Couples Therapy in Hermosa Beach
Relationships can be one of the most meaningful parts of our lives, but they can also be one of the most challenging.
Maybe you keep having the same argument without ever really resolving it. Maybe one of you wants to talk while the other shuts down or pulls away. Or maybe you love each other deeply, but lately you've been feeling disconnected, misunderstood, or unsure of how to move forward.
I provide couples therapy in Hermosa Beach for dating, engaged, and married couples looking to communicate more effectively, better understand each other, and feel more secure and connected in their relationship.
Couples therapy can give you a space to slow things down and understand what’s happening underneath the conflict.
My Approach to Couples Therapy
My role isn't to decide who is “right” or “wrong” or to take sides. Instead, I help couples slow down the patterns they may be getting stuck in and better understand what's happening underneath their reactions to one another.
Sometimes the argument on the surface isn't really what the argument is about. One partner may push to talk because they want reassurance or connection, while the other may shut down or pull away because they feel overwhelmed or afraid of making things worse. The more one pursues, the more the other withdraws, and both can end up feeling misunderstood.
My work is attachment-based and informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and I also pull from the Gottman Method. Together, we'll look at the cycle happening between you, the emotions and needs underneath it, and ways to communicate differently when those familiar patterns show up.
I want both partners to feel heard and understood in the room. I take a warm, relational, and nonjudgmental approach while also being willing to slow you down, ask questions, and point out patterns when I notice them.
What Can Couples Therapy Help With?
Communication difficulties
Frequent arguments or recurring conflict
Emotional disconnection
Preparing for marriage or a long-term commitment
Relationship anxiety or insecurity
Trust concerns
Difficulty expressing needs
Major life transitions
Navigating differences in needs or expectations
Feeling stuck in the same relationship patterns
A desire to strengthen your relationship before problems become bigger
Premarital & Marriage Counseling
in Hermosa Beach
Couples therapy isn't only for relationships in crisis. Many couples come to therapy because they care deeply about their relationship and want to strengthen it before problems become more difficult to navigate.
For dating and engaged couples, premarital counseling can create space to talk more intentionally about communication, conflict, expectations, emotional needs, and the patterns you want to carry (or not carry) into your marriage. You may have been together for years and know you want a future together, while also recognizing that certain disagreements or triggers keep showing up.
Married couples may find themselves caught in similar patterns over time: having the same argument in different forms, feeling less connected, struggling to express needs without becoming defensive, or wanting to feel more like partners again.
Relationship therapy can help you understand what's happening between you and practice responding to each other in ways that create more understanding, security, and connection.
What Does Couples Therapy Actually Look Like?
Couples therapy isn't about sitting in a room while waiting for the therapist to decide who's right. My role is to help slow things down so we can understand what is happening between you, especially in the moments when communication starts to break down.
Both partners have space to share their experiences and feel heard. As patterns emerge, I may pause the conversation, ask what was happening internally for each of you in that moment, or help put words to the emotions and needs that can be harder to express during conflict.
We may notice, for example, that one partner becomes more persistent when they feel disconnected while the other pulls away when they feel criticized or overwhelmed. Rather than labeling either response as the "problem", we'll look at how the responses interact and keep the two of you stuck.
Over time, the goal is to help you recognize those patterns sooner, communicate what you need more clearly, and respond to each other with greater understanding and connection.
Couples Therapy in
Hermosa Beach & the South Bay
I offer in-person couples therapy in Hermosa Beach for couples throughout the South Bay, including Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, and surrounding communities.
Virtual couples therapy is also available for clients located throughout California.