Earlier this month, Buckner Houston staff and family coaches gathered to celebrate 10 family coaching participants in their completion of the program in 2024. 

At Buckner Family Hope Center® locations like Reed Road in the Houston community, individuals and families can experience a safe place for one-on-one encouragement, mentorship, support and more. 

Having supportive relationships in one’s life has often been linked to better physical and emotional well-being but also can increase resiliency and lower stress levels when walking through adversity. 

A few women were able to take a few moments to share how these supportive family coaching relationships have fostered transformation for their lives. 

For one, it was earning her GED. Another, developing the confidence and skill to author books. And for another, she experienced triumph over mental health struggles. Walking through the adversity of life doesn’t have to be a lonely journey. 

“They’ve fought through serious physical illnesses like breast cancer, gained custody of their children and built stronger, deeper connections with their families,” shared Elli Malone, Buckner family coach. “Many have healed broken relationships and discovered or rekindled their relationship with God.” 

Vanessa Jackson, a former family coaching participant, shared her personal testimony with the graduates. She came to the program in 2020, a survivor of domestic violence and celebrating a year of remission from breast cancer. She and her children plugged into the programs available at the Family Hope Center immediately and consistently. 

Taking a moment to share her journey, Vanessa reflected on the tears she shed throughout, the therapy sessions she attended and how she found God again. Her words reminded each of the participants how transformative coaching can be when taken seriously. 

“I came here broken and now I am whole,” Jackson said.

The trust and dependability experienced through family coaching helps set participants up on a path toward success and overall self-sufficiency. 

According to the American Psychological Association, “Relationships that create love and trust, provide role models and offer encouragement and reassurance, help bolster a person’s resilience.”

“The true growth comes from the courage, resilience and determination of these amazing women who continue to forge a path toward brighter futures,” Malone said. 

Learn more about the family strengthening programs available through our Buckner Family Hope Center® locations.