The best family therapy practice in Denver is the one that brings parents into the work in a structured way, is clear about who provides care and what it costs, and can serve your family in the language you speak at home. We checked seven Denver-area practices on their own websites against six criteria. Mountainside Behavioral Health, which publishes this guide, is listed first because it meets all six; the rest are ranked by the same criteria.
The practices here differ a lot. Some are private-pay specialty practices, one is a nonprofit training clinic with sliding-scale fees, and one is a large nonprofit provider that accepts Medicaid. If cost or insurance is your main constraint, look closely at numbers two through four.
Every competitor detail below comes from that practice's own website as of September 2026, and each page we checked is listed in the sources. Fees, waitlists and services change, so confirm directly before you book.
How we ranked these practices
- Family therapy or family sessions are listed as a service on the practice website.
- Parents are brought in through a structured format, such as parent training or coaching, or a multi-family skills group.
- Licensed clinicians are named, with credentials, on the website.
- Fees are published, or a sliding scale or Medicaid acceptance is stated.
- Therapy is available in Spanish.
- Telehealth is available.
We ranked on these criteria alone, using what each practice publishes. We did not use reviews, star ratings or outcome claims, and no practice paid to be included. Details change, so confirm fees, availability and insurance directly with any provider.
1. Mountainside Behavioral Health
Mountainside lists family sessions, parent training and a Teen Multi-Family DBT Skills Group alongside individual therapy. In the multi-family group, a parent or caregiver takes part with the teen, and both learn the same DBT skills over 24 weeks. The practice describes the aim as building a shared language for difficult emotions so skills carry over into home life. Its parent training sessions use CBT techniques, and each session ends with a concrete plan to use at home.
The team page names Dr. Emily Biggs-Heisler, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist who lists family therapy among her formats, and Dr. Diana Huizar, Ph.D., a school psychologist who is bilingual in English and Spanish and works with young people ages 11 to 24 and their families. Mountainside is a DBT and CBT practice, not a family-systems institute. If your family's concerns center on a teen's emotion regulation, self-harm urges, anxiety or depression, that focus is a strength.
- Teen Multi-Family DBT Skills Group: Mondays, two hours weekly, 24 weeks, ages 12 to 18, $150 per session (group details)
- Parent training: $175 to $200 per 45-minute session
- Therapy in Spanish with Dr. Diana Huizar
- Secure video sessions throughout Colorado; free initial consultation
- Out-of-network provider; superbills provided
2. Family First Counseling
Family First Counseling says it offers family therapy, reunification therapy, child and play therapy, teen therapy, couples therapy and parenting and co-parenting support. The team is led by Dr. Danielle Barcelo, PhD, LMFT, with Tiana Rothman, LMFT, as Clinical Director, and the site names a large staff of marriage and family therapists, counselors and supervised interns.
Service names throughout the site appear in both English and Spanish, and a parenting coaching and skills group is listed. It met five of our six criteria; we did not confirm telehealth details on the pages we checked.
- Credentialed with Medicaid, Medicare, Kaiser, Aetna and Cigna, per its rates page
- Private-pay couples and family therapy with the founder starts at $250 per hour; reduced private-pay rates start at $140 per hour; sliding fee scale offered
- Services listed in Spanish
3. WellPower
WellPower is a Denver nonprofit mental health provider, founded in 1989 according to its site. Its child and family services include family, individual and group therapy, in-home therapy for higher-need situations and school-based services with Denver Public Schools, with the main outpatient program serving ages 5 to 18.
The site says Medicaid covers all costs of its behavioral health services, that it accepts other insurance and offers sliding-scale fees, and it lists Spanish and more than a dozen other languages. Because it is a large agency, its site does not name individual clinicians the way a small practice does, which is the main criterion it did not meet.
- Medicaid accepted; sliding-scale fees; other insurance accepted
- Spanish and many other languages listed
- Phone: (303) 504-7700
4. Denver Family Institute
Denver Family Institute describes itself as a nonprofit offering affordable therapy to families of all backgrounds, and it also runs a Marriage and Family Therapy certificate program. Its fees page says family members can work with different DFI therapists for family, couples and individual therapy at the same time, depending on their goals.
Many sessions are provided by graduate or postgraduate trainees studying family therapy at DFI, and the site says those sessions are recorded for training purposes only. It offers in-person, teletherapy and hybrid services. We did not find named clinicians with credentials or Spanish-language services on the pages we checked.
- Sliding scale from $25 to $75 per session for households earning $75,000 or less, per its fees page
- Accepts Colorado Access Medicaid
- Homepage stated there was no waitlist for counseling when we checked
5. Denver Child Therapy
Denver Child Therapy was founded by Dr. Sheryl Ziegler and lists child play therapy for ages 3 to 8, therapy for tweens and teens, family therapy and parent consultation, psychological assessments, school observation and support for young adults. Its site describes family sessions that can include parents, siblings and grandparents, with attention to communication patterns and co-parenting.
The practice does not accept Medicaid or private insurance, and the homepage said new client requests were being added to a waitlist when we checked. We did not find published fees, Spanish-language services or telehealth details.
- Family therapy and parent consultation listed
- Private pay only; waitlist for new clients at time of checking
- Five licensed clinicians, per its site
6. Denver Family Therapy Center
Denver Family Therapy Center lists family therapy, individual counseling for adolescents and adults, couples therapy and an Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), which it says is run by master's-level therapists who are Certified Addictions Counselors. It also lists medication management.
