What type of couples therapy do you use?

We use the Gottman Method to work on the patterns between partners, and IFS with Intimacy from the Inside Out to understand what drives each person. When an old hurt keeps getting in the way, we may add EMDR or somatic work. Early sessions follow a structured model so both partners feel safe.

What if my partner doesn't want to come?

Couples therapy starts when both partners have agreed to come, and we don't meet with one partner alone as part of couples work. If your partner isn't ready, you can start individual therapy with us in the meantime, and couples work can begin when you're both ready.

Will you tell us whether to stay together?

No. Your therapist won't take sides or decide for you. If one or both of you is unsure about staying, we help each of you get clear on what you want and why, so whatever you decide, you decide it with a clearer head and less blame.

How long does couples therapy take?

Many couples notice a change within 8 to 12 weekly sessions, and some choose to stay longer to keep building on it. Couples working against a date, or who want faster progress, can book a couples intensive of one day or a few days in Hermosa Beach.

Couples therapy · Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online in California

Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling in California

Asking for help with your relationship is hard. Most couples who call us are tired of the same fight, or feel more like roommates than partners. We meet both of you with care and respect, and give you a clear, structured place to start.

Book a free 20-minute consult Meet the couples therapists

Reply within one business day.

Gottman MethodFounder Gottman Level 2 trained
IFS and IFIOFounder on the IFIO training staff
Seven couples therapistsAssociates trained by Lisa Chen and Bob Northcutt, LMFTs
Published feesNo surprises on cost

Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy offers couples therapy and marriage counseling in California, in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena and online anywhere in the state. Sessions are 50 minutes. Our couples work draws on the Gottman Method, IFS and Intimacy from the Inside Out, and every couple starts with a free 20-minute consultation.

Where are the two of you right now?

Pick the one that sounds closest. There's no wrong answer.

When fights come more often and get more heated, each of you is trying to be heard, and past a certain point neither of you can really hear the other. We start by slowing the fights down so they stop escalating, then look at the pattern you both keep landing in.

Good next step: weekly couples therapy, starting with a free consult

How couples therapy starts here

We start out more structured than most couples therapists, and that's on purpose. A clear structure helps both of you feel safe enough to bring up hard topics in the room.

Both partners need to agree to come. We don't meet with one partner alone as part of couples work. If one of you isn't ready yet, the other can start individual therapy with us, and the door to couples work stays open.

1
A free 20-minute call
Tell us what's going on and what you've already tried. We'll match you with the therapist who fits, and you'll hear back within one business day.
2
Your first session, together
Your therapist asks each of you what you're nervous about and what you're hoping for, and shows you what happens in your body when a fight gets too heated to hear each other.
3
Weekly, or an intensive
Most couples come weekly for 50 minutes. Couples working against a date, or who want more than an hour a week, can book a couples intensive.

How our approach compares

Every practice names Gottman. Here is what working with us actually looks like.

	What couples often expect	How we work
The first sessions	Talking through whatever happened that week	A structured start, so both of you feel safe and know what's coming next
The method	One approach for every couple	Gottman for the patterns between you, IFS and IFIO for what drives each of you, and EMDR or somatic work when an old hurt keeps getting in the way
The therapist	Training varies widely	Associates train with Lisa Chen and Bob Northcutt before their first couple, and use the practice's own model for the early sessions
The pace	Weekly only	Weekly, or a one-day or multi-day intensive
The cost	Found out on the first call	Published below, with superbills for your insurance

Every therapist here sees couples

"Couples call for a variety of reasons. The fights keep getting worse. Or a husband calls and says everything appears fine, they get along, but they've lost the ability to really talk to each other. He misses his wife."Lisa Chen, LMFT, founder

Before they see their first couple, our associates go through rigorous training with Lisa Chen and our Clinical Director, Bob Northcutt, LMFT, who both specialize in couples work. Tell us a little on your consult call and we'll match you with the right person.