Therapy for couples

Evidence-based couples therapy for partners navigating conflict, disconnection, communication breakdown, and the slow erosion of closeness that can happen in any relationship. Licensed, confidential, and built around how real couples actually get stuck and how to get unstuck. Available in-person in West Hollywood and virtually across California.

Book a free 15-minute consultation or reach out to schedule your first session together.

Couples who attend couples therapy often tell me they want to feel like a team again.

It does not always start with a crisis. Sometimes it is just a slow drift. The conversations that used to feel easy now feel loaded. You are saying the same things in the same fights. One of you shuts down. The other escalates. Or you have both gone quiet in a way that feels more permanent than a rough patch.

Maybe you are here because something specific happened - whether it’s an affair, a rupture, a disclosure. Maybe you are here because nothing specific happened, and that is somehow harder to explain. The distance just accumulated.

Either way, what you are feeling is not a verdict on your relationship. It is information. And it is information that can be worked with.

Research from the Gottman Institute shows that couples wait an average of six years after problems begin before seeking therapy. By that point, patterns are entrenched and trust has often taken real hits. Earlier intervention produces better outcomes, but it is never too late for couples who are willing to do the work.

The specific issues vary. The underlying dynamics are often the same. Most couples come in because one or more of the following has taken root:

• Recurring conflict that never resolves. The same argument happens again and again. It changes shape but not substance. Neither of you walks away feeling heard, and the residue builds up over time.
• Emotional disconnection. You coexist. You function. But the sense of real closeness of being truly known by your partner has become harder to access. You are living alongside each other more than with each other.
• Communication patterns that escalate or shut down. One of you pursues. One withdraws. Or both withdraw. These attachment-based dynamics are predictable once you understand them, and they are workable once you name them.
• Trust and repair after a breach. Infidelity, dishonesty, or a significant betrayal creates a specific kind of wound. Rebuilding is possible, but it requires a structure for the process that most couples cannot build alone.
• Sexual and intimacy concerns. Physical intimacy is often the first casualty of emotional distance and the last thing couples bring into the room. Both matter. Both are addressable.
• Life transitions putting pressure on the relationship. New parenthood, career changes, loss, relocation, major health events, or transitions that stress individuals also stress the bond between them.
• Different attachment styles that create friction. Anxious and avoidant partners attract each other with regularity. Understanding why you are triggering each other changes the game.
• Navigating identity, values, or cultural differences. Couples who bring different backgrounds, beliefs, or identities into a relationship need space to explore those differences without one person's experience being minimized or erased.

If none of these is a perfect fit for what you are carrying, that is fine. Most couples come in with something more tangled and harder to name. That is exactly what this work is for.

My approach is grounded in Restoration Therapy, attachment-based therapy, and evidence-informed methods drawn from cognitive behavioral and emotionally focused frameworks. I do not believe in one-size-fits-all couples work. What I do believe in is understanding the specific cycle your relationship is stuck in, and building from there.

Restoration Therapy gives couples a clear map for understanding what drives emotional reactivity, where protective responses come from, and how partners co-create dynamics that neither of them would choose if they were thinking clearly. Most conflict in relationships is not about the surface issue. It is about what the surface issue means to each person, and the pain or fear underneath it. Therapy creates the conditions for partners to move from reactivity to genuine contact.

What that looks like in session:

• Early sessions focus on understanding each partner's experience and the patterns between you, not assigning fault
• We identify the specific cycle driving your conflict as the pursuer-withdrawer dynamic, the freeze-attack spiral, or whatever shape yours has taken
• We slow the cycle down enough to see what is actually happening underneath it
• We build new communication skills that are grounded in how you actually operate, not generic scripts
• We address the attachment wounds and protective strategies each of you brings into the relationship from your own history
• For couples navigating trust repair, we work through a structured process of accountability, grieving, and rebuilding

I work with straight couples, gay couples, and couples at any stage of a relationship including early, long-term, pre-marriage, or at a genuine crossroads about whether to continue. All relationship structures and identities are welcome.

Couples often walk in bracing for a verdict. They want the therapist to clarify who is right. That is not what therapy is. A good couples therapist holds both partners' experiences with equal seriousness, which means neither of you is going to walk out with a score. What you will get is something more useful: a clearer picture of what is actually happening between you, and tools to change it.

Sessions are typically held weekly, at least in the early phase of treatment. Consistency matters in couples work. The patterns that need to shift are activated in the relationship in real time, and the work happens in the room, not just in reflection between sessions.

If one or both partners are also working through individual issues that are affecting the relationship, I can discuss how to coordinate that care. I also offer individual therapy for men and can help structure support that addresses both the individual and the relational dimensions of what you are navigating.

Couples therapy has a strong evidence base. A comprehensive analysis published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy found that approximately 70 percent of couples who engage in structured couples therapy report significant improvement. Emotionally Focused Therapy, one of the frameworks underlying my approach, shows recovery rates in distressed couples that are among the strongest in clinical research.

Couples therapy works best when both partners are willing to examine their own contributions to the dynamic, not just the other person's. That does not mean equal blame. It means equal curiosity. The willingness to ask "what am I doing here?" is the single biggest predictor of progress.

It is also worth knowing what couples therapy is not a match for. Active domestic violence, active untreated substance dependence, or one partner who is completely unwilling to engage are situations that typically require a different level of intervention before couples work can be productive. If you are unsure whether your situation is a fit, a free consultation is the right place to find out.

My practice is based in West Hollywood, and my relationship work reflects that community. I work with a wide range of couples of different ages, sexual and gender orientations, relationship lengths, structures, and backgrounds. I have particular experience working with:

• Gay couples navigating both universal relational challenges and identity-specific ones, including minority stress, family-of-origin dynamics, and community pressures
• Couples in which one or both partners are dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma that is affecting the relationship, including cases where EMDR therapy may be relevant to individual healing
• Couples navigating the aftermath of infidelity or significant breach of trust
• Couples considering separation or divorce who want to make that decision with clarity and, if they have children, with care for how the process unfolds
• Partners who want to build a stronger foundation before problems become entrenched

I offer telehealth couples therapy to any couple in California, and in-person sessions at my West Hollywood office. Virtual sessions are conducted over HIPAA-compliant video and work well for couples with scheduling constraints or who are not in the Los Angeles area.

The first session is typically a joint session where I get to know both of you and understand what brought you in. I am listening for the pattern underneath the presenting issue, not just the content of the conflict. I may ask each of you to share your experience separately at times not to take sides, but because each partner's internal experience is its own data.

Depending on what I hear in early sessions, I may suggest spending one or two sessions individually with each partner before returning to joint work. This is sometimes useful for understanding what each person is carrying into the room that predates the relationship. It is never about creating a private alliance with either partner.

Most couples begin to see meaningful movement within six to ten sessions when both partners are engaged. That is not a definitive timeline however. Some couples move faster. Others are working through things that require more time. The pace that serves your relationship is the right pace.

Sessions are $240 and are eligible for out-of-network PPO insurance reimbursement. See the FAQ for more on cost, insurance, and scheduling.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT 133554) based in West Hollywood, California. My training spans Restoration Therapy (Level II, under Dr. Miyoung Yoon Hammer), EMDR (EMDRIA-trained), and attachment-based approaches. Before private practice, I worked on a crisis hotline for five years, which gave me a clinical foundation rooted in what people are actually experiencing when they are in pain.

Couples work is one of the areas I was specifically trained for and care about most. The relational field, the space between two people, is where a significant portion of human suffering lives, and it is also where some of the most meaningful change is possible.

I see couples in person at my West Hollywood office and virtually across California. I offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can get a read on whether working together makes sense. Learn more about my background and training.

How do we know if couples therapy is right for us?

If you are stuck in a pattern you cannot break on your own, or if distance has built up that you have not been able to close, therapy is a reasonable next step. You do not need to be in crisis to benefit. A free consultation is the lowest-stakes way to find out if it is the right fit.

What if one of us is more reluctant than the other?

That is common. One partner frequently initiates the referral while the other is more skeptical. The first session is often where the more reluctant partner becomes willing to continue. I do not require both partners to arrive equally enthusiastic. I simply require both partners to arrive.

Do you see same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ partnerships?

Yes, gay-affirming therapy is core to my practice. I have specific experience working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans, and non-binary individuals and couples.

What is Restoration Therapy?

Restoration Therapy is a structured clinical approach developed by Dr. Terry Hargrave for navigating complicated emotions and relational patterns. It helps couples identify the core emotional experiences driving conflict and build the emotional regulation and communication skills to respond differently. I completed Level II certification in this approach.

Can we do couples therapy over video?

Yes. I offer virtual couples sessions to anyone in California via HIPAA-compliant video. Many couples find this format works well, particularly when scheduling or geography creates barriers to in-person sessions.

How long does couples therapy typically take?

There is no fixed timeline. Many couples notice meaningful change within six to ten sessions. Some work through acute situations more quickly. Others are engaged in deeper relational restructuring that takes longer. We discuss goals and progress as we go. You are never locked into an open-ended commitment.

What does it cost?

Sessions are $240. I am an out-of-network provider for most PPO insurance plans, which means we can check over the phone is you are  eligible for reimbursement depending on your benefits. I submit claims on your behalf for PPO plans. HSA and FSA cards are accepted. Visit the FAQ for full details.

What if we are considering separation?

Couples therapy is appropriate even if you are uncertain about the future of the relationship. Working with a therapist can help you make a clearer, more informed decision, and if separation is the direction, it can help you navigate that process with more care and less damage to both of you.

Most couples wait longer than they should. The patterns get harder to unwind. The good will gets thinner. The version of your relationship that is possible with the right support is worth reaching for now, not after another year of the same cycle.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation for couples who want to get a sense of whether working together is the right fit. No pressure, no commitment. Just a conversation to find out what is going on and whether I can help.

Schedule your free consultation or reach out with any questions. I respond to all inquiries personally.