Therapy for Family Business Families

Blackburn Clinical Services offers one-on-one therapy in West Los Angeles for people who work in, own or will inherit a family business, and for the relatives around them. When the family and the company are the same people, a disagreement at work follows you home, and a family rift can threaten payroll. Succession, unequal roles, a founder who will not step back and a successor who never chose the job are common sources of anxiety, depression, burnout and drinking. Call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com.

At a glance

Who we see: founders and owners, successors and next generation family members, in-laws and spouses, and relatives who work outside the business but are affected by it.
What we help with: succession stress, conflict with parents or siblings, burnout, anxiety, depression, sleep problems and alcohol or other substance use.
What we do not do: we are not business consultants, mediators or succession planners, and we do not give legal or financial advice.
Where: Therapy takes place in our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, in Mar Vista near Culver City, Venice and Santa Monica, or by secure video for clients located in California.
Psychiatry: Psychiatric evaluation and medication management are provided by our board certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. When you call, we explain how psychiatry appointments are arranged.
Privacy: one-on-one care. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission.
Fees: We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills. See Fees and Insurance.
First step: call (888) 870 7405 or email info@blackburnclinical.com to schedule an assessment.

Why family businesses are hard on families

Family businesses are a large part of the economy. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, using Census Annual Business Survey data, 27.3 percent of U.S. firms were family owned in 2021 and they employed about 42.3 million people, roughly a third of the workforce (SBA Office of Advocacy). Many of these companies are older and closely held, which means a generation change is often on the horizon.

Research on the mental health of business families is still limited. A recent study protocol published in BMJ Open described its planned survey of German business family members as the first representative mental health survey of that group, and pointed to high performance expectations, succession pressure and a preference for discretion as reasons strain can stay hidden (BMJ Open). Those same pressures are what people describe when they come to therapy.

What family business members often bring to therapy

Succession stress. A founder who cannot imagine stepping back, or a successor who is unsure they want the role, is unsure they are ready, or feels they were handed it rather than earning it.
Conflict with parents and siblings. Arguments about roles, pay, ownership and fairness that keep repeating at the dinner table and in the office. See family services.
No boundary between work and home. Holidays that turn into board meetings, a phone that never stops, and a partner or spouse who feels married to the company. See relationship counseling.
Identity and impostor feelings. Wondering whether your success is your own, or what you would be outside the family name.
Burnout and sleep. Owners who carry employees, customers and relatives all at once.
Drinking or other use. Alcohol at every family and business event can make a problem hard to see. We treat substance use and mental health together through dual diagnosis treatment.

Therapy for you, not for the company

Your therapist works for you, not for the business or the family. Sessions are one-on-one in our office or by secure video for clients located in California, and the goals are yours: calmer decisions, better sleep, a hard conversation with a parent that finally goes differently, a clear answer about whether you want the role, or less drinking. If anxiety, depression or ADHD needs medication, our psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can evaluate you. Family members can be seen separately. Nothing is shared with the business, your family or your advisors unless you give written permission.

Next generation family members who mainly need structure, accountability and practical work habits as they join the company can also look at family business successor mentoring from Blackburn Mentoring, a sister organization.

When a family member is the one struggling

Owners often notice a relative’s problem first: missed meetings, mood changes, drinking at work, or a successor who has stopped showing up. Name what you have seen privately and with concern, keep the conversation separate from compensation or ownership where you can, and offer our number. An adult decides whether to start care. If the relative is a beneficiary of a family trust, see helping a young adult trust beneficiary start mental health care. Professionals who advise families can see For Professionals.

Questions

Can you help our family with succession planning?

Not the planning itself. Succession plans belong with your attorney, accountant and advisors. Therapy helps each person handle the stress, grief, conflict and identity questions that come with a transition, which often makes the planning conversations go better.

Can my parent and I see the same therapist?

Individual therapy usually works best when each person has their own therapist and a private space. We also offer family sessions. Call and we will help decide what makes sense.

Will anyone at the company know I am in therapy?

Not from us. Anything we share with anyone outside your care team happens only with your written permission.

Is it normal to not want to join the family business?

Yes. Many next generation family members feel pressure, guilt or ambivalence about joining. Therapy is a place to sort out what you want without anyone else in the room.

Do you take insurance?

We are an out-of-network practice and provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. See Fees and Insurance.

Get started

Call (888) 870 7405 (Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM), email info@blackburnclinical.com or contact us. Blackburn Clinical Services is at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.

If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.

Therapy for Family Business Owners and Families in Los Angeles