The site says it accepts private insurance plans, Medicaid, Medicare and most Employee Assistance Programs, and publishes a self-pay rate. It is open Saturdays. We did not find a clinician directory with credentials, Spanish-language services or telehealth details on the pages we checked.
- Self-pay rate: $120 per session, per its site
- Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and most EAPs
- Hours listed: Monday to Friday 9 to 7, Saturday 9 to 3
7. Foundations Family Counseling
Foundations Family Counseling describes itself as a Denver practice of more than 20 years offering therapy for individuals, couples and families. Its site lists family counseling, parent coaching, child counseling and therapy for teens, and says it works with children, teens and their families to explore individual and relational dynamics and strengthen coping skills.
The site lists virtual therapy and extended weekday and Saturday hours at its Denver offices. We did not find published fees or Spanish-language services on the pages we checked, and we did not verify individual clinician credentials, so it ranks last on our criteria.
- Family counseling and parent coaching listed
- Two Denver offices; hours listed as weekdays 8 to 8 and Saturdays 8 to 4
- Virtual therapy listed
How we chose
We looked for Denver-metro practices that list family therapy as a service and then read each practice's own website. We kept only practices we could confirm are operating and whose family services are described on their site. Each was scored on the six criteria above; ties were broken by how much fee and access information the practice publishes.
We did not use review counts, star ratings or search rankings. A ranking on criteria like these tells you about access and structure, not about which clinician will be the right fit for your family. A consultation call is still the best test.
Family therapy, parent training and multi-family groups are different things
Family therapy usually means sessions with two or more family members together, looking at how the family communicates and handles conflict. Parent training or parent coaching works mainly with the parent or caregiver, teaching specific skills to use at home, sometimes without the child in the room. A multi-family skills group brings several families together to learn the same skills side by side; Mountainside's teen group uses the four DBT skills modules.
Many families use more than one. A teen might have individual therapy while a parent attends parent training, with occasional family sessions to practice together. Our guide to the best DBT skills for parents of teens covers skills worth learning either way, and how to support a teen in therapy covers the parent side of individual treatment.
Questions to ask before you book
These questions help you compare practices on the things that matter day to day:
- Who attends sessions: the whole family, parents only, or a mix?
- Is there a structured parent component, such as parent training or a multi-family group?
- Which clinician would we see, and what is their license?
- What do sessions cost, and do you take Medicaid or offer a sliding scale?
- Can sessions be in Spanish, or with a clinician who speaks our home language?
- Do you offer telehealth for family members who live apart or have busy schedules?
When a family needs more than weekly therapy
Weekly outpatient family therapy is not the right level of care if a child or teen is at immediate risk of harming themselves or someone else, or has a medical risk such as a serious eating disorder. In a crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line, or text HELLO to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
WellPower, listed above, offers in-home therapy for higher-need situations, according to its site. Mountainside's Denver mental health resources page lists additional free and low-cost supports, including NAMI Colorado and Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid).
Frequently asked questions
How much does family therapy cost in Denver?
It varies widely. Among practices on this list, published options range from a $25 to $75 sliding scale at Denver Family Institute to private-pay rates of $250 per hour; Medicaid covers services at WellPower. Mountainside's parent training is $175 to $200 per 45-minute session and its teen multi-family group is $150 per two-hour session.
Is there family therapy in Spanish in Denver?
Yes. Mountainside offers therapy in Spanish with Dr. Diana Huizar, who works with young people ages 11 to 24 and their families. Family First Counseling lists its services in Spanish, and WellPower lists Spanish among many languages.
Does my teen have to be in therapy for parents to get help?
No. Parent training works directly with parents and caregivers, and many families start there. Mountainside's teen DBT group is multi-family, so a parent or caregiver attends alongside the teen.
Does Mountainside take insurance for family work?
Mountainside is an out-of-network provider and does not bill insurance directly. It provides superbills you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement; details are on the insurance and pricing page.
Where can I find teen-focused practices?
See our list of the best teen therapy practices in Denver, which compares practices on teen-specific criteria.
Related reading
- Parent Training With CBT Techniques: Support for Families in Denver
- DBT Groups in Denver
- Teen Therapy in Denver
- Best Teen Therapy Practices in Denver (2026)
- Best DBT Skills for Parents of Teens
- Best Ways to Support a Teen in Therapy
Talk to someone
Mountainside Behavioral Health offers DBT and CBT for adolescents, adults, couples and families in Greenwood Village and by telehealth across Colorado. Consultations are free, and we will tell you if another provider is a better fit. Call (720) 762-4619 or request a consultation.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line (free, confidential, 24/7). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Sources (12)
- Family First Counseling: homepage (services, team, Spanish)
- Family First Counseling: rates and insurance
- Family First Counseling: contact (address)
- Family First Counseling: parenting coaching and skills group
- WellPower: child and family services
- Denver Family Institute: homepage
- Denver Family Institute: counseling fees
- Denver Family Institute: contact (address)
- Denver Family Institute: child and adolescent counseling
- Denver Child Therapy: homepage
- Denver Family Therapy Center: homepage
- Foundations Family Counseling: homepage