Barry Family Therapy
Are you feeling overwhelmed, lost, or stuck? Whether you're struggling with depression, anxiety, relationships, addiction, loneliness, trauma, or just finding it hard to cope — you're not alone and I can help.
Schedule your free consultation today and let us know what you would like to start working through.
At Barry Family Therapy we serve:
Couples
Individuals
First Responders and Military
Families
Why Us?
At Barry Family Therapy, we are dedicated to providing the most compassionate care that is comprised of the best evidenced-based practices in the mental health field.
We create a safe, supportive environment where you can overcome your problems and achieve your goals. We partner with you to foster lasting change, not just behavioral change; we are committed to changing lives through experiences and not knowledge alone. We join you where you are at and do not ask for perfection, but instead, walk through the process with you step-by-step with understanding and honesty.
We believe all people are important, worthy of love, and need acceptance. We take a clear and strong stance that we all have value and are born equal; no matter the circumstance. We share common needs that are universal but may be expressed differently. We all experience life differently and that is a strength when we work together. Here at Barry Family Therapy we respect and cherish the these differences and are dedicated to caring for all people.
Contact Us
Interested in an appointment? Fill out this information and we will be in touch shortly. Thank you!
Barry Family Therapy humbly serves individuals, couples, and families in Knoxville and surrounding areas. We also provide online therapy for Tennessee and California.
John Barry can be reached at 865-288-9660 and
john@barryfamilytherapy.com
About John Barry
LMFT #2743
I grew up in a traditional family, my father was a firefighter and my mother stayed home to raise our family. I learned the value of serving, the importance of showing up for others, and how to persevere. What I didn’t learn was how to be emotionally open or vulnerable in my relationships. As an adult, this eventually led me to feeling numb, disconnected, and depressed. That period became one of the hardest, and most transformative, seasons of my life.
I originally entered college on a medical track, but my struggle with depression changed my course. Experiencing therapy for myself was realigning. It opened me up emotionally, reconnected me to others, and helped me rebuild from the inside out. It was during that process that I realized I wanted to help others create the meaningful, lasting change in their own lives and relationships.
I’m passionate about guiding people through their transitions: moving from depressed to fulfilled, from numb to fully alive, from lonely to connected, from anxious to calm. I believe there is a peace that surpasses understanding and care for all, no matter what trauma, abuse, or the past tries to convince you of.
After completing my master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2016, I began working across a range of mental health settings. I first worked in a hospital setting supporting individuals navigating addiction, detox, anxiety, depression, and other acute challenges. I then transitioned to intensive outpatient programs, where I led family therapy groups, stress-management groups, and 12-step-oriented groups for mental health and substance use. In 2019, I moved into outpatient therapy, where I now regularly work with trauma, couples, anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Today, I bring both my training and lived experience into the therapy room. I help individuals and couples build the skills needed to move through pain, resolve conflict, and create connection. I support trauma survivors as they process and integrate overwhelming experiences so they can feel safe, grounded, and whole again. My approach draws from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which I tailor to each person or relationship I work with.
Recognizing that support needs to be accessible, I also offer online therapy (telehealth), providing convenient, effective care from the comfort and privacy of your own space.
Types of Therapy
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Individual Counseling
Our brains are created for connection. That is why I focus on attachment informed care that explores your relationship to yourself and those important to you. I will help you understand, and see, how your attachments have shaped your emotions in the present. Then, we will find the right responses to your unique situation while learning to care for yourself and others in new ways.
For more information click here:
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Couples Counseling
I frequently help couples come back from the brink. Whether you have lost your passion or the pain has overtaken your love for each other. There is hope to come back to the safety, warmth, passion and friendship that you both still have for each other.
I do this by helping couples identify the feelings under their anger or defensiveness while responding to your partner’s needs so you both can feel cared for. I help couples find ways to nurture each other’s feelings and communicate through the problems and conflicts. I help couples learn to turn to each other for comfort, instead of pushing each other away.
Many couples come to me carrying the hurt of infidelity and betrayal. I provide direction while helping them process the pain and take the steps toward the relationship they’ve been longing for. I strive to sooth the shame, that is common for both partners, to rebuild security for the relationship.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a set of procedures that are used to process trauma without having to talk about it. EMDR allows the brain to process traumatic memories and feelings while staying regulated and in the present moment. It mimics REM sleep, the brain’s natural memory processing, to change trauma to healing.
For more information click here:
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Addiction Treatment
I treat addiction using a harm-reduction model and motivational techniques. We will walk through the process together and find the tools you need to create the life you want.
I help people identify the habits that reinforce addiction and create new patterns. I also help people learn to deal with emotions that were once replace by the addiction, whether it is a substance, behavior, or technology.
