About The Center
Co-Directors Froma Walsh and John Rolland
CCFH is internationally renowned for our innovative resilience-based practice approaches to strengthen families in crisis or facing persistent challenges. This positive approach helps families succeed, tapping relational resources for mastery, healing, and growth of all members, from small children to frail elders. Our integrative framework addresses bio-psycho-social-spiritual influences and is attunded to the values and challenges of today’s diverse couples and families. Our collaborative, mulit-systemic approach engages vulnerable, underserved populations and builds partnerships with community-based agencies and healthcare systems.
History
The Chicago Center for Family Health was founded in 1991 by John Rolland, MD and Froma Walsh, PhD, with a senior faculty of 20 distinguished family therapists. Our goal was to establish a Center that would provide innovative clinical training and services to promote healthy family functioning and resilience. Together we developed training programs, collaborative projects, and clinical services grounded in our resilience-oriented, strengths-based approach. The CCFH faculty has grown to include over 30 mental health professionals who specialize in a variety of clinical areas. CCFH is recognized today as one of the foremost family therapy training institutes in the world.
To respond to the needs of the health and mental health professionals we serve, we have developed specialized training and services in Family and Couples Therapy and in Families, Illness, and Collaborative Healthcare. We also developed innovative programs for school-based professionals, divorce mediators, and clinicians who work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clients. CCFH Clinical Fellows and Faculty in private practice offer expert counseling and therapy services for families, couples and individuals facing a variety of life challenges. We collaborate with agencies to provide community programs benefiting families.
CCFH is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3), independent affiliate of the University of Chicago. We are autonomous from the university, responsible for our own governance and rely solely on funds from tuition, foundations, and individual donors.
Mission
Our renowned Center has developed resilience-based approaches to strengthen families in crisis by:
- Training mental health and healthcare professionals
- Serving low income, minority and other vulnerable persons by providing services and developing partnerships with community-based agencies
- Being a model for training and service delivery
Read more about who we serve or view descriptions of our Alumni Association, Board of Directors and Staff.