Couples Counseling and Marriage Therapy in San Luis Obispo
Better Together
Couples therapy helps you understand your relationship, strengthen what is working, and develop practical skills for creating the relationship you want.
My approach is research-based and tailored to each couple. Together, we'll work toward a relationship where you feel loved, understood, supported, and connected, while learning how to handle the challenges that come with being partners in life.
I see couples in person in San Luis Obispo and online across California.
What Couples Therapy Helps With
Couples come to therapy for many reasons. Some are in crisis, while others want to feel closer and communicate better before small problems become big ones. I help couples with:
Communication & Conflict
Learn practical skills for listening, expressing your feelings and needs, understanding each other's perspectives, and working through differences constructively.
Friendship & Connection
Strengthen the friendship at the heart of your relationship, stay curious about each other's lives, support one another's dreams and roles, and create more opportunities for appreciation, play, and connection.
Trust & Commitment
Build (or rebuild) trust, strengthen your commitment to each other, and develop the habits that help both partners feel secure in the relationship.
Family, Money & Responsibilities
Work together on parenting, finances, household responsibilities, in-laws, work, and the many decisions that come with building a life together.
Differences & Individual Needs
Understand how personality, values, conflict styles, and individual needs affect your relationship and learn ways to work with those differences.
Repair & Reconnection
Learn practical ways to reconnect after difficult conversations and strengthen your ability to move forward together.
Relationship Transitions
Get support through moving in together, becoming parents, blending families, retirement, major life changes, and other transitions that require couples to adapt and grow together.
Affair & Addiction Recovery
Work through the impact of infidelity or addiction on your relationship, rebuild trust, and develop a path forward together. Learn how to have difficult conversations, understand the impact on each partner, and create healthier patterns as you work toward healing your relationship.
What to Expect in Couples Therapy
Session 1: Your Story
We'll talk about your relationship, what brings you to therapy, and what you'd like to accomplish together.
Before Session 2: Relationship Checkup
You'll each complete the Gottman Relationship Checkup privately online. Your personalized results show your relationship's strengths and challenges, along with education about what makes relationships work and recommendations tailored to your relationship.
Session 2: Individual Conversations
I'll meet individually with each partner for part of the session (25 minutes) to understand your personal history and how that shapes how you show up in your relationship.
Session 3: Feedback + Goals
We'll review your Checkup results and create a therapy plan.
Moving forward together
We'll focus on the skills and patterns that are most relevant to your relationship. You'll learn practical strategies to use in everyday conversations and situations between sessions.
Fees
Couples Therapy: $190 per 50-minute session
Relationship Checkup: $99
Many clients use HSA/FSA funds. I do not accept insurance.