Couples & Relationship Therapy

for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Communities

Trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapy that honors your whole identity and lived experiences. Specializing in intergenerational trauma, somatic healing, and relationship repair for individuals, couples, and partners across all relationship structures.

Serving California, Washington, and Illinois via online sessions.

Schedule your consultation

You’re in the right place if you’re…

  • A BIPOC individual navigating racial trauma, microaggressions, or systemic oppression

  • An LGBTQ+ person seeking gender-affirming, identity-validating care

  • An Asian American dealing with intergenerational trauma or family expectations

  • An adult child of immigrants balancing multiple cultural identities

  • Someone experiencing anxiety, depression, PTSD, or complex trauma

  • A survivor seeking body-based, somatic healing

  • A couple stuck in painful patterns and wanting to reconnect

  • Partners in a polyamorous or non-monogamous relationship seeking support

  • An intercultural or interracial couple navigating differences

  • Anyone seeking therapy that acknowledges how systemic oppression impacts mental health

A pathway through a tunnel of orange torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine, with a small lantern hanging from the ceiling.

Couples & Relationship Therapy Services

Whether you're feeling disconnected, stuck in painful cycles, navigating a major transition, or simply wanting to strengthen your bond—couples therapy can help. I work with couples and partners of all configurations, including non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships. I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and utilize this modality to help you understand your patterns, communicate more effectively, and rebuild emotional connection.

Therapy isn't just about solving problems; it's about creating a relationship where both partners feel seen, valued, and secure.

Common Relationship Challenges:

Communication Breakdown

  • Constant arguments that go nowhere

  • Feeling unheard, dismissed, or misunderstood

  • One or both partners shutting down or withdrawing

  • Criticism, defensiveness, contempt, or stonewalling

  • Different communication styles causing friction

  • Difficulty expressing needs without conflict

Trust & Communication Issues

  • Infidelity, emotional affairs, or betrayal

  • Emotional disconnection and distance

  • Loss of physical or sexual intimacy

  • Difficulty being vulnerable or asking for what you need

  • Feeling like roommates instead of partners

  • Fear of abandonment or engulfment

Conflict & Patterns

Identity, Intersectionality, and Differences

Relationship Structure & Boundaries

How I can help:

  • Negatively impacted by intergenerational patterns

  • Stuck in the same fights repeatedly

  • Escalation into hurtful words or actions

  • One partner pursuing, the other withdrawing

  • Resentment building over time

  • Inability to resolve disagreements

  • Different conflict styles (avoidant vs. confrontational)

Life Stressors

Intimacy & Sex

  • Financial stress and different money values

  • Career changes, unemployment, or work-life balance

  • Extended family conflicts and boundary issues

  • Health issues or chronic illness

  • Grief, loss, or major life transitions

  • Cultural or racial differences and expectations

  • Religious or spiritual misalignment

  • Differing life goals, values, or priorities

  • One partner's identity evolution (coming out, transition, career change)

  • Power imbalances in the relationship

  • Navigating privilege and oppression dynamics

  • Opening a previously monogamous relationship

  • Jealousy, insecurity, or comparison in polyamorous dynamics

  • Negotiating boundaries with multiple partners

  • Coming out to family, friends, or community

  • Veto power, hierarchy, and decision-making

  • Time management with multiple relationships

  • Desire discrepancy or mismatched libidos

  • Sexual dysfunction or pain

  • Shame around sexuality or desires

  • Impact of trauma on sexual intimacy

  • Different expectations around frequency or type of intimacy

  • Navigating open relationships and sexual agreements

Using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), I help couples understand that beneath communication breakdowns, conflicts, and disconnection lies unmet attachment needs and deep emotional vulnerabilities. When you're stuck in cycles of criticism and withdrawal, feeling like roommates, or struggling with trust after betrayal, we work to identify the underlying fears driving these patterns.

Through attachment-based and trauma-informed approaches, we explore how early experiences, cultural conditioning, and past wounds shape how you connect and express needs. I integrate an intergenerational and systemic lens to address how cultural expectations, family legacies, power dynamics, and systemic oppression influence your partnership—essential for couples navigating intercultural differences, identity evolution, or relationship structures beyond traditional monogamy.

Whether you're managing life stressors like parenting disagreements and financial stress, working through infidelity and intimacy challenges, or negotiating boundaries in polyamorous relationships, we work at the emotional core to create secure attachment, rebuild trust, and foster the vulnerability needed for lasting connection.

Let's Connect