Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling
You love each other. You're also tired of the same argument, the quiet distance, or the feeling that work and life get the best of you and your partner gets what's left. Couples therapy gives you both a structured place to understand the pattern and change it.
We work with couples in person in Hermosa Beach and online anywhere in California, including many partners in demanding careers who need therapy to fit a real schedule.
Is couples therapy right for you?
It's worth a conversation if:
The same fight keeps coming back, just with new details
You feel more like roommates or business partners than a couple
Trust has taken a hit and you don't know how to rebuild it
One of you is pulling away and the other is chasing
A big change (a promotion, a move, a baby, an exit) is straining things
You're getting married and want to start on solid ground
You don't need to be in crisis. Many couples come in for a relationship checkup.
What couples come to us for
Communication and conflict: fights that escalate fast or never get resolved
Distance and intimacy: feeling disconnected, emotionally or physically
Trust and infidelity: repair after an affair or a breach of trust
Career pressure and big life changes: when success, travel or long hours crowd out the relationship
Premarital counseling: building the skills and conversations before the wedding
What Couples Come to Us For
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Premarital Counseling
Talk through money, family, sex, and who does what before they turn into the fights you have for twenty years. More about premarital counseling.
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Relationship Checkup
Good couples check in too. A few focused sessions can surface blind spots before they turn into problems.
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Communication and Conflict
When every conversation turns into the same fight, we help you slow it down, actually hear each other, and get out of the loop.
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Distance and intimacy
Closeness fades for a lot of couples, usually slowly and without anyone deciding it should. We help you rebuild emotional and physical connection at a pace that works for both of you.
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Career pressure and big life changes
Big jobs, new kids, moves, and aging parents all put weight on a relationship. We help you stay on the same team while it's happening.
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Trust and infidelity
Getting through an affair is hard, and it's possible. We help both of you understand what happened and decide, clearly, what comes next.
How we work
Every couple is different, so we don't run a script. We work with your pattern, your history and what's happening in your life right now. Sessions are active and structured, and you'll leave with things to try at home, not just a place to vent.
Our clinicians draw on:
Gottman Method Couples Therapy: research-based tools for conflict, friendship and trust
IFS for couples (IFIO): understanding the parts of you that react, so you can respond differently
Imago Relationship Therapy: structured dialogue that helps each partner feel heard
EMDR and somatic approaches: when old wounds or stress keep hijacking the present
We don't take sides. Our job is to make sure both of you are heard and to help you find the way forward, whether that's rebuilding together or getting clear on what's next.
What’s It Like to Work With Us
Weekly sessions or an intensive
Most couples meet weekly for 50-minute sessions. If you're working against a date, or want more focused time than a weekly session allows, a couples intensive packs weeks of work into a single day or a few consecutive days.
Where we see couples
In person: our Hermosa Beach office, serving Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance and the South Bay
Online: anywhere in California, on a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform
Fees
Sessions run $180 to $450 per 50 minutes, depending on the clinician. We're out of network and provide monthly superbills you can submit to your insurance. Every couple starts with a free 20-minute consultation.
Meet Our Team
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Lisa Chen, LMFT (140374)
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Lisa Newman, LMFT (150738)
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Laura Malandrino, APCC (15514)
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Rebekah Richin, AMFT (161608)
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Payton Rund, AMFT (161567)
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Jessica Slavin, AMFT (140590)
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Chandra Breslow, AMFT (165437)
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Elizabeth Dang
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Bob Northcutt, LMFT (51430)
Serving the South Bay
Our office is located in Hermosa Beach, and we regularly work with couples from Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and across the South Bay.
Couples Therapy Questions
How do we know if couples therapy is right for us?
If the same fight keeps coming back, you feel more like roommates, or trust has taken a hit, it's worth a conversation. You don't need to be in crisis.
What if only one of us wants to come?
That's common. Partners rarely arrive equally ready. The first sessions give the hesitant partner a low-stakes way to see what this is like.
Will you tell us whether to stay together?
No. That decision is yours. We help you understand your pattern and what each of you wants, so you can decide with a clear head.
How long does couples therapy take?
Some couples feel real movement in 8 to 12 weekly sessions. Others stay longer to go deeper. An intensive fits a lot of focused work into one day or a few days.
What happens in the first session?
We'll ask about your history, what's happening now and what you want to be different. You'll get a sense of whether we're a fit, and we'll sketch a plan for the next few sessions.
How much does couples therapy cost?
$180 to $450 per 50-minute session, depending on the clinician. We're out of network and provide monthly superbills.
Do you offer online couples therapy?
Yes. We see couples in person in Hermosa Beach and online anywhere in California.
If you still have questions about whether couples therapy is the right next step, schedule a consultation to explore your options.
Ready to Talk?
Whether you've been together two years or twenty, it's never too early to get help. Book a free 15-minute consultation and we'll match you with the right couples therapist on our team. In person in Hermosa Beach or online across California.