Couples Therapy
LVVR (Listen, Validate, Validate, Repair) is a communication method I developed. I prefer that couples always come in person, and the first five sessions must be.
Most couples come in because things are generally not going well. They are fighting, or not communicating well, or both. It is rarely one issue, and usually it is everything at once.
Some couples come in because they feel more like roommates than partners.
A baby, a move, a new job. Big changes show you where the relationship was already strained.
I also see couples deciding whether to take the next step.
The office is in West Los Angeles, on the border of Santa Monica, near Centinela and Santa Monica Boulevard. Talk sessions also happen by video, anywhere in California.
What a Session Looks Like
I am interactive in couples sessions, and I steer them. I give you specific ways to communicate, and we practice them in the room. Sometimes I give homework and sometimes I do not. I also meet with each of you separately when what I am seeing calls for it.
The Methods I Use
LVVR gives couples a way to talk about hard moments as they happen. It is an active dialogue about what is happening in the moment. I also utilize Gottman, PACT and Imago.
The First Five Sessions Are In Person
I want to get to know you. I also utilize my PACT training to notice nonverbal cues and point them out as they happen, and that does not come through on video.
When Couples Work Is Not Right
I do not see couples when there is ongoing violence in the relationship, because couples therapy is not safe in that situation. There is still help available, and the resources page lists where to start.
Questions People Ask
Why do we start in person?
So I can get to know you, and because the nonverbal cues PACT works with do not come through on video.
Can the relationship be saved?
I cannot promise an outcome. What I can say is that I have seen couples come back from a great deal when both people are willing to do the work.
Rates and How to Start
Couples sessions are 75 minutes. Rates are on the rates page. I do not take insurance. However, I provide a monthly superbill, which you can submit to your insurance company for out-of-network reimbursement. Whether your plan pays anything back is up to your plan.
Either of you can call. I would rather talk to you both, and I will start with whoever is ready. You can also book through the client portal.