Creating Deeper Connection with Couples Therapy in Los Angeles and Online in California

Deeper Connection, Real Intimacy

Couples Therapy in Los Angeles

My practice is based in Hermosa Beach in the South Bay, and I work with couples throughout Los Angeles who want more than surface-level connection. Whether in person or online across California, therapy becomes a place to slow down, get honest, and reconnect in a way that actually feels real.

In LA, many couples appear to have it all together: the home, the career, the lifestyle. From the outside, everything looks enviable. But behind closed doors, many partners carry quiet disconnection: conversations that never go deeper than logistics, conflicts that recycle without resolution, intimacy that feels flat or absent.
Couples therapy isn’t about fixing what’s “broken.” It’s about uncovering the patterns that keep you from truly seeing and hearing one another. It’s about creating a relationship where both partners feel safe, alive, and deeply connected and not just maintaining appearances.
In our therapy work together, we go beneath the surface. We explore how your histories : the families you grew up in, the wounds you’ve carried, the defenses you built  shape how you love today. And we begin practicing new ways of relating that make space for honesty, vulnerability, and intimacy.


Couples Counseling in Los Angeles and Online in California

I’m Dora, a Croatian born and raised couples therapist with the office in Hermosa Beach working with partners across Los Angeles or virtually from anywhere in California. After spending years in mediation with couples at the end of their relationships, I decided to head down a more positive path becoming a therapist who helps couples find themselves again. 

Couples usually find me when they’re tired- tired of fighting, tired of feeling misunderstood or tired of being stuck in the same cycle. I help partners understand the deeper emotional patterns underneath the surface, understand themselves, repair the connection, and create a partnership that actually works. 

In our work together, we start by slowing the chaos enough to really understand what’s happening between you: the behaviors, needs, and emotions driving your dynamic. We naturally trace those responses back to the families you grew up in, the roles you learned to play, and the ways you adapted to feel safe. That deeper insight becomes the doorway into relational healing: as you understand yourselves and each other more clearly, we begin repairing the places where old attachment injuries still shape how you reach, react, protect or pull away. And from there, real change becomes possible. In session, we practice new ways of communicating, listening, and reconnecting so you can both show up differently and not just in theory, but in the small daily moments that rebuild trust, closeness, and a relationship that actually feels good to live in.

About me

Couples Therapist in Los Angeles

We might be a good fit If...


Your relationship looks fine from the outside, but feels empty inside.

Is Couples Therapy in Los Angeles Right for You?

We might be a good fit If...

Conflicts feel endless or repetitive. No matter how many times you argue about the same issue, nothing seems to shift.

We might be a good fit If...

Intimacy can feel confusing or hard to navigate, and meeting each other’s needs feels challenging.

We might be a good fit If...

One of you withdraws while the other pursues. The more one shuts down, the more the other protests, leaving both of you frustrated and stuck.

We might be a good fit If...

Honest communication feels risky. It often seems easier to keep the peace than to share what you really feel.

We might be a good fit If...

Intimacy feels distant or disconnected. You miss the closeness, both emotional and physical that once brought you together.

We might be a good fit If...

Unspoken resentment lingers. On the surface, everything may function, but underneath there’s tension, disappointment or hurt that hasn’t been addressed.

We might be a good fit If...

You feel pressure to maintain an image. In your community, family or social circles, appearing “perfect” feels safer than showing your struggles.

We might be a good fit If...

You’re ready for more than surface-level fixes. You want to do the deeper work of reshaping how you connect and building a partnership that feels alive, authentic, and fulfilling.

We’ll notice the cycles like conflict, withdrawal, or defensiveness that repeat in your relationship and keep you from feeling close. Naming these patterns is the first step to shifting them.

With care, we’ll look at how family dynamics, past relationships, and old wounds show up in show up in your relationship today. This helps each of you understand not only yourself, but also the deeper story behind your partner’s reactions.

Together, we’ll practice ways of communicating that reduce defensiveness and increase trust, so both of you feel heard, respected, and secure enough to share openly.

Beyond solving problems, we’ll focus on bringing back what makes your relationship feel alive -moments of affection, playfulness, curiosity, and genuine closeness.

Rather than fighting the same battles over and over, you’ll learn how to repair faster and use disagreements as opportunities for growth and deeper connection.

Rather than fighting the same battles over and over, you’ll learn how to repair faster and use disagreements as opportunities for growth and deeper connection.

Relational Approach to Couples Therapy in Los Angeles

What we’ll work on in couples therapy

How to get started with therapy

contact me

Reach out using the contact form. Share a bit about what’s bringing you to therapy- no need to overthink it. I’ll get back to you with next steps.

01.

initial
consultation

We’ll start with a free call. This is a chance for both of you to ask questions, get a feel for my approach, and see if we’re a good fit. No pressure, just conversation.

02.

first
appointment

If we decide to work together, in our first full session, we’ll dive into what’s been feeling stuck or painful in your relationship. I’ll help you both slow things down, name what’s not working, and begin mapping a path forward.

03.

ongoing
sessions

We’ll work together weekly (or biweekly, depending on your needs) to build stronger communication, heal past wounds, and create more connections. Every step is tailored to your relationship, not a one-size-fits-all plan.

04.

Begin Your Therapy Journey in Los Angeles and Online in California