can be spoken, and where practical tools can be learned to bring the family system back into balance. We don’t just work on the “problem”—we work on restoring communication, safety, and healing relationships across generations.

With nearly 30 years of experience, Dr. Perlmutter and the experienced team of clinicians at FRI combine psychodynamics, family systems therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, peer support and spiritual methods to help our clients achieve their goals. This is often long-term challenging work. We pride ourselves on our ability to help people with complex conditions and difficult circumstances.

Please call 415-322-0939 for a phone consultation or to schedule an appointment.