Counseling in Fairfax, VA

Relationship Counseling for Individuals, Couples, and Families

Communicate & Connect Counseling helps individuals, couples, and families understand the interaction patterns affecting their relationships so conversations begin feeling calmer, more connected, and easier to navigate again.

Online and in-person sessions available. Evening and weekend appointments offered.

Trusted by couples across Virginia for relationship-focused therapy

Are you feeling stuck in the same relationship patterns?

If this sounds familiar, counseling can help.

Why many relationship problems don’t improve with communication tools alone

Many people come to therapy after already trying:

But when conversations become emotional, communication tools alone are often not enough. That’s because the problem usually isn’t effort. It’s the pattern relationships get stuck in.

At Communicate & Connect Counseling, we help people change those patterns.

A man and woman sit close together on a couch, smiling and holding hands, while a therapist with a clipboard sits across from them, suggesting a counseling session.

How counseling works here

Our work is based on Emotionally Focused Therapy and our Spiral to Team Process.

This approach helps individuals, couples, and families:

Many clients begin feeling more hopeful within the first few months of therapy.

Counseling services available in Fairfax, VA

Each service is designed to help you understand emotional patterns so change feels lasting instead of temporary. We offer attachment-based therapy for:

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Sex Therapy & Sexuality Counseling

Overcome pain, anxiety, and shame so you can enjoy sex and feel comfortable in your body.

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Military & Veteran Couples

Learn the tools you need to fight less and enjoy each other more.

A woman in a blue sweater sits on a gray sofa, smiling at the camera, with decorative plants and wooden furniture in the background—an inviting setting for therapy or counseling in Virginia.

Individual Counseling

Address anxiety and relationship concerns through individual counseling.

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Marriage Counseling

Weekly guidance and practice so you can feel secure and satisfied in your marriage.

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Family Therapy

Resolve conflicts, strengthen relationships, and create a healthier, more supportive family environment.

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Marriage Intensives

Jump start therapy in a weekend long intensive so you can make progress quickly.

A relationship-focused counseling approach

Unlike therapy that focuses only on coping strategies or surface-level communication skills, our approach helps you understand the emotional patterns shaping your relationships. We provide:

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Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy

Communicate better, fight less, and develop a deeper understanding of each other.

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Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy

Understand your emotional patterns, heal past wounds, and build a stronger connection with yourself.

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Emotionally Focused Family Therapy

Improve family dynamics, reduce conflict, and create a more secure emotional bond between members.

These research-supported approaches are based on attachment science and help create lasting change in how people connect with each other.

Support for military and transition-season families

Virginia Beach families often navigate:

Our therapists have experience supporting military and veteran families using attachment-based therapy approaches.
Navigating Military Life as a Couple

Scheduling options. Online and in-person sessions available.

Evening and Weekend Appointments Available. Flexible session options designed around your needs

Clinic Hours

Do you qualify for Reimbursement?

We partner with Mentaya to help eligible clients use out-of-network benefits to reduce the cost of therapy.

Use the tool below to check whether you qualify.

A digital form titled "Check your insurance benefits" with fields for counseling therapist, service, name, date of birth, insurance, and member ID, plus a "Check Benefits" button.

Helpful Resources

Check out our podcast and articles to access free resources and educational tips for relationships, communication, and navigating military family life.

Why Logic Doesn’t Work During Relationship Conflict (And What Actually Does)
Feeling Disconnected From Your Spouse? Here’s The Real Reason Couples Stop Feeling Like a Team
You Understand Each Other—So Why Are You Still Fighting?

Listen to the Latest Episodes

Explore our podcast and articles for practical insights about relationships, communication, and military family life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Starting therapy is a big step. Here are answers to some common questions people ask before scheduling their first consultation.

Consistency is an important part of the counseling process. To help you get the most out of your work together, we schedule regular weekly sessions on the same day and time each week. This consistency supports steady progress and helps you build the momentum that makes therapy truly effective.

  • $125 per hour with Student Interns
  • $175 per hour with Therapists 
  • $225 per hour with Specialty Certified Therapists 
  • $425 per hour with Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky

We do not take insurance and are not connected with Military One Source or the VA. All providers are out-of-network providers, which means that they do not bill insurance. We are happy to offer you the necessary paperwork (superbill) to file with your insurance provider for possible partial or full reimbursement. ​Please know that not all insurance plans offer reimbursement and that some may have a deductible or an allowable amount. It is best to call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak to a representative about what your specific benefits are. In addition, insurance companies typically only reimburse if the client has a diagnosable mental health condition. Your provider can talk this through with you at any time.

Medicare: Communicate & Connect Counseling does not participate in any health insurance plans, HMO plans or panels, and cannot accept Medicare in any form. Clients of Communicate & Connect Counseling cannot attempt reimbursement of services through Medicare. Services provided by Communicate & Connect Counseling are not covered under Medicare and no Medicare payment will be made or accepted for any reason.

