Couples Counseling in Virginia

IN THIS ARTICLE: 

• ​Benefits of couples counseling
• Finding a couples counselor in Virginia
• What to expect in Couples Counseling 

All couples face challenges and couples counseling can be a tool to help you overcome relationship challenges and build a stronger relationship foundation. There are many qualified couples counselors in Virginia for you to choose from. This article will cover some of the benefits of couples counseling, how to find a couples counsellor in Virginia, and what to expect from couples counseling. 

Benefits of couples counseling

IMROVED COMMUNICATION
Improved communication is one of the main benefits of couples counseling. Even when couples have good communication skills in other areas of their lives, couple relationships tend to bring up all the painful emotions that are hard to talk about. Couples counseling helps couples build effective communication skills to  help couples communicate in a productive way about their relationship needs and wants.  Being able to clearly communicate about thoughts and emotions with each other is a primary goal of most couples counseling. In counseling, the couples counselor will help build a supportive and safe atmosphere to talk about difficult topics while building new communication skills. 

BUILDING TRUST
Many couples come to couples counseling when trust has been broken. Whether you are looking to build trust for the first time or rebuild trust after a betrayal, couples counseling can help! Trust is a foundational element to any healthy relationship. If trust has been broken, couples counseling can help you uncover the underlying issues that leas to the trust issues, work rebuild trust, and help you create a stronger relationship foundation moving forward.   
 
INTIMACY
Couples often need to have a feeling of both physical and emotional intimacy. It is a painful experience when physical or emotional intimacy is missing in a relationship. Often times the intimacy is lacking because of the other relationships issues that are happening. As couples work on improving their relationship and communication skills, they are often naturally able to feel emotionally close and to become more physically intimate. Couples counseling can help you work through any issues impacting your intimacy and help you work toward rebuilding both physical and emotional intimacy. 

Finding a couples counselor in Virginia

Finding the right couples counselor can take work. This is a very important step though because you will want to work with a counselor that you and your partner both feel comfortable with. It is also essential to work with a counselor who has experience working with couples and is licensed to provide couples counseling in Virginia.

Some couples face very unique challenges such as dealing with certain physical and mental health diagnoses, adoption concerns, step-parenting concerns with blending families, or cultural or religious differences. When looking for a couples counselor in Virginia, it can be helpful to look for a couples counselor who not only is experienced and licensed to do couples counseling in Virginia, but who can also help you navigate your specific concern. 

There are several ways to find couples counseling in Virginia, including: asking friends and family members for referrals, asking your medical providers for a referral, doing a Google search, and using a therapy directory such as PsychologyToday, TherapyDen, or ZenCare. Whichever method you choose, make sure to check the persons credentials and complete a consult with them to see if their personality and therapy approach is a good fit for your couples counseling needs. 

What to expect in couples counseling 

There are different types of couples therapy, but all couples counseling should start with an assessment period where the couples counselor will get to know you, learn about your concerns, and help you clarify your goals for the couples counseling process. Some common interventions across types of couples counseling include helping you practice active listening, making clear requests from each other, resolving conflict in a positive way, building your empathy for each other, and helping you work together to find solutions. Often times there will be homework to complete in between sessions so you can continue practicing the skills you learn in the counseling sessions. 
​
In general, couples counseling is a great tool to help you improve you relationship, address relationship problems, and navigate the challenges that all couples face. In Virginia, there are many great couples therapists to choose from, but it is important to work with someone you feel comfortable with and who has experience being able to help you with your specific situation. By working with a couples counselor, you can improve your communication, build trust, and increase your intimacy, ultimately leading to a stronger and happier relationship. 

​Looking to start Couples Counseling in Virginia?

Elizabeth Polinsky Counseling provides online Emotionally Focused Couples Counseling, as well as weekend-long Marriage Intensives, throughout the states of Virginia, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Nevada. Click the button below to schedule a complimentary consult. ​

book a consult

---

About the Author

Elizabeth Polinsky is a Certified Emotionally Focused Couple Therapist (EFT) providing EFT marriage counseling in the states of Virginia, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Nevada. She also provides EFT training and supervision to therapists looking to become certified in EFT Couple Therapy. As a military spouse, she has a special passion for working with military and veteran couples, and is also the host of The Communicate & Connect Podcast for Military Relationships. ​

DISCLAIMER:
My podcast, blogs, videos, newsletters, and products are general information for educational purposes only; they are not psychotherapy and not a replacement for therapy. The information provided is not intended to be therapy or psychological advice; and nothing I post should be considered professional advice. The information provided does not constitute the formation of a therapist-patient relationship.

I cannot answer questions regarding your specific situation; you should consult your doctor or mental health provider regarding advice and support for your health and well being. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, you should call 911, report to your local ER, or call the National Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. 

The podcast, blogs, videos, newsletters, and products are not a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from clients regarding counseling. If you are a current or former client/ patient, please remember that your comments may jeopardize your confidentiality. I will not “friend” or “follow” current or past clients to honor ethical boundaries and privacy; nor will I respond to comments or messages through social media or other platforms from current or past clients. Current and past client’s should only contact me through the professional contact information provided on the website.

​Lastly, accounts may be managed by multiple people. Therefore, comments and messages are monitored by staff and are not confidential.