Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

6,189 people sought divorce counseling help in Virginia in the last year

Discover how starting therapy with a divorce counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Good news! We have 140 therapists in Virginia available for an online or in-person session.

Starting Divorce counseling

What is divorce counseling?

Thriveworks divorce counseling in Chesapeake, VA can help couples understand if they want to divorce or help them move forward post-divorce. Either way, it helps them navigate conflicts and/or tough conversations that pertain to their relationship and individual selves.

How does divorce counseling work?

Divorce counseling at Thriveworks is tailored to each couple and the individuals that make up that couple. It works by offering…

  • Tools to work through conflicts and better manage negative feelings
  • Guidance in making the right decision if you’re still in the process of considering divorce
  • Help with different stages of the divorce and separation process
  • A better understanding of what went wrong in the relationship
  • A third-party perspective that ensures both parties are heard

Is divorce counseling conducted in person or online?

Divorce counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does divorce counseling last?

The amount of divorce counseling sessions will vary from one person to the next, depending on their specific needs. However, it typically lasts for several weeks or months.

Need more help deciding?

Thriveworks Chesapeake offers counseling for divorce recovery, and we have helped many clients forge a new, fulfilling future.

Hallmarks of a Difficult Marriage

Many different circumstances can bring a marriage to an end, but in general, just below the surface details of a divorce lie four toxic behaviors that incite distance and separation. Dr. John Gottman identified these “four horsemen” in his famous study on marriage and divorce:

  • Criticism: Instead of attacking the problem, spouses can attack each other. When dissenting, negative, nit-picking, and pessimistic interactions are more common than loving and kind experiences, they take a toll.
  • Defensiveness: Shifting responsibility, blaming others, and other defensive actions mean that people do not accept responsibility for their own choices and actions.
  • Stonewalling: Many couples can overcome difficult problems if they deal with them, but when they are denied, minimized, and avoided, hardships quickly grow and overpower a marriage.
  • Contempt: Disrespect may be the leading killer of intimacy. Superiority, derision, and condescension drive wedges between spouses.

Do you recognize any of these behaviors if you have recently ended a marriage? Most likely, you do. These four horsemen are toxic attitudes and actions, and anyone who has experienced them may need to detox. Many people choose to take intentional time to heal from a difficult marriage by pursuing divorce recovery.

Recovery and Healing from a Divorce

Healing from a divorce and building a joyful, fulfilling future is a unique process for each individual. Many factors will govern what the path of recovery looks like, factors such as…

  • If and how many children are in the family as well as their ages.
  • How long the couple had been together?
  • If anyone was surprised by the divorce.
  • The details that surrounded the couple’s decision to end the marriage.
  • Each partner’s physical/mental health, personality, and/or age.
  • The couple’s finances.
  • Whether new liaisons have formed.

While each marriage is unique and the circumstances of each divorce are unique, divorce recovery inevitably involves at least two components (and possibly more): grieving the losses and learning from the past.

1) Grieving the losses:

The end of a marriage is the tip of the iceberg regarding losses. Recovering from a divorce often means naming those losses and grieving them. For example, losses may include shifting relationships with friends, in-laws, and extended family. Transitioning to co-parenting or single parenting comes with many new challenges. People also may have to leave their home or reduce their standard of living after a divorce.

Each of these costs may stir grief and a variety of feelings. The key to healing is allowing oneself to feel any emotion that arises. During grief, people often ricochet between anger, fear, bargaining, denial, guilt, shock, and sadness. Mental health professionals have helped many people become curious about the emotions they experience as they grieve, process these emotions, and resolve them.

2) Learning from the Past:

One of the more challenging parts of coming out of a marriage is looking back into it. Learning from the past can be painful, but it can also be one of the most fruitful undertaking for a divorcée.

The past often holds the key toward establishing healthier patterns moving forward. When people know what went wrong and what drove their prior decisions, they can make adjustments moving forward.

Counseling for Divorce Recovery at Thriveworks, Chesapeake, VA

Do you want to meet with a mental health profession as you heal from a divorce? If you are ready, Thriveworks Chesapeake is ready too. We have appointments available for divorce recovery.

If you call our office today, you may be meeting with a counselor tomorrow—many new clients have their first appointment within 24 hours of their call. We also work with many insurance companies, and our therapists offer evening and weekend sessions.

Do not go through a divorce by yourself. Call Thriveworks today.

 

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Chesapeake therapists and counselors accept 27 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | Exchange

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

Show more
Self-pay costs at Chesapeake
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
Sarah Hawkins is a very compassionate person. She always encouraged me to try my hardest to solved my problems using her advise. I am bless for having her as my therapist.
Read more Sarah Hawkins is a very compassionate person. She always encouraged me to try my hardest to solved my problems using her advise. I am bless for having her as my therapist.
Sarah Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I find the sessions to be quite beneficial. I feel that I am progressing alone nicely.
Eugene Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Andrea Stephen is a kind and compassionate counselor. She listens to her clients intently, because she genuinely cares. Her passion to help those who are hurting is what motivates her. She is an asset to the Mental Health industry.
Read more Andrea Stephen is a kind and compassionate counselor. She listens to her clients intently, because she genuinely cares. Her passion to help those who are hurting is what motivates her. She is an asset to the Mental Health industry.
Chesapeake Oct 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I would like to sing the praises of Andrea Stephen and give her a big shout-out for a job well done!!! I have had the pleasure of studying with her in multiple classes, as a fellow student in the counseling program. Later on, we serendipitously worked alongside each other in the field. Andrea is a genuine listener, faithful encourager, and a beacon of hope. She is a counselor who truly cares about her clients and wants to see them thrive.
Read more I would like to sing the praises of Andrea Stephen and give her a big shout-out for a job well done!!! I have had the pleasure of studying with her in multiple classes, as a fellow student in the counseling program. Later on, we serendipitously worked alongside each other in the field. Andrea is a genuine listener, faithful encourager, and a beacon of hope. She is a counselor who truly cares about her clients and wants to see them thrive.
Chesapeake Oct 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I've had the pleasure of working with Tammy Boone for about 5 months now and it has been a wonderful journey. She has challenged me to do the work and express myself in ways I never thought was possible. She provides ways to cope with difficult situations without being judgmental. I couldn't have asked for a better clinician!
Read more I've had the pleasure of working with Tammy Boone for about 5 months now and it has been a wonderful journey. She has challenged me to do the work and express myself in ways I never thought was possible. She provides ways to cope with difficult situations without being judgmental. I couldn't have asked for a better clinician!
Chesapeake Feb 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Dr. P. Jones, I can only say that she is simply the best!!! I found Dr. Jones in a rush, she had authentic concern for the situation, she went over and WELL ABOVE assisting us with our needs. She was our angel during this process!!!
Read more Dr. P. Jones, I can only say that she is simply the best!!! I found Dr. Jones in a rush, she had authentic concern for the situation, she went over and WELL ABOVE assisting us with our needs. She was our angel during this process!!!
Chesapeake Jan 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Jones for the past 9 months. She is incredibly genuine and easy to confide in, even over our online sessions. She was able to help me through a difficult time and I will truly miss my sessions with her. I highly recommend her services. Thank you Dr. Jones!
Read more I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Jones for the past 9 months. She is incredibly genuine and easy to confide in, even over our online sessions. She was able to help me through a difficult time and I will truly miss my sessions with her. I highly recommend her services. Thank you Dr. Jones!
Chesapeake Dec 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Close out review with Dr. Patricia Jones. Outstanding service and was extremely helpful in giving me several techniques that I can use. Having video sessions was very convenient and effective. Highly recommend Dr. Jones just for her listening skills and the ability to relate to what you are going through. Very passionate about her job and you will not be disappointed when selecting her as your counselor!
Read more Close out review with Dr. Patricia Jones. Outstanding service and was extremely helpful in giving me several techniques that I can use. Having video sessions was very convenient and effective. Highly recommend Dr. Jones just for her listening skills and the ability to relate to what you are going through. Very passionate about her job and you will not be disappointed when selecting her as your counselor!
Chesapeake Sep 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Chesapeake is near Zero’s Subs, and shares an office building with Pamela Smith MD. We off of Poplar Hill Road, and across from Bedei Compounding Pharmacy Services.

Phone number

(757) 210-9381

Languages spoken by VA providers

  • English
  • Spanish
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Shown in ET

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