Have questions about using your insurance for therapy? It is best to call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak to a representative about what your specific benefits are.

When you begin counseling, you are given a recurring weekly appointment time that is reserved just for you. Consistent weekly sessions are the most effective for counseling results, and some clients even benefit from meeting twice per week.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. Cancellations or changes with less notice, or missed (no-show) appointments, are charged the full session fee. In rare situations, your therapist may choose to waive the late cancellation fee one time per calendar year at their discretion.

If more than two sessions are missed within six months, your therapist may talk with you about whether this is the right time for counseling, and your weekly spot may be offered to another client who can attend more regularly.

The exception is Dr. Elizabeth Polinsky who only works with clients who are willing to be videotaped for training purposes. She works with clients on a weekly basis and has a reschedule only policy. We are happy to provide more information about this should you wish to work with her.

For individuals requiring intensive counseling, rescheduling is allowed up to two weeks before your date, and your non-refundable deposit will be applied to your new date. Cancellations after the two-week window are charged the full cost of the intensive.

Click on the Book Now button to book your initial 20-minute free consultation. You’ll chat with your selected therapist to see if they are a good fit for your needs. If so, they will book an intake session where they can get to know you and your concerns more in depth.

Ready to start feeling closer again?

As a group, we are committed to a non-judgmental experience. We all look through a lens that honors what makes us human. We are relational beings, hard-wired to connect. What makes us different is where we want to be especially open, curious and never presume that we are experts. We welcome all, including sexual orientation, age, race, disability, ethnicity/national origin, gender identity and religious/spiritual affiliation. 

Book a Complimentary Consultation

Schedule a consultation so we can understand what’s been happening in your relationship.

Get the support you need.

Slow the conflict pattern and begin understanding what's happening underneath it.

Feel happy and like a team again

Start having conversations that feel safer and bring you closer again.

Customer Reviews

What Our Clients are Saying

We worked with Liz for two years. She’s professional and personable. Most providers are good at making you think they care; Liz obviously DOES care. Working with her has helped my wife and I communicate each other in a loving and open way that I previously wouldn’t have thought we were capable of doing. I understand myself better thanks to her knowledge, patience, and approachability. Could not recommend more highly.
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Liz is one of the top tier clinicians in this area. She is not only skilled, knowledge, and effective, but she’s genuinely caring, intuitive, and brings a calm, understanding presence to her work that makes the whole process easier. Her use of and ability to teach Emotionally Focused Therapy is masterful and she’s very easy to learn from. I highly recommend her as a supervisor, EFT trainer, and couples counselor!
Liz is an excellent therapist. She clearly listens, is very empathetic and understanding. She always seemed to be neutral and caring toward both of us, during couples therapy. She is very clear in explaining things. I feel that I’ve learned a lot in the almost 1 year that I was able to see her. And, I highly recommend her for Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
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Dr. Liz Polinsky is a wonderful mentor and EFT supervisor. I have learned lot from her groups and enjoy her style of teaching and supervision. She also is very skilled at individual supervision, providing a balance of feedback/challenge with support and affirmation. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking to grow their knowledge and skill as an EFT practitioner.
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I’ve had the pleasure of being part of Liz’s supervision group for EFT. Liz is kind, empathic, and very skilled in working with couples. I’ve benefitted greatly from her knowledge and skills, and anyone working with her will be in very good hands!
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Liz brings care and professionalism to her work. She is welcoming and offers a nonjudgemental atmosphere, allowing others to feel comfortable. She takes the time to understand the unique needs of those in her care.
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I enjoyed participating in Liz’s supervision group for couples counseling. Her approach allowed for a safe space for each clinician to share their concerns/questions about how to implement EFCT. Liz provided targeted feedback that answered my questions, offered ideas, and noted success in the session. I look forward to more work with Liz in the future.
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I joined Liz’s first supervision group, and I wouldn’t have guessed that it was her first! Liz provided such helpful feedback on our videos, including some nuggets on process and wording that I know I will carry with me. She will offer a compassionate and knowledgeable hand to anyone going through their EFT journey!
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Worked with Liz for EFT consultation as well as general marriage/family consultation support for my work with couples. Have benefitted greatly from her extensive EFT knowledge base as well as her wealth of resources, tools, and community support services.
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Fantastic experience in supervision with Liz. She is very skilled and kind, providing a supportive environment to grow. I particularly appreciate her organized approach to EFT and to supervision.
Your First Step Towards Healing

You don’t have to keep feeling stuck in the same relationship patterns.

Counseling can help you understand what’s happening underneath conflict so conversations begin bringing you closer again instead of pushing you apart.