Virginia Pop – Counsellor & Psychotherapist

Working with Individuals & Couples

I am a qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist with a Master’s degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy, specialising in an integrative approach. This means I draw on a range of evidence-informed therapeutic methods and tailor our work to you as an individual—your experiences, needs, strengths, and goals.

Alongside my psychotherapy training, I am also a qualified Social Care Worker with experience supporting vulnerable people. This background gives me a strong understanding of the practical, emotional, and social challenges that can affect wellbeing. I offer a compassionate, respectful, and non-judgemental space where you can speak openly and feel heard.

I support adults who may be experiencing anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship difficulties, trauma, addiction-related concerns, low self-esteem, life changes, grief, or a feeling of being stuck. Together, we can explore what is happening in your life, make sense of difficult emotions, and develop healthier ways of coping and moving forward.

My approach is collaborative: you remain at the centre of the process. Therapy is not about being “fixed”; it is about gaining understanding, building resilience, and creating meaningful change at a pace that feels safe for you.

I provide counselling and psychotherapy sessions in both English and Romanian, offering a welcoming service for people who feel more comfortable speaking in either language.

Couples Counselling

I work with couples who are experiencing strain, disconnection, conflict, or uncertainty in their relationship. I understand that language, family values, traditions, religion, migration experiences, and expectations about relationships can all influence how couples communicate and manage difficulties.

I work with English-speaking and Romanian-speaking couples, including couples from different cultural backgrounds.

Who I Work With

I support couples experiencing:

  • Ongoing arguments, tension, or difficulties communicating
  • Feeling emotionally distant, lonely, or misunderstood within the relationship
  • Cultural differences, including different family expectations, traditions, roles, and beliefs
  • Challenges related to English Romanian communication or living between two cultures
  • Changes following separation, divorce, or considering whether to remain together
  • Grief and loss, including bereavement, miscarriage, infertility, loss of identity, or changes in family life
  • Differences in sexual desire, intimacy needs, sexual identity, or comfort discussing sex
  • Trust issues, jealousy, betrayal, or rebuilding the relationship after hurt
  • Stress linked to parenting, work, finances, addiction recovery, illness, or major life transitions

How I Work

In therapy, I aim to help each partner understand both themselves and each other more deeply. Often, conflict is not simply about the issue being discussed; it can be connected to unmet emotional needs, past experiences, fears of rejection, cultural expectations, or different ways of coping with stress.

Our work may include:

  • Identifying repeating conflict patterns and learning how to interrupt them
  • Improving listening skills and helping each partner communicate without blame or criticism
  • Exploring personality differences and how these affect closeness, conflict, decision-making, and intimacy
  • Understanding the impact of cultural identity, family history, and upbringing on the relationship
  • Creating healthier boundaries and clearer agreements
  • Supporting emotional regulation during difficult conversations
  • Rebuilding trust, connection, affection, and intimacy where possible
  • Providing a safe space to process grief, change, separation, or divorce
  • Helping couples make thoughtful, respectful decisions about their future

My Therapeutic Approach

As an integrative therapist, I may use elements of:

  • Person-centred therapy – creating a compassionate and accepting space where both partners feel valued.
  • Attachment-informed therapy – exploring how early relationships and fears of abandonment, rejection, or closeness can affect adult relationships.
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – identifying unhelpful thoughts, reactions, and communication habits that maintain conflict.
  • Emotion-focused work – helping partners recognise, express, and respond to the emotions beneath anger, withdrawal, or criticism.
  • Systemic thinking – considering the wider influences on the relationship, such as family, culture, community, work, parenting, and life experiences.

I recognise that every relationship is unique. My role is not to take sides or decide who is right. Instead, I support both partners to understand their shared difficulties, strengthen their ability to communicate, and make choices that promote wellbeing, dignity, and mutual respect.

Couples counselling can support partners who want to repair and strengthen their relationship, as well as those who need help navigating separation or divorce in a healthier and more respectful way.

Couples Sessions: In-person sessions lasting 90 minutes
Languages: English and Romanian

Availability
Monday to Saturday, all day

Phone: 00353-0892320128

Email: virginiappop@gmai.com