Family Stress Clinic

The Family Stress Clinic is UVA Family Medicine’s integrated behavioral health service. Our mission is to make behavioral health care accessible and to extend the primary care team’s reach in addressing behavioral health concerns, through providing collaborative, whole-person care.

The Family Stress Clinic was started in the 1970’s by David Waters, Ph.D., who had a vision of a setting where individuals and families could seek psychotherapy and support at the same location where they saw their family doctor. This would allow patients to feel more comfortable than they might going to a different clinic AND would allow seamless collaboration between the psychotherapists and medical doctors on the many issues that affect both mind and body. The clinic’s founding philosophy was that all patients face personal and family challenges in their lives, and that well-timed psychological consultation could make a strong positive impact on patients’ overall health and well-being.

The Family Stress Clinic provides care to patients who receive their primary care services from any of the Department of Family Medicine’s clinics. We use the Primary Care Behavioral Health model, which embeds Behavioral Health Consultants (BHCs) onto the primary care team to improve access to care, enhance coordination, and achieve better health outcomes. Our BHCs are providers with expertise in how thinking, feeling, and doing impact health, and work alongside primary care providers to offer routine consultation and targeted intervention around a wide range of issues (emotional health concerns, healthy lifestyles, chronic health conditions). We focus on the entire primary care population to ensure that all patients have access to behavioral health services as part of their primary care.

Our core team includes attending clinical psychologists who are also on the faculty of Family Medicine:

In addition to our core team, we are proud to support the next generation of healthcare professionals. Advanced doctoral students in clinical psychology join us for a year-long practicum, working as Behavioral Health Consultants under the supervision of the core team. Additionally, medical residents and medical students rotate through our clinic frequently as part of their training. This collaborative environment ensures that our patients benefit from the latest in behavioral health research and practice.

2024-25 Practicum Students:

Our goal is to create a supportive environment where you feel empowered to take an active role in your health journey. Behavioral health consultations typically take 20-30 minutes and include:

• Initial Consultation: During your first visit, the Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) will work with you to identify and clarify your concerns. This involves a functional assessment of the problem, summarizing the findings, and discussing possible treatment options. Initial consultations frequently happen same-day as your primary care visits and involve collaboration with your primary care provider.
• Targeted Interventions: The BHC provides targeted interventions to help manage symptoms and improve overall health. These interventions are solution-focused and designed to be integrated into your primary care visits.
• Follow-Up: Depending on your needs, the BHC may schedule follow-up visits to monitor progress and adjust the treatment plan as necessary. The BHC may also make recommendations to your primary care provider to inform your treatment plan.

Our team is equipped to help with a wide range of issues, ensuring you receive the support you need to improve your overall well-being. Here are some of the topics we address and how they benefit you:

• Skills for Emotional Health: Learn effective strategies for managing anxiety, depression, and mood disorders, enhancing your daily functioning and quality of life.
• Healthy Lifestyles: Get assistance in making lifestyle changes that positively impact chronic health conditions like diabetes and hypertension as well as substance use issues like smoking and unhealthy alcohol use, leading to better health outcomes.
• Stress Management: Learn techniques to improve sleep patterns, manage chronic pain, and reduce stress, improving your ability to engage in daily activities and maintain emotional balance.
• Family and Pediatric Behavioral Health: Support for children and their parents on dealing with issues such as anxiety, ADHD, and behavioral problems, along with improving family dynamics.

Appointments with our Behavioral Health Consultants are available to any patient who receives their primary care at a Department of Family Medicine clinic. Patients can make an appointment in the following ways:

• For patients seen at the Primary Care Center location, you may request a same-day behavioral health consultation at your regular PCP visit.
• For all other patients, you can contact our Family Medicine primary care provider to place a referral, or contact the scheduling staff directly at 434-924-5348 to request an appointment.

For more information, including location and contact numbers, please see the UVA Health website.