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686,000 people sought help with Thriveworks in the last year

Discover how starting internet addiction counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

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I understand what it is like to seek help from others. My goal is to be a supportive and safe environment for you to continue to care for yourself and... I understand what it is like to seek help from others. My goal is to be a supportive and safe environment for you to continue to care for yourself and your mental health while responding to life’s challenges. Read more

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You are the expert on you. My expertise is in helping people make the changes they desire to live healthy, happy, and productive lives.

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As a clinician, I understand that individuals have different backgrounds and experiences that make them unique.

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Starting Internet addiction counseling

What is Internet addiction counseling?

Internet addiction counseling is a specialized therapeutic approach designed to address and alleviate problematic or compulsive internet usage. It offers individuals a structured and supportive setting to delve into the root causes of their excessive online behaviors, which may encompass activities like social media and gaming.

How does Internet addiction counseling work?

Internet addiction therapists at Thriveworks in Richmond, VA collaborate with you to identify and alter thought patterns and behaviors that drive your dependence, often employing cognitive-behavioral techniques. The primary objective of this counseling is to assist you in regaining control over your internet use, establishing healthier online habits, and addressing any underlying emotional or psychological issues, ultimately fostering a more balanced relationship with the digital world and enhancing overall well-being.

Is Internet addiction counseling conducted in person or online?

Thriveworks internet addiction counseling in Richmond is conducted both in person and virtually through online therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does Internet addiction counseling last?

The length of internet addiction counseling can differ depending on the person's particular requirements and the seriousness of their addiction. Typically, this form of counseling includes multiple sessions spanning from several weeks to several months. The precise number of sessions and overall therapy duration are determined through discussions with the counselor.

Need more help deciding?

Henry was annoyed. He was watching his daughter’s soccer game, and yes, he was also catching up on email. After the game, Henry overheard her say to a friend that he was always on his phone. Immediately, Henry thought, “no I am not!” He was explaining this to his therapist when the counselor asked him to take the next week and observe how much time he spends online—either on his phone or on his laptop. At his next appointment, Henry was feeling a little more subdued. His therapist asked him what he had observed. Henry had been on his phone a lot. He had always told himself that he was just trying to give himself an advantage at work, but even when his work was done for the day, Henry felt anxious when he did not have his phone or laptop nearby. He and his therapist talked about how using the Internet can become addictive just like gambling or shopping. In fact, his therapist explained that a lot of people are like Henry. More and more, people are using the Internet compulsively, and they are feeling negative consequences in their lives because of it. Henry’s therapist also explained that there are a number of effective treatments that may help him regain control.

“Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because we’re too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.”
—Steven Spielberg

Being online is an essential part of life for many people. The Internet is how they keep in touch with family and friends, and most jobs require people to go online at some point if not spend their entire work day there. For some people, unplugging is not a challenge at all. For many, they have difficulty unplugging. For many, they struggling to control what they do online and how long the spend there. Compulsive Internet use is a growing mental health challenge, but there are treatments available.

Thriveworks Richmond offers therapy for Internet addiction, and we have helped a number of clients regain control over dependent and compulsive Internet use.

Being Dependent upon Being Online

Today, there are unlimited data plans and high-speed Internet, but even during the days of dial-up, mental health professionals observed behavior that concerned them. In the mid-1990s, mental health professionals were connecting that behavior with dependency, compulsion, and addiction. By the late 1990s, they had developed criteria for Internet addiction. Dr. Kimberly Young outlined that criteria, and she suggested that an individual who displayed a minimum of five of the following symptoms may be addicted to the Internet:

  1. The inability to stop internet use or control when one goes online.
  2. Risking one’s professional or personal life because of Internet use.
  3. Increasingly spending longer time online in order to feel satisfied with one’s use.
  4. Going online for longer than one planned.
  5. When one cannot be online, feeling irritable, moody, or depressed.
  6. A preoccupation with being online or the Internet.
  7. Lying to loved ones about how much one uses the Internet, when one goes online, or what one does there.
  8. Regulating one’s emotions with the Internet.

There are a number of manifestations that Internet addiction can take. Dr. Young also outlined these subcategories for compulsive Internet use:

  • Net compulsions: Going online to shop, day-trade, or gamble compulsively.
  • Information addiction: Scrolling mindlessly and endlessly through websites, social media, and databases.
  • Computer addiction: Playing video games online in a compulsive way.
  • Cybersex addiction: Obsessively going to the Internet for porn and/or sex.
  • Cyber-relationship addiction: Online relationships that are compulsive.

Physical and Emotional Effects of Internet Addiction

What happens on the Internet can have difficult effects in real life. Just like other addictions, compulsive Internet use can cause challenges for an individual and for their loved ones. Physically, people who are dependent upon the Internet may experience…

  • Headaches
  • Poor personal hygiene (e.g., not changing clothes, bathing, et cetera)
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Backache
  • Insomnia
  • Dry eyes and other vision problems
  • Neck pain
  • Poor nutrition (forgetting to eat or eating excessively)
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Emotionally, people who are dependent upon the Internet may experience…

  • Depression
  • Loneliness
  • Avoidance of work
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Isolation
  • Defensiveness
  • Agitation
  • Losing a sense of time
  • Fear
  • Feelings of elation when using the Internet
  • Mood swings
  • Dishonesty
  • Boredom
  • Procrastination
  • Anxiety
  • Inability to keep to a schedule

Thriveworks Richmond: Appointments for Internet Addiction

As you read about compulsive Internet use, did you recognize anything in your own life? If you did, you are not alone. Many others are struggling, and there are many resources available for healing. At Thriveworks Richmond, we are committed to helping our clients find the personalized care they need. Some people with an Internet addiction would benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Others may need medication or a support group. Our therapists form an individualized treatment plan for our clients that accounts for their unique needs and circumstances. If you are ready to reach out for help, we are ready to meet with you. When you contact our office, your first appointment may be the following day. We accept many different insurance plans. Weekend and evening sessions are also offered. Let’s work together. Call 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 Richmond therapists and counselors accept 25 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Humana Exchange

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Self-pay costs at Richmond
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

4.7 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
I have looked so long for a new counselor and finally found a wonderful therapist through thrive works… Rhiannon Price has been working with me and has helped me so much
Read more I have looked so long for a new counselor and finally found a wonderful therapist through thrive works… Rhiannon Price has been working with me and has helped me so much
Michelle Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★☆☆☆
My experience has been somewhat less desiring. My ongoing sessions with the counselor is not as expected. It’s not engaging and oftentimes we are sitting in silence. I even asked if there was an ending game plan so we know where we are working towards and I didn’t get an answer.
Read more My experience has been somewhat less desiring. My ongoing sessions with the counselor is not as expected. It’s not engaging and oftentimes we are sitting in silence. I even asked if there was an ending game plan so we know where we are working towards and I didn’t get an answer.
Chris Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I have known Scott Beach personally and professionally for almost 15 years. He is a caring and compassionate individual and an outstanding clinician. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking to engage with an ethical and skilled counselor who will meet you where you are without judgment and work with you to achieve your counseling goals!
Read more I have known Scott Beach personally and professionally for almost 15 years. He is a caring and compassionate individual and an outstanding clinician. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking to engage with an ethical and skilled counselor who will meet you where you are without judgment and work with you to achieve your counseling goals!
Richmond Jul 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Ashley Crouch has been been a blessing to me over the past year. I cannot begin to thank her enough for how she has impacted my life. She is very effective, professional, and respectful. My quality of life has improved by leaps and bounds and I'm forever grateful. I live in a rural area with few counseling options, so online counseling was a Godsend, and so was Ashley!
Read more Ashley Crouch has been been a blessing to me over the past year. I cannot begin to thank her enough for how she has impacted my life. She is very effective, professional, and respectful. My quality of life has improved by leaps and bounds and I'm forever grateful. I live in a rural area with few counseling options, so online counseling was a Godsend, and so was Ashley!
Richmond Dec 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Exceptional service.
Richmond Jan 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I’ve been seeing Ashley for about a month now at Thriveworks and I couldn’t be happier. She really helped me get back to person I use to be. I’ve had a rough couple years and she has me well on my way to a better me.
Read more I’ve been seeing Ashley for about a month now at Thriveworks and I couldn’t be happier. She really helped me get back to person I use to be. I’ve had a rough couple years and she has me well on my way to a better me.
Richmond Jan 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Great scheduling service. Emma Denat is fantastic as a counselor. Highly recommend this practice.
Read more Great scheduling service. Emma Denat is fantastic as a counselor. Highly recommend this practice.
Richmond Jan 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
So far, everything with Thriveworks has been great - easy to schedule, easy to meet, and really finding great help all around.
Read more So far, everything with Thriveworks has been great - easy to schedule, easy to meet, and really finding great help all around.
Richmond Jan 2019
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Richmond is located off of Markel Rd, just south of Libbie Place Shopping Center. Our building is across the street from the Faison Center and next to Pandora’s Lashes and Coates and Davenport, P.C. Our office is in the Enterprise Center, which we share with Liquid Talent Agency and SIL Insurance, among other businesses.

Phone number

(804) 312-5498

Languages spoken by VA providers

  • Polish
  • English
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
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

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
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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