Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy in the Bay Area, CA
Is This You?
You love your partner — but lately it feels like you're speaking different languages. Maybe you find yourselves:
Having the same argument over and over without resolution
Feeling emotionally distant or disconnected, like roommates rather than partners
Walking on eggshells to avoid conflict
Struggling to rebuild trust after a betrayal or breach
Feeling unheard, unseen, or taken for granted
Wondering if the spark you once had is gone for good
Navigating a major life transition — a new baby, a loss, a career change — that has put a strain on your relationship
You don't have to figure this out alone. Couples therapy can help you break the cycle and rediscover the connection that brought you together.
What Does a Couples Session Look Like?
Many couples wonder what actually happens in the room. Here's what to expect when we work together:
Early sessions — Building safety and understanding We start by getting to know each other. I'll ask about your relationship history, your current challenges, and what you each hope to get out of therapy. My goal in early sessions is to create a space where both of you feel equally heard and not judged.
Middle sessions — Identifying patterns and emotions Together we begin to identify the negative cycle your relationship gets stuck in — the pursuer-withdrawer dynamic, the escalation pattern, or the emotional shutdown that happens when things get hard. We go beneath the surface arguments to the deeper emotions underneath.
Later sessions — Rebuilding connection As the negative cycle slows down, we shift toward creating new moments of emotional closeness and rebuilding a secure, loving bond. Many couples describe this phase as feeling like falling in love again.
How Does EFT Couples Therapy Work?
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is one of the most researched and effective approaches to couples therapy available today. Developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, EFT is based on attachment theory — the idea that we are wired for deep emotional connection, and that relationship distress often stems from feeling insecure in that bond.
In EFT we don't just work on communication skills or conflict resolution techniques. We go deeper — identifying the underlying emotional needs and fears that drive the negative patterns in your relationship. When partners feel truly seen and safe with each other, communication naturally improves and conflict decreases.
Research shows that 70-75% of couples who complete EFT move from distress to recovery, and approximately 90% show significant improvement.
Who Can Benefit from Couples Therapy?
Couples therapy isn't just for relationships in crisis.
I work with couples who are:
Navigating communication breakdowns or chronic conflict
Recovering from infidelity or a breach of trust
Adjusting to a major life transition such as a new baby, relocation, or job loss
Feeling emotionally disconnected or stuck in a rut
Preparing for marriage or a major commitment
In same-sex or LGBTQ+ relationships seeking an affirming therapist
Simply wanting to strengthen an already good relationship
Couples Therapy in the East Bay
I offer couples therapy in person at my office in Richmond, CA, serving couples throughout the East Bay including El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, Kensington, and Oakland. Online couples therapy is also available for couples anywhere in California.
Sessions are available in 50-minute or 75-minute formats. For couples doing more intensive work, the 75-minute session allows for deeper exploration and is often more effective.
Ready to reconnect?
Taking the first step toward couples therapy is an act of courage and love.
Book your free 15-minute consultation today — let's talk about where you are and where you'd like to be.
Recommended Reading
Recommended Listening
Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson
Love Sense by Sue Johnson
An Emotionally Focused Workbook for Couples by Veronica Kallos-Lilly and Jennifer Fitzgerald
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
Brave Love, Great Sex Podcast Hosted by EFT expert George Faller, LMFT and certified sex therapist Dr. Laurie Watson. A frank, expert conversation about emotional intimacy, connection, and sexuality in committed relationships. Note: this podcast explores both emotional and sexual topics
Success in Vulnerability George Faller's EFT-focused platform offering insights, tools, and conversations about emotionally focused therapy and building secure, loving relationships.
“Being the “best you can be” is really only possible when you are deeply connected to another. Splendid isolation is for planets, not people.”
Sue Johnson