If even one relationship in your life feels off, whether with a partner, a family member, a colleague, or within yourself, it can quietly shape how you feel every day. You may try to ignore it, stay busy, or tell yourself it no longer matters. Yet unresolved relationship pain often lingers beneath the surface, draining your energy, creating self-doubt, and stirring feelings like resentment, sadness, or emotional tension. Even if contact has ended, or the relationship exists only in memory, its impact can still follow you.
I offer relationship counseling in Virginia for individuals and couples who feel stuck in patterns that no longer serve them, emotionally overwhelmed, or disconnected from themselves and others. Therapy is a space to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and begin healing relationship wounds in a way that feels grounded, compassionate, and lasting.
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
When relationships feel heavy or confusing
You may be coming to therapy because your relationship with a partner feels tense, distant, or caught in the same arguments. Or you may come on your own, carrying anxiety, self-doubt, or emotional exhaustion that shows up in your relationships again and again.
You might look like you’re doing fine on the outside. You show up, meet expectations, and take care of what needs to be done. People rely on you. Inside, it feels much heavier.
Your mind rarely slows down. You replay conversations, worry about missing something important, and hold yourself to very high standards. You may feel responsible for keeping everything together while quietly losing touch with yourself.
Often, these struggles are not separate problems. They are relational patterns shaped by past experiences, unmet needs, and ways you learned to cope. Therapy becomes a place to understand those patterns with compassion and clarity, so they no longer run your life.
How relationship counseling can help
Relationship counseling is not only about fixing problems or learning communication skills. It’s about understanding how you relate, why certain situations feel so charged, and what gets activated inside you in moments of closeness, conflict, or vulnerability.
In our work together, we pay attention to what is happening emotionally and in the body, not just what is being said. We explore how past relationships and life experiences continue to shape your reactions today, often outside of awareness.
Over time, many clients notice they feel calmer and more grounded. They are less reactive and more able to pause, reflect, and respond in ways that feel true to them. Boundaries become clearer. Communication feels more honest. Relationships begin to feel less exhausting and more supportive.
Individual and couples therapy, grounded in a relational approach
I work with individuals who want to better understand themselves and the relationships they find themselves in. Many come feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or worn down from carrying too much for too long. Others are navigating life transitions, loss, or the lingering impact of earlier relational wounds.
I also work with couples who feel stuck in cycles of conflict, disconnection, or misunderstanding. Couples therapy offers a space where both partners can feel heard, slow things down, and begin to understand what is happening between them, not just who is at fault. When the relationship itself needs to be in the room, we work with it directly and carefully.
Whether you come on your own or with a partner, the focus is on creating safety, insight, and meaningful change.
A personalized and intentional therapy process
I see you as a whole person, not a collection of symptoms. Therapy is collaborative and goal-oriented. Early on, we clarify what you want help with and what feeling better would actually mean for you. We return to this throughout our work, adjusting as needed.
Even when we explore the past or talk about things that don’t seem immediately connected, your goals remain our anchor. Therapy here is not aimless or open-ended. It is thoughtful, intentional, and responsive to where you are.
My style is reflective, experiential, and deeply attuned. I listen closely to what’s spoken and what’s harder to put into words. I may gently interrupt patterns, invite you to pause and turn inward, or name something I notice in the moment. This often leads to insights that feel both grounding and clarifying.
A place to finally exhale
Many clients describe therapy as a place where they don’t have to perform, hold everything together, or be careful. It becomes a weekly anchor, a space to exhale, reconnect, and make sense of things at a deeper level.
Change doesn’t always happen by pushing harder. Often, it happens through understanding, presence, and feeling met in ways you may not have experienced before. From that place, new ways of relating begin to take shape naturally.
Ways I can support you
I offer online therapy across Virginia for individuals and couples, including support with relationship concerns, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, perfectionism, life transitions, trauma, and relational wounds from the past. Many clients find these experiences overlap and evolve over time, and our work shifts with them.
If you’re curious about therapy for people who carry a lot internally, feel worn down, or hold themselves to very high standards, you can learn more on the People Who Carry a Lot specialty page.
How I Can Help
-
Couples Therapy
Even with love, relationships can be tough. Break unhealthy patterns, heal past wounds, and build deeper intimacy.
[Read More] -
Perfectionism, Anxiety, and Emotional Overwhelm
Life feels overwhelming, leaving you irritable, exhausted, and on edge. Let’s uncover and heal the root cause so you can find lasting peace and balance.
[Read More] -
Life Transitions & Decision Making
Change can feel scary, and uncertainty keeps you stuck. Whether it’s a career shift, a new relationship, or a major life event, navigate transitions with resilience and clarity.
[Read More] -
Building Confidence & Healthy Boundaries
Are you exhausted from constantly solving others’ problems? Learn to prioritize yourself, set boundaries, and say ‘no’ without guilt.
[Read More] -
Healing from Trauma & Emotional Wounds
Does past trauma hold you back? Integrate your experiences into your story—so they no longer control your present.
[Read More]
“I help people in Virginia who struggle in relationships - whether with a partner, family, others, or themselves - understand and heal the deeper patterns that keep them stuck.”
— Sibila
A note from your therapist
I’ve dedicated my life to understanding the human mind and heart, and to helping people make sense of their pain with compassion and clarity. Again and again, I see that people already carry within them the capacity for healing and change. My role is to help you reconnect with that capacity, especially in moments when it feels out of reach.
It is a privilege to walk alongside people as they find steadier ground, deeper connection, and a stronger sense of self.
“I believe that people have the power to change their destiny at any time, and it is my privilege to support them in this process.”
— Sibila Jahangiri
What my Clients Say About Working With Me
-
![]()
“For the first time I see my husband emotional. It helps me understand him better.”
Anonymous
-
![]()
“I was feeling so overwhelmed and confused when I came for the first time. Now I know how to set my boundaries”
Anonymous
-
![]()
“I thought I would need to be in therapy forever. It feels so good to leave and feel good about myself.”
Anonymous
-
![]()
“I was so nervous before the first session about what I am going to find about myself. Now, coming to therapy I am so curious and excited about the things I am going to find out about myself."
Anonymous
Begin with a free consultation
A good place to start is a brief consultation. We’ll keep it within 15 to 20 minutes, and you can share what’s bringing you here, ask questions, and get a sense of whether working together feels like the right fit.
You don’t have to have everything figured out before reaching out. We can begin right where you are.
Schedule a free consultation
Discover If I am the Professional for You.
A great way to begin is with a consultation. We will keep it within the 20 minutes but will be able to discuss your needs and answer the most important questions that will help us decide if we should move forward. Excited to hear from you!
Receive a free consultation for Relationship counseling in Virginia
FAQs about Relationship Counseling in Virginia
-
We can probably all agree that we could use less computer time and more genuine human connection. I love being in the same physical space with my clients. However, at this time, I offer online therapy sessions for individuals and couples in Virginia. I’ve found that for the people I work with, the quality of therapy remains just as effective online, and the same depth and success are possible. Online counseling also makes it easier for clients to skip traffic, save time, and fit therapy into their busy days with more flexibility.
-
I work with adults and couples who want to improve their relationships to better navigate life challenges - life transitions, anxiety, depression, work stress, grief, trauma, infertility, and loss. I also help clients who feel stuck in unhelpful patterns or disconnected from themselves and want to feel more grounded, authentic, and emotionally free.
-
I work with adult individuals and couples. My clients come from diverse backgrounds but share a common goal: they want to understand themselves better, heal old wounds, and create more fulfilling relationships and lives.
-
My approach is experiential and integrative, combining several evidence-based models that focus on emotional healing and transformation. I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Psychodrama, and Transactional Analysis. These methods go beyond talking about problems -they help you connect with your inner experience and bring lasting change from the inside out. I would prefer you to be able to experience the transformation in session and take it out in the world vs. just talking about it with me and then leave you figuring it out on your own outside.
-
I provide therapy in English and Bulgarian. I have some knowledge in Spanish and Russian, but not good enough to be the only languages for therapy.
-
I meet clients through a secure and HIPAA-compliant video platform (no downloads required). All you need is a stable internet connection and a quiet, private space. Many clients find it surprisingly comfortable and easy to open up from the privacy of their own home.
-
The first session is a gentle conversation where we get to know each other. You can share what’s been happening, what brought you to therapy, and what you hope to change or understand better. I’ll ask some questions to get a sense of your story, and we’ll explore whether we’re a good fit to work together. My goal is for you to leave the first session feeling heard, understood, and hopeful about the process.
-
It’s completely normal to feel unsure about starting therapy. You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from it—therapy can be a space for growth, clarity, and deeper self-understanding. If you’re curious about how it might help, we can schedule a brief consultation to talk through your questions and see if working together feels right.
-
I strongly recommend regular weekly sessions for quality work and faster results. The time slot assigned is just for you. However, I know life happens. I allow for up to 4 free cancellations per year. The rest of the no-shows and cancellations are subject to the full session fee.
-
That’s completely okay and actually, a very important question. Therapy is deeply personal, and the relationship between you and your therapist matters more than any specific method or approach. If something doesn’t feel right, I encourage you to bring it up in session. Talking about it can often lead to meaningful insights and help us adjust the process so it feels more helpful for you. And if it turns out we’re not the right fit, I’ll gladly support you in finding another therapist who feels like a better match. The most important thing is that you get the support that truly helps you grow.
-
That happens more often than people think. It can be painful and frustrating when you are ready to work on the relationship but your partner or family member isn’t. The good news is that you can still start therapy on your own and it can make a real difference.
In individual sessions, we can explore what’s happening, how you are feeling, and what might help shift the dynamic, even if the other person isn’t in the room.
If you’d like, we can also talk through gentle, non-pressuring ways to invite your partner or family member to join later - approaches that help them feel safe and understood, rather than blamed or cornered. Sometimes, when one person begins to change and communicate differently, others naturally become more open to participating in therapy. -
No. While AI transcription can be convenient and time-saving, I choose not to use it. At this point, I prefer to prioritize my clients’ privacy above all else. Legislation hasn’t fully caught up with the rapid pace of technological development, and I sometimes see ethical concerns about where data goes.
I do my best to stay informed about changes in this area and take every measure I can to protect your information.