Even the best marriages go through times of trials. It is impossible to have a marriage that does not face trouble. Life is long, and there is always ebbs and flows to relationships based on the environment surrounding the couple. It is easy to have a strong relationship during the good times.
However, when times are tough, it is then that the strength of the marriage is seen. Just because you are facing hardships in your marriage does not mean that your marriage is doomed to fail; realizing that you need to utilize a counselor to guide your marriage to a safe and strong point again is a difficult decision, but one that comes with maturity and hope for a better future together.
If you are in the Richmond area, you will find a number of counselors willing to offer their services. Before you commit to a counselor, meet them and discuss your needs and desired results from the sessions. As well, evaluate your level of comfort with them; you will be sharing private details of your marriage with them, and therefore must trust them and be willing to work through their therapies. The following counselors offer reliable services for those seeking a marriage counselor.
Paige O’Brien has been a counselor for 2 years, and is focused on helping clients reach their relational goals. She sees herself as an aid in helping individuals live a balanced and empowered life. In doing this, she sees an improved marriage relationship grow out of an improved individual. She has worked with a diverse group of clients, and sees the need to personalize treatment solutions for each client. She also offers sessions in a comfortable, safe atmosphere that encourages clients to be honest and open when dealing with obstacles and emotional wounds.
O’Brien offers to work with adolescent, adult, and senior clients in both individual and couple sessions. She offers a variety of approaches, such as psychoanalytic and Solution Focused Brief therapies, and tailors the therapies specifically for each client to ensure that their results are met. She offers reasonable rates.
Mrs. Eason is a Counselor who has experience working in the rehabilitation area of counseling, as well as family and individual counseling. She works with the belief that there is a distinct relationship between the physical and emotional elements of the individual; if an individual is physically sick, it will affect their emotional well-being, just as emotional distress can increase the chances of physical sickness. She seeks to increase the client’s self-awareness and believes in identifying personal strengths and weaknesses as a means to improving relationships. Beyond marital and family conflict, she is also trained in dealing with grief, abuse, mental illness, and other issues that can be contributing to the relationship obstacles.
Mrs. Eason offers to work with adolescents, adults, and seniors who are in need of counseling. She offers a variety of approaches including Expressive Arts and Mindfulness-Based therapies. She offers to work with individuals, groups, or couples in sessions, and has reasonable rates. She offers flexible hours that can be adapted depending on your schedule.
Ms. Wilkinson is a Christian Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience in helping people overcome their marital obstacles. She counsels families and individuals as they work through marital problems caused by substance abuse, trauma, work difficulties, or life transitions, among other reasons. She feels that people have the ability to adapt and cope with issues far greater than they believe they can, and offers to come alongside clients as they work through the issues rather than only offer solution-based processes.
Ms. Wilkinson works with a number of different therapies, including EMDR and Gestalt therapies, and also employs the use of animals as tools for helping clients heal and deal with their emotional issues. She has a focused on working with the Latino and African-American groups within Richmond, and offers counseling sessions in English and Spanish. She works with all ages of clients, and offers individual, couples, and group sessions.
Marriage Retreats
Marriage retreats are a viable option if you are unsure about attending sessions with a counselor. These retreats are usually 2-3 days in length, and take place at a camp or resort. These retreats are meant to allow couples time away from their busy lives so that they can focus on overcoming the obstacles they are facing. During this time, seminars or sessions are offered by counselors focused on helping the couples work through the issues at hand.
In the Richmond, Va. area, the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center website is a great place to start when looking for marriage retreat options. Their website offers a full listing of retreats in the area, as well as identifying the therapists that are hosting them. Marriage retreats are often offered with a specific focus in mind to ensure that couples are able to acquire more specialized advice from the experts on hand.
Read also: There are a number of marriage counselors in the New Jersey area, that are available to help.