Written by Maria Boncyk, LCSW | Reviewed July 2026
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Maria Boncyk, LCSW offers fully virtual individual therapy for fathers who are struggling in their relationship with a teenage or adult child, across New York and Massachusetts. She helps dads handle conflict, distance, and estrangement, understand the patterns they bring from their own upbringing, and rebuild connection at a pace their child can accept. A free 25-minute consultation starts the process.
When the Relationship With Your Child Stops Working
Many fathers reach a point where the relationship with their teenage or adult child no longer works the way it used to. Maybe every conversation with your teenager turns into a standoff, or your adult son or daughter has gone quiet, answering texts with one word or not at all. You might feel shut out of your child's life, blamed for things you did not know were hurting them, or stuck between wanting to fix things and not knowing where to start. Some dads carry anger they cannot seem to put down. Others carry guilt about years spent working, a divorce, or a temper they wish they had managed differently. Many were raised by fathers who did not talk about feelings, and they find themselves repeating that silence even though they swore they would not. Men are often expected to handle this alone, to be the steady one, and there are few places where a father can say out loud how much this hurts. Wanting a better relationship with your child is not a weakness. It is one of the most important things you can work on.
How Therapy Helps Fathers Reconnect
This is individual therapy for you, the father. Your child does not need to agree to anything for the work to begin, and you do not need to have the right words yet. Maria draws on attachment-based and relational approaches, because the way a parent and child connect, pull away, and repair follows patterns that can be understood and changed. In sessions, we look closely at what actually happens between you and your child: the moments that set off arguments, the things you say when you are hurt, and the things your child may be hearing that you never meant. We also look at your own history. How your father and mother handled anger, closeness, and conflict often shapes how you parent, especially under stress. Psychodynamic exploration helps bring those patterns into view so they stop running on autopilot. Where old experiences from your own childhood still carry a strong charge, EMDR therapy can help them settle so you can respond to your child from the present rather than the past. Along the way, you will practice concrete skills: listening without fixing, apologizing in a way that lands, setting limits with a teenager without escalating, and respecting an adult child's independence while staying available.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Parenting Therapy for Dads sessions are held virtually, so you can meet with Maria from anywhere in New York or Massachusetts. Request a free 25-minute consultation to see if it feels like the right fit, with no commitment required.
What to Expect From the Work
Therapy begins with a free 25-minute consultation, then weekly 50-minute virtual sessions from anywhere in New York or Massachusetts. Early sessions focus on understanding the situation as it is right now and, if things are in crisis, on steadying you so you do not act out of panic or anger. From there, the work moves into patterns and next steps. For some fathers, that means preparing for a difficult conversation or writing a letter to an adult child who has stepped away. For others, it means changing how daily life with a teenager goes, one interaction at a time. Change in a parent-child relationship does not follow your schedule, and part of the work is learning to stay patient and consistent when your child is not ready yet. Maria is warm, direct, and honest. She will not take sides against you or against your child, and she will tell you clearly what she sees, which is what makes the work useful.
Who This Is Right For
This therapy is for fathers of teenagers and fathers of adult children who feel disconnected, in conflict, or shut out. It fits the dad whose teenager has stopped talking to him, the father whose adult child has cut back contact or stopped speaking to him, the divorced dad trying to rebuild a relationship after years of limited time together, and the father who sees his own father's temper or distance showing up in himself. It also fits dads who are simply worried: about a teenager who is struggling, pulling away, or making choices that scare them. Stepfathers and fathers in blended families are welcome, as are gay, bisexual, and transgender fathers. If you and your child both want to meet together, family therapy with a family therapist may be the better fit, and Maria will talk that through honestly in your consultation. You do not need to wait for a breaking point. If the relationship with your child is causing you pain, that is reason enough to start.
Support for Fathers Across New York and Massachusetts
Fathers often have the least room in their schedules for their own needs, between work, commuting, and family obligations. Virtual sessions remove the travel and make weekly work realistic, whether you are in New York City, upstate, Boston, or elsewhere in Massachusetts. Sessions run Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 7 PM Eastern, and can happen from a private office, a parked car, or anywhere you can talk freely. Maria runs an AI-free practice, so no AI note-takers or transcription tools touch your sessions. She is an out-of-network (OON) provider who confirms coverage details with each client first, provides monthly invoices for out-of-network reimbursement, and offers a free 25-minute consultation so you can see whether the fit feels right before committing to anything.
Common Questions, Answered Directly
Can therapy help if my adult child will not talk to me?
Yes. Individual therapy helps you understand what may have led to the distance, handle the grief and anger it brings, and plan any outreach so it is more likely to be received. Your child does not have to take part for the work to be worthwhile, and many fathers find the relationship changes once they change their side of it.
Is there therapy specifically for fathers?
Yes. Some therapists focus on the particular pressures fathers face, including the expectation to stay strong, patterns inherited from their own fathers, and difficulty talking about hurt. Maria Boncyk, LCSW offers virtual individual therapy for dads of teens and adult children across New York and Massachusetts.
How do I reconnect with my teenage son or daughter?
Start by listening more than advising, and by taking responsibility for your part in past conflicts without over-explaining. Consistency matters more than any single conversation. Therapy gives you a place to work out what to say, practice it, and stay steady when your teenager pushes back.