Discover how starting family therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
6 therapists available in Houston
I believe healing begins when we feel truly seen and understood, and my goal as a therapist is to create a space where you can sho...
About
I believe healing begins when we feel truly seen and understood, and my goal as a therapist is to create a space where you can show up fully—messy, real, and human—and still feel accepted.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 8 years of experience helping adults navigate life’s challenges. I began my career in applied behavior analysis with children on the autism spectrum before transitioning to work with eating disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety. Through these experiences, I learned how deeply our emotions, bodies, and stories are connected and how healing begins when we feel truly seen and supported.
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Houston Christian University. My therapeutic approach blends accountability with humor to foster honesty and growth. I use cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy to support lasting change.
I aim to create a space where you feel heard, understood, and supported as you navigate life’s ups and downs. My goal is to help you reclaim peace, build emotional resilience, and move forward with confidence and clarity. If you’re ready to rewrite your story and evolve with purpose, I’d be honored to walk beside you.
Education and training
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The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others....
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
Raymond Obiajulu is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. He completed his master’s degree program at Walden University. After his introduction to the key areas of nursing, he found that psychiatry comprised the exact sort of comprehensive and holistic healthcare that he wished to practice. Raymond has experience treating a wide range of conditions including but not limited to anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, mood disorders, bipolar disorder, and dementia. He incorporates an evidence-based approach in his practice with a focus on holistic mental health treatment.
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, he serves as a patient advocate, providing continuity of care, managing total care, and attending to issues that affected his patients' physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Raymond looks forward to collaborating with his colleagues and other healthcare team members to provide the best patient care possible to our community, while they teach, learn, and build lifelong relationships with their patients and each other. He is passionate about serving mankind, as it has also been a part of his life's journey.
Raymond loves to extend the motto of helping his patients fulfill their needs, as it helps him fulfill his own. After all, as Mahatma Gandhi said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." He strives to create individualized treatment plans tailored to each unique individual and their life goals. His goal is for his patients to feel confident with their plan of care and know that together they will work together to achieve their goals.
I create a space where adolescents and adults feel seen, heard, and supported as they navigate life's challenges and discover thei...
I create a space where adolescents and adults feel seen, heard, and supported as they navigate life's challenges and discover their inner resilience.
Katrease Matthews, Licensed Professional Counselor, is passionate about supporting adolescents and adults through anxiety, depression, and life transitions. With a background in criminal justice and clinical mental health counseling, she brings 2 years of experience and a trauma-informed, compassionate approach to help clients feel seen and supported. Katrease has worked in outpatient mental health settings, schools, and child welfare systems, offering individual, group, and family therapy. She specializes in issues related to self-esteem, identity, and unresolved trauma.
Katrease holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lamar University. She meets clients with empathy and curiosity, helping them explore emotions, reduce distress, and build confidence. Using evidence-based practices, she fosters clarity, emotional balance, and resilience in a safe, nonjudgmental space.
Clients often seek Katrease for her calm, grounded presence and ability to create a space of trust and care. She offers a healing environment where individuals feel heard and supported as they move through emotional pain toward greater self-awareness and hope. Schedule your first appointment today!
In our first session, I will introduce myself, listen to your concerns, evaluate your needs, and develop a diagnosis and an indivi...
In our first session, I will introduce myself, listen to your concerns, evaluate your needs, and develop a diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan.
I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner based in Texas with 4 years of experience. I specialize in providing holistic, compassionate, and evidence-based care to children, adolescents, and adults facing a variety of psychiatric disorders. My goal is to empower each client to reach their fullest potential by creating a supportive and nonjudgmental environment where healing and growth can take place.
I earned my Master’s in Nursing from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. I tailor my approach to each individual’s needs, combining clinical expertise with empathy to develop effective treatment plans. My focus is on building trust, listening closely, and collaborating to achieve meaningful therapeutic outcomes.
I enjoy working with clients of all ages who are ready to take charge of their mental health but may still feel uncertain or stuck. Whether addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, or life transitions, I strive to help clients find balance, resilience, and renewed purpose through personalized, compassionate care.
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a trauma-informed perspective, I understand how deeply life’s challenges can affect the m...
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a trauma-informed perspective, I understand how deeply life’s challenges can affect the mind and spirit, and I strive to create a safe, collaborative space where healing, growth, and stability can take root.
I’m a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with 16 years of experience providing compassionate, trauma-informed care to adolescents and adults. I use a holistic, whole-person approach that supports healing of the mind, body, and spirit. My goal is to create a safe and collaborative space where clients can manage mood and anxiety symptoms, build resilience, and achieve lasting emotional balance and overall well-being.
I earned a Master’s in Nursing from Herzing University. I specialize in evidence-based interventions, including medication management and trauma-informed therapy, to treat complex mood, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. My approach emphasizes collaboration, clinical precision, and measurable progress toward improved functioning and stability.
Healing begins with feeling seen, heard, and supported. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths and create a path toward emotional wellness and lasting stability. If you’re ready to begin your journey toward healing and growth, I would be honored to walk beside you each step of the way.
I am a down to earth, bare bones counselor. I have a straight forward, no nonsense approach to therapy....
I am a down to earth, bare bones counselor. I have a straight forward, no nonsense approach to therapy.
Deanna Ball is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, with over 20 years of experience. She is passionate about working with the LGBTQ+ community as well as addiction issues. She is a Sex Therapist as well as an Anger Resolution Therapist. Deanna specializes in depression, grief, sexual health, LGBTQ+ issues, and substance abuse (addiction) issues.
Deanna had two Master's degrees from Grand Canyon University, one in Professional Counseling and the other in Addiction Counseling. She is currently attending the University of Metaphysical Science and has achieved her Bachelor's in Metaphysics and has recently submitted her Master's Thesis and will soon be awarded her Master of Metaphysical Science degree. After that, she will pursue her Ph.D. in Metaphysical Science.
Deanna's background in addiction has molded her to be more direct & assertive in her approach. She doesn't hold back when giving feedback. Many clients say they appreciate the fact she's direct and tell it as she sees it. She won't hold your hand, but she will walk beside you. Many counselors do not have the addiction counseling specialty, several clients do not realize the effects addiction has had in their life; as they may have been raised in that environment & have no issues with drugs/alcohol personally. If you have been affected by addiction please reach out.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
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Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)
Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor (LPC-S)
Alejandra: My go-to approach for helping people in family therapy is an eclectic approach. I find the best benefit in an eclectic approach is the flexibility it provides me to adjust to each family’s needs. Each family unit has its own set of roles, values system, experiences, and traditions. I pull tools from Cognitive Behavioral, Structural, Emotionally Focused, Collaborative, Psychoeducation, Positive Psychology, and Solution Focused therapies to help families achieve their goals.
Victoria: My go-to approach for helping people in family therapy is motivational interviewing. I find the best benefit in meeting one on one periodically because I feel sometimes you do not get the most honest answer for fear of what others might think or say.
Alejandra: I teach the following tools in family therapy:
Victoria: I teach the following tools in family therapy:
Alejandra: I know a family is making meaningful progress in therapy when they can actively listen to one another, and validate each other’s emotions. These skill sets can help a family to navigate when there is a difference of opinion, or other types of conflict. A family can also make meaningful progress by demonstrating vulnerability, openness, and/or self-awareness. Each person in the family unit is unique, brings their own sense of individuality, and plays a role in the family. The more each person is aware of their role in the family system, and how it impacts others, the more progress the family can make.
Victoria: I know a client is making meaningful progress in family therapy when they are able to identify times they recognized their dysfunctional behaviors and thought patterns and changed their responses to those triggering situations.
Alejandra: Clients can supplement their time in family therapy with daily skills practice, readings or reflections. I try to make a habit of giving my clients small, manageable tasks to practice each day. I spend time with my clients to build these tasks into their current habits or routines to help establish a new pattern/ healthy habit.
Victoria: Clients can supplement their time in family therapy with journaling their thoughts and feelings and having open discussions with each other about recognizing dysfunctional patterns in their family relationship.
Alejandra: A first family therapy session can come with so many different emotions. In a first session, I will typically meet with the family as a whole group for the first few minutes and ask about the last few weeks. After that, I take time to meet with each member individually to get individual perspectives and get to know them/understand how they view the world and others around them. It’s important to share as much information as honestly as possible, but my first priority will always be my client’s safety and comfort level. If I ask a tough question, I don’t expect anyone to share every detail- just what they are willing and able to. I encourage my clients to always ask me questions in return because I want my clients to get to know me and feel safe/comfortable. Therapy is most effective when each person can connect with their therapist. You can prepare for therapy further by thinking about your top goal, or what it is that you hope to gain from therapy. This helps me to create a more effective approach that fits the family’s needs.
Victoria: To prepare for their first family therapy session, an individual can prepare a list of problems/concerns they want addressed. Also bring a list of medications and other medical issues they may be dealing with as well.
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.
Thriveworks family therapists in Houston, TX 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thriveworks therapists in Houston, TX offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
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.
People often say that stable families are the bedrock of mainstream society, and perhaps they are. Turmoil in the home doesn’t always spill out into personal life, though sometimes it can. Family instability and mayhem are not always anyone’s fault. It can come about by all kinds of conditions and events; things that can affect the best of us at the worst of times.
People who have an unhappy home life are usually unhappy in other areas of their life too. They may put on a brave face, but deep down they’re not having a lot of fun. In situations where a household cannot settle their differences, perhaps family counseling can help. Family therapists have been working with troubled families for generations, and with good results in many cases.
If your family might benefit from a professional’s caring intervention, consider reaching out to Thriveworks Counseling in Houston, Texas. Our team would be happy to set you up with a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and we can get started as soon as today. Call our office to schedule your first family counseling session.
Family counseling is a division of psychiatric therapy. It’s one of a number of approaches that work closely with families and couples in intimate relationships. The systemic model is the most widely performed for addressing family issues, but therapists do use other models too. What model is right depends on the situation and the therapist.
A lot of family problems materialize as a result of disruptive behavior of an individual or a group. What a family therapist does is step back to look for the root cause of the problem. For example:
There are many other questions, but this gives you some idea of the path a therapist follows. Regarding the second point above, there could be underlying physical or mental conditions that trigger disruptive behaviors. Some of these could be:
These are just a few examples but you can see how potentially complex family issues can be.
If you think you may need some help with your own family, call our Houston, TX office today to make an initial appointment. Our providers are here to help their clients improve and maintain their mental health. A huge part of this work involves improving and maintaining the health of our relationships.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
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