Couples Therapy
in Falls Church, VA
Virtual therapy available in Virginia and Washington, DC
Relationships are living and fluid. They stretch, shift, and sometimes ache. Over time, especially through illness, parenting, stress, or life transitions, partners can find themselves feeling distant, reactive, or unsure how to reconnect.
Couples therapy can help you slow down enough to truly see and hear one another again, uncover the patterns that create tension and withdrawal, strengthen communication, and build new ways of approaching intimacy.
Couples therapy may be helpful for you if…
You feel more like roommates than partners, and conversations feel
strained, distant, or hard to navigate.
Intimacy or sexuality has shifted and feels difficult to talk about. You’re longing for more closeness but aren’t sure how to get there.
Conversations escalate quickly and feel hard to slow down. You often
find yourselves having the same arguments without resolution.
You’re navigating shifts in identity, roles, or emotional connection.
You’re trying to adjust to these changes together, but it’s been difficult.
Your relationship has been impacted by illness or major life changes. You
miss how things were and want to find your way back to each other.
What couples therapy looks like with me in Falls Church, VA
What we'll focus onMany couples decide to start therapy because something between them feels distant. They often find themselves circulating the same conversations or behaviors, feeling stuck and unsure how to move forward. Sometimes, illness or other major life changes, such as parenthood, introduce unfamiliar obstacles that make it difficult to find ways to reconnect. Together, we’ll identify how and when this disconnection started, find the patterns that keep showing up that don’t serve your relationship, and begin to understand the vulnerable emotions underneath them.
This may include:
feeling unheard, misunderstood, or alone in the relationship
changes in intimacy, desire, or sexual connection
navigating the impact of illness, stress, parenting, or life transitions
difficulty communicating needs, emotions, or boundaries
Circular conversations that never seem to get resolved
Understanding the dynamicOne of the most important parts of couples therapy is learning to see the behavior patterns that occur between you rather than seeing your partner as the problem.
In session, we often examine these cyclical moments from your relationship. We look at what happens when one of you reaches for connection, when one of you pulls away, or when a conversation suddenly turns into an argument. Together, I guide you in going deeper to understand the emotions, needs, fears, and protective patterns that hide under these interactions.
Building new ways of connectingAs we better understand the patterns occurring between you, we are able to help you create new ways of relating and connecting to each other.
Depending on your goals, this might include:
building open and honest communication skills
learning to repair after conflict
rebuilding trust
navigating differences in sexual desire
increasing emotional and physical intimacy
learning how to support one another through illness or major life changes
Bringing therapy into everyday lifeAt times, I may suggest exercises, reflections, or conversations to continue between sessions. These aren't homework assignments for the sake of homework. They're opportunities to practice new ways of connecting and bring what we're discussing in therapy into your everyday relationship.
Meet your couples therapist in Falls Church, VA
Virtual therapy available throughout Virginia and Washington, DC
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Hi, I’m Lauren. I’m a licensed clinical social worker and have spent my career supporting individuals and couples navigating illness, treatment, and life transitions. Over the years, I’ve found myself especially drawn to helping couples strengthen communication, navigate changes in intimacy, and reconnect with one another during difficult seasons.
One of the things I hear most often from couples is that they feel disconnected. This disconnection can show up in a lot of different places – sex and intimacy, communication, your roles and dynamic within your relationship. In particular, illness can completely shift how your relationship moves through the world and how you see yourself within it.
In our first session(s), I take the time to get to know you as a whole people, not just the concern(s) that bring you to therapy. I find that getting to know you, your strengths, your support systems, relationships, and what matters most to you allows us to build a stronger rapport and tailor our work to your unique needs and values.
Therapy with me is often a mix of reflection, deep emotional processing, and practical change. We may explore what has changed within your relationship, the way you communicate, sexual desire and intimacy, or even sense of self. We may also spend time exploring patterns that keep showing up in your life and find ways to reconnect. I typically recommend starting with weekly sessions to give us time to get to know each other, build trust, and create momentum around your goals.
I take a collaborative approach and see therapy as a partnership. Together, we’ll decide on therapy goals, priorities, and home practices. If anything we discuss doesn’t make sense to you or work for your life, I want to know so that we can discuss it in more depth. I find therapy works best when there is honesty, authenticity, and a unique plan tailored to you and your life.
I’m excited to work alongside you and support you in reaching your goals. If you have any questions about therapy or whether we might be a good fit, please reach out. I’d be happy to connect with you.
Get answers in my
FAQs
Curious to learn more?
If you have more questions, take a look at my FAQ page. There, you can find answers to common questions about therapy, fees, services, and how to get started on the FAQ page.
Ready to get started?
Book a free consultation with me
Reaching out for couples therapy is often the hardest part. A free 15-minute consultation gives us the opportunity to talk about what's been happening, answer your questions, and decide together whether I'm the right therapist for you.
→ Request a consultation
Schedule your first appointment
If we decide to move forward, we'll find a time that works for your schedule and I'll take care of getting everything set up. From there, I'll send over the paperwork you'll need before our first session.
