A letter from Dr. Jacobs

Dear fellow practitioners,

Welcome to the Central Iowa Family Institute. I founded this practice based on the belief that the most effective way to ensure a child’s well-being is to engage, strengthen and support their family. As such, I’ve developed a three-pronged approach for providing modern mental health services for individuals, couples, families and beyond.

First, we empower families through compassionate, collaborative, comprehensive therapy backed by advanced research and decades of experience. Our goal is to create an integrated practice with other health care professionals under one roof, including nurse practitioners, chiropractors, nutritionists, massage therapists and functional medicine providers.

Second, we offer on-site training and certification programs for mental health professionals, educators, clergy, law enforcement and parents to help manage the mental health situations they experience daily. This is a vital community resource with untapped potential for growth.

Third, as part of our three-year vision, we plan to conduct clinical research projects with world-renowned universities and institutions to respond to the changing needs of families. The knowledge and insights we gain will be incorporated into our training programs and disseminated to mental health care professionals locally and nationally through lectures, workshops and publications.

A myriad of factors that have plagued families for generations continue to do so: Child abuse significantly traumatizes individuals and families, especially when the perpetrator is a family member. The gender pay gap at work often reproduces gender inequality at home. Infidelity can result in PTSD-like psychological distress. Overt and covert racism and oppression place individuals at risk for substance abuse, disordered eating, depression and domestic violence.

Emerging issues are also impacting how families connect, bond and maintain relationships. Technology is a double-edged sword, both improving the opportunity for communication and exploiting it. Changing gender norms and LGBTQ+ issues are influencing family dynamics and power structures. Couples are experiencing infertility as a result of coupling later in life. The criminalization of undocumented immigrants has harmed families seeking refuge from violence in their home countries. The war on drugs has disproportionately affected Black and Latinx families.

These contemporary insights into divorce, trauma, violence, addiction and social injustice underscore the complicated issues families explore during psychotherapy. It’s imperative for practitioners to stay current and well-versed in these challenges, understanding their effects on individuals and relationships, and embracing therapeutic approaches that can address inherently diverse and complex family dynamics.

This is where the Central Iowa Family Institute shines.

Our unique three-prong approach ensures access to cutting-edge research, implementation of the latest counseling practices and — most importantly — high-quality, holistic care for our clients.

If you’re passionate about being at the forefront of mental health discoveries; sharing your knowledge with those who will truly benefit from your expertise; and working in a supportive, autonomous, collaborative environment, I encourage you to apply for one of our open positions, below. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children and families.

Yours in wellness,
Warren R. Jacobs, Ph.D., LMFT