availability-icon

Offered in-person & online

Our therapists provide family therapy in Abingdon, VA

Get in-person or online care, and cover the majority of the costs with your insurance.

Connect with a therapist, psychiatrist or counselor near you
Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

25,282 people sought family therapy help in Virginia in the last year

Discover how starting family therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Good news! We have 122 therapists in Virginia available for an online or in-person session.

Starting Family therapy

What is family therapy?

Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.

How does family therapy work?

Thriveworks family therapists in Abingdon, VA usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.

What is the most effective family therapy?

The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.

How do I know if my family needs therapy?

This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.

What is included in family therapy?

In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.

What is the success rate of family therapy?

Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.

Is family therapy conducted in person or online?

Thriveworks therapists in Abingdon, VA offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does family therapy last?

Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.

Need more help deciding?

In the ideal situation, the people in our families provide us with support and strength, and these are the individuals we feel the closest to and most comfortable with. It is from our families that we learn how to communicate and cope, get our outlook on life and cultivate the expectations we have of other people. The family is where we first learn how to give and receive love.

While families deal with problems every now and then, sometimes the problems are more severe. Not all families meet ideal expectations, and many families live with stress, anger and feelings of detachment from one another. Sometimes behavioral and mental health issues, as well as stressful events, cause problems in families.

Family therapy and counseling can help the members of a family improve their communication and find a resolution to their conflicts. Therapy may include all family members—or those who are able or willing to participate—and it is used to work with the family to teach the skills needed during stressful times.

Reasons for Family Therapy

Conflicts in families can result from a variety of physical, emotional and mental causes. Family therapy may help when there are issues, such as grief, marital problems like divorce or separation, blended families, behavior problems with adolescents, depression and more. The following are more examples where family counseling is critical.

  • The effects of an illness. When a person has a chronic illness, it can affect his life and the members of the family in many ways. A parent who is tired and in pain may be unable to keep his job. The result may be the stress or anxiety of financial difficulties. In addition, the parent with the illness may erupt in anger or have depression, because he is trying to cope with the illness. On top of that, the parent may have to take medications that can have displeasing side effects that cause him to be irritated, not as alert and more.
  • Eating disorders (especially prevalent in adolescents). There are so many misconceptions about eating disorders that families become divided. Sometimes, people put the blame on the parents or other members of the family for the individual’s eating disorder. Eating disorders are complex, and there are several contributing factors that can trigger them. According to research, individuals with eating disorders come from vastly differing backgrounds and from all types of parenting styles. Family members are often on “high alert” because of their loved one’s disorder, and the individual with the illness can find it a very stressful and frightening experience. Therapy is vital for each member of the family to communicate and discuss their emotions in the family unit. Therapy may help to identify the relationships that help to enable the behaviors of the illness.
  • Problems between siblings. All siblings have disagreements and argue sometimes, but when the rivalry is intense and goes on for a long period of time, there may be a need for the intervention of family therapy. When siblings fight for more than a month or an immense jealousy exists, it affects the whole family. The reasons for sibling problems include older children that have more household chores than younger ones, resulting in resentment. It may be between a brother and sister, where one feels that the other is being treated differently or better by the parents.
  • Major change to occur. In anticipation of a major change in family members’ lives, family therapy can help to teach the individuals how to cope with the stress. For instance, if a couple is getting married and have children from their previous marriages, they may want to have all of the members of the family seek therapy to learn how to live together, get along and alleviate some of the stressors of being a blended family.
  • Alcohol and drug addictions. The effects of substance abuse on families is devastating, with more than seven million children in the U.S.—more than 10 percent—living with a parent who has alcohol problems, according to a 2012 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report. This places the children and family members at risk for co-occurring mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and addiction. When a parent is addicted to alcohol or drugs, statistics show that he is more apt to abuse or neglect his spouse or children (or both). Young children may suffer from a weak attachment bond with the addicted parent. In addition, a person with an addiction may find himself with financial problems and even imprisonment. The stress caused by the addiction can affect children in that they may do poorly in school because of anxiety and are the “surrogate” parents to younger children to “replace” the parent with the addiction. This can lead to unhealthy relationships in the future.

Studies show that family therapy is important for both adults and adolescents who are dealing with substance abuse, eating disorders and emotional and behavioral issues. It has been found that when the entire family is able to grow, each member is better off.

Why is Family Therapy Beneficial?

In family therapy, the members can work together to resolve a specific issue. It can help the family get ready for a life-changing event, such as divorce or remarriage. In addition, the role that a family plays in each member’s life is discussed.

Family therapy helps the members learn their strengths and weaknesses, as well as understand how their particular family plays a vital part in each individual’s life. Therapists work with families to help them set goals and strategize ways to solve problems and overcome challenges, improve communication skills among members and, ultimately, make the family stronger.

The family therapists and counselors at Thriveworks in Bristol, VA have credentials and are professionally licensed. They work with families to help settle their differences, learn how to support one another and move forward toward a healthy and happy future. Call Thriveworks Bristol at (423) 822-5099 to make an appointment today.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Virginia therapists and counselors accept 31 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS HMO

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield DC | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

Show more
Self-pay costs at Abingdon
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Thriveworks Abingdon reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
I highly recommend Trish! She is very helpful, kind, compassionate and excellent at getting down to the roots of the problem. I have made more progress with her than I have with multiple therapists in several different cities. P.S--EMDR therapy sounds totally crazy, but it has significantly helped me. Give it a try!
Read more I highly recommend Trish! She is very helpful, kind, compassionate and excellent at getting down to the roots of the problem. I have made more progress with her than I have with multiple therapists in several different cities. P.S--EMDR therapy sounds totally crazy, but it has significantly helped me. Give it a try!
Bristol Mar 2018
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Dr Mike Pilcher took me under his wing and coached me through one of the biggest decisions of my life...opening a new business. At one point...well more than once...I felt like pulling my hair out and his calm demeanor and no BS approach really helped me get focused and confident. I was able to really pour on the steam and my business is doing well as a result. Dr. P is a great counselor and a man I respect. Call him...I still do to this day.
Read more Dr Mike Pilcher took me under his wing and coached me through one of the biggest decisions of my life...opening a new business. At one point...well more than once...I felt like pulling my hair out and his calm demeanor and no BS approach really helped me get focused and confident. I was able to really pour on the steam and my business is doing well as a result. Dr. P is a great counselor and a man I respect. Call him...I still do to this day.
Bristol Mar 2017
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Abingdon is located in the same building as Caris Healthcare. Across Russell Road NW is Empire Ford Used Car & Truck Center 2, and A Step Ahead salon, as well as All Things Custom and Sunshine Sewing & Screen Printing. Down the road is Figaredo’s restaurant and Northgate Pharmacy. We are located right near Porterfield Highway and Route 19, as well as Route 58.

Phone number

(423) 556-3873

Languages spoken by VA providers

Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

0 photos