We are the Relationship Architects
Nichole Aiken and Nan Tilbury first met during their residencies at the same agency, where they quickly realized they shared a unique connection and a common vision for helping others. Trained by the same supervisor and rooted in similar therapeutic philosophies, their approaches naturally complemented one another. When the time came to expand their work, they joined forces to create Relational Connection Counseling, blending their individual strengths into a unified team.
Nan’s expertise lies in working with men and couples, as well as facilitating therapy groups, providing a direct and supportive approach to addressing relational challenges.
Nichole specializes in helping betrayed partners heal, combining her certifications with a holistic mind/body focus that incorporates trauma therapy, mindfulness, and yoga.
Together, Nichole and Nan bring a collaborative energy to their practice, creating a space where clients feel supported, understood, and empowered to grow. Their partnership reflects their belief that the best work is done in connection—with clients and with each other.
Nichole Aiken, LPC, CSAT, CPTT, MBATT
As a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Reston, VA, Nichole specializes in supporting individuals and couples who have been impacted by sexual and emotional betrayal, infidelity, and sexual compulsive behaviors. She is a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist and completed advanced training as a Certified Partner Trauma Therapist.
Nichole is also trained in Brainspotting, a powerful therapeutic tool that helps individuals process trauma and increase long-term sobriety by targeting the brain’s deeper neural pathways.
Her therapeutic approach is rooted in a mind-body perspective, integrating mindfulness and somatic techniques to promote healing. She holds a certification in Mindfulness-Based Addiction Therapy (MBATT) and is also certified in Trauma-Informed Yoga, which allows her to offer holistic support to her clients. Through this approach, she works to help individuals reconnect to themselves, process their emotions, and rebuild their lives after betrayal and addiction.
Nan Tilbury, LPC, CSAT
Nan Tilbury is a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in helping individuals and couples navigate betrayal, rebuild trust, and create healthier, more honest relationships. A Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and Level Three Gottman-trained couples therapist, she brings decades of experience working with people facing some of the most difficult moments in their relationships.
Nan believes that healthy relationships require skills—and that most of us were never actually taught them. Her work emphasizes honesty, accountability, boundaries, empathy, and the ability to communicate clearly, particularly when emotions are high. Deeply influenced by Brené Brown’s work on courage, vulnerability, and shame, Nan is known for a direct, practical approach that combines clinical expertise with humor, storytelling, and analogies that make complicated ideas easier to understand and put into practice.
At the heart of Nan’s work is a simple belief: becoming the person we want to be takes practice. She helps clients move beyond simply understanding what went wrong toward learning and practicing the skills that allow them to show up differently in their relationships.
Nan is co-author of Rebuilding: Reclaiming Wholeness After Betrayal — A Guide for Couples and Individuals. Through The Relationship Architects, she and Nichole Aiken provide education and resources for people seeking stronger, more authentic relationships.