Photo of Joshua Blackburn, Counselor in 24210, VA
Joshua Blackburn
Counselor, MA, LPC, MHSP, Temp
Verified Verified
3 Endorsed
Abingdon, VA 24210
You want more than just feeling better - you want to create a better life for yourself and those you love - but you're stuck. You want to get closer to who and how you want to be. You've tried everything you can think of and you still feel bad - physically, spiritually, mentally. What would you be doing if anxiety, panic, sadness, lack of motivation, anger, or confusion wasn't standing in your way? If difficult conversations happened without ending in a blow up, shut down, or disconnection - could life be better together?
You want more than just feeling better - you want to create a better life for yourself and those you love - but you're stuck. You want to get closer to who and how you want to be. You've tried everything you can think of and you still feel bad - physically, spiritually, mentally. What would you be doing if anxiety, panic, sadness, lack of motivation, anger, or confusion wasn't standing in your way? If difficult conversations happened without ending in a blow up, shut down, or disconnection - could life be better together?
(423) 210-4631 View (423) 210-4631
Family Therapy

What do family therapists do?

A family therapist facilitates the process of understanding and improving how a family functions. The therapist will help family members develop empathy for one another. They’ll seek to understand existing patterns, misunderstandings, and conflicts that arise, in order to help the family arrive at a realistic, unified understanding and develop the coping skills they need to build stronger relationships.

How long does therapy for families take to work?

Therapy manifests differently in every family; a common time frame is 12 weekly sessions, but some families may see improvement after just a few weeks. Families should discuss their goals with the therapist at the beginning of the process and periodically revisit those goals to assess their progress together.

How can you encourage a family member to attend family therapy?

You can encourage family members to attend therapy by expressing with both love and concern the challenges you see and explaining how a therapist could help the family navigate those challenges together. An outside perspective can help everyone feel heard, get on the same page, and develop new skills. If family members are still hesitant, it may be helpful to emphasize that family therapy is short-term—it won’t last forever.

Is therapy for families effective?

Family therapy can significantly improve family dynamics and relationships. Research suggests that family therapy can help individuals understand their role in the family, communicate and solve problems together, reduce conflict and draw boundaries when necessary, and develop coping skills for stressors, major life changes, and mental or physical illnesses within the family.