Reconnect, Repair, and Strengthen Your Relationship

Experience couples therapy that helps you break painful patterns, communicate more clearly, and rebuild emotional connection.

You don’t have to keep feeling disconnected, stuck in the same arguments, or unsure whether your relationship can heal. Couples therapy helps you and your partner slow things down, understand what’s really driving the conflict, and rebuild emotional closeness. With the right support, it’s possible to repair trust, communicate without escalation, and create a relationship that feels safer, more connected, and sustainable over time.

Couples Therapy Focused on Connection, Repair, and Lasting Change

Relationships are where we experience our deepest connection—and often our deepest pain. When communication breaks down, trust is shaken, or conflict becomes repetitive and exhausting, couples therapy can help you slow things down and understand what’s really happening beneath the surface.

I provide couples therapy for partners who feel stuck in negative patterns, emotionally distant, or unsure how to move forward together. Whether you’re navigating ongoing conflict, recovering from a rupture, or simply wanting a stronger emotional bond, therapy offers a structured and supportive space to rebuild connection and clarity.

My work with couples is grounded in attachment-based, evidence-informed approaches that focus on emotional safety, mutual understanding, and long-term relational health.

 

Emotionally Focused, In-Person Couples Therapy in Petaluma and Novato

I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most well-researched and effective models for couples therapy. EFT helps couples understand how their conflict is less about the content of arguments and more about unmet emotional needs and fears around connection, safety, and belonging.

In couples therapy, we work to identify the negative interaction cycles—often experienced as the same argument on repeat—that leave partners feeling unheard, criticized, withdrawn, or alone. Rather than assigning blame, EFT helps couples recognize the shared pattern they are both caught in and learn how to respond to one another in new, more supportive ways.

Through Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, partners learn to:

  • Recognize and interrupt their recurring cycles of conflict or withdrawal

  • Understand their own emotional responses and attachment needs

  • Communicate more openly and safely, even around difficult topics

  • Rebuild trust after emotional injury or betrayal

  • Strengthen emotional intimacy and secure connection

Couples seek therapy for many reasons, including communication challenges, frequent conflict, emotional distance, parenting stress, fertility or pregnancy transitions, infidelity, or major life changes. EFT is also effective for couples preparing for marriage or looking to deepen an already solid relationship.

Couples Therapy for Communication, Conflict, and Trust Issues

Many couples come to therapy feeling discouraged because they’ve “talked everything to death” but still feel disconnected. Others worry that conflict means something is fundamentally wrong with the relationship.

In therapy, we focus on helping both partners feel heard and understood—often for the first time in a long while. This includes slowing down reactive conversations, exploring emotional triggers, and building the skills needed to stay engaged rather than shutting down or escalating.

Couples therapy can be especially helpful if you are experiencing:

  • Repeated arguments that never seem to resolve

  • One partner pursuing while the other withdraws

  • Loss of emotional or physical intimacy

  • Difficulty repairing after conflict

  • Trust issues following infidelity or secrecy

  • Stress related to parenting, work, or caregiving

The goal is not simply better communication, but deeper emotional safety and responsiveness between partners.

An Attachment-Based Approach to Couples Work

My approach to couples therapy is rooted in attachment theory, which looks at how early relational experiences shape how we seek closeness, handle conflict, and protect ourselves in intimate relationships. Understanding these patterns helps couples move away from blame and toward compassion—for themselves and each other.

I integrate elements of:

  • Attachment-Focused Therapy to understand emotional needs and relational fears

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to reshape negative interaction cycles

  • Psychodynamic and Object Relations Theory to explore deeper relational patterns

  • Somatic and Mindfulness-Based Work to support emotional regulation and presence

This integrative approach supports both insight and change—helping couples understand why they struggle and how to relate differently moving forward.

Support During Relationship and Life Transitions

Couples often seek therapy during periods of transition, when stress or change exposes vulnerabilities in the relationship. I frequently work with couples navigating:

  • Moving in together or redefining commitment

  • Pregnancy, fertility challenges, or early parenthood

  • Career changes or financial stress

  • Aging parents or caregiving responsibilities

  • Grief, loss, or major life disruptions

These moments can intensify conflict, but they also offer an opportunity for growth and deeper connection when approached with care and support.

Individual Therapy as Part of Relational Growth

While this page focuses on couples therapy, I also work with individuals who want to better understand their role in relationships, heal attachment wounds, or address anxiety, grief, or life transitions. Many clients find that individual and relational work complement each other, supporting more meaningful change both internally and within their partnerships.

 
 
 

About Me

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA License #103218) and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). I earned my Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Sonoma State University in 2005 and completed four years of advanced post-graduate training at the Community Institute for Psychotherapy.

Since 2017, I have maintained a private practice serving individuals and couples throughout Sonoma and Marin Counties. My work is relational, thoughtful, and focused on helping clients create lasting change—not just short-term symptom relief.

Begin Therapy

Therapy is an investment in your growth, relationships, and overall well-being. Whether you’re ready to begin weekly sessions or are just exploring your options, I welcome you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your needs and see if working together feels like a good fit.

📞 Call or text (707) 234-8620 to schedule your consultation today.