Beneath the smooth exterior, there might be loneliness, resentment, or distance that rarely gets spoken out loud.
Sometimes the struggle is quiet - conversations that stay polite but don’t go deep. Other times it’s more obvious - arguments that escalate quickly or moments of withdrawal where one of you checks out completely. Underneath these patterns, it’s often the same familiar dynamics: a drive to perform and keep up appearances or the pressure to hold everything together or echoes of emotionally immature parenting that left each of you unsure how to show up fully in a relationship.
Therapy offers something different: a place where you don’t have to hold it all together or perform the version of your relationship that looks good from the outside. Instead, it becomes a space to slow down, speak honestly and discover what’s really happening beneath the surface.
In our work together, we won’t just focus on stopping arguments or managing distance, but we’ll go deeper. We’ll uncover the old patterns that quietly run your relationship, explore the unspoken longings you’ve both been carrying, and create new ways of connecting that feel genuine, secure, and alive.
This is about more than problem-solving. It’s about creating a relationship where you both feel chosen, safe, and fully seen , and not just partners who keep things running, but two people who get to experience intimacy, playfulness, and a sense of belonging with each other again.
Building relationship that lasts
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 specializes in work with couples. The goal in therapy is for clients to gain clarity and direction in their relationships, and to learn tools for happier and healthier bonds with their partners.
My main theoretical approach to couples therapy is Imago Relationship Therapy that believes that our childhood experiences and attachment wound create expectations and defenses that cause problems in our relationship. The goal of therapy is to help couples heal old childhood wounds by recognizing and interrupting old patterns and developing healthier ones.
While I take most from Imago, I consider myself an integrative therapists by borrowing from different modalities I am trained in.
Who I am.
· Imago Couples Therapy with Harville Hendrix, certificate
· The Relational Life Therapy Approach to Couples Therapy with Terry Real, master class
· Encounter-Centered Couples Therapy: “Teaching Couples the Art of Connection” training
· The Gottman Method to Treating Affairs and Trauma: An Advanced Training Course
· Healing from Affairs Training with Tammy Nelson: Moving Past the Trauma of Betrayal and Infidelity
· Integrative Sex and Couples Certification Training: Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional (CSTIP) Course
· Integrative relationship therapy certification with Tammy Nelson
· Transformative approach to couples therapy with Esther Perel, master class
Couples Therapy in Manhattan Beach and online in California
We might be a good fit If...
You fight about the same things over and over: money, parenting, in-laws, division of labor, but the argument never touches what’s underneath. It’s not just about the dishes or the budget, it’s about feeling dismissed, misunderstood or alone in the relationship.
We might be a good fit If...
The relationship looks different on the outside than it feels on the inside.
We might be a good fit If...
Maybe there was a betrayal: an affair, a broken promise or just years of not feeling chosen. Or maybe it’s a quiet buildup of small hurts where one of you slowly stopped reaching out and the other stopped reaching back.
We might be a good fit If...
You avoid conflict to keep the peace, but resentment slowly builds under the surface.
We might be a good fit If...
Stress from careers or parenting or different pressures has crowded out space for your relationship.
We might be a good fit If...
You want to get better at repairing after conflict so disagreements don’t have to spiral into days of distance or resentment.
We might be a good fit If...
Intimacy feels less alive than it used to whether emotionally, physically or both.
We might be a good fit If...
You are looking to improve communication and listening skills so you can actually hear and understand each other.
We might be a good fit If...
You want your relationship to feel as strong on the inside as it looks on the outside, and you are ready to figure out what that looks like and put in the work.
What we’ll work on in therapy
Couples therapy in Manhattan Beach and online in California
Breaking surface-level patterns
We’ll uncover the unspoken rules and roles in your relationship that keep you from deeper connection, and practice ways to move past them.
Learning to communicate honestly
You’ll develop tools to share your needs and feelings more openly, and to listen in ways that invite closeness rather than defensiveness.
Rebuilding trust
Whether from betrayal, conflict or years of growing apart, we’ll work on repairing the foundation of safety your relationship needs.
Deepening intimacy
Together, we’ll create opportunities for both emotional and physical closeness that feel nourishing and alive.
Working through differences
We’ll explore the unique histories, attachment styles, and expectations each of you brings and learn how to honor them without losing connection.
Creating a relationship that feels real
Beyond appearances, we’ll work toward a marriage that’s grounded in authenticity, empathy, and shared vision